Buffalo Planning Board tables pizza shop plan

Buffalo city planners on Tuesday tabled a proposal for a new Jets Pizza takeout shop in North Buffalo, citing the need for the out-of-town architects and developers to work more closely with the local neighborhood and Common Council Member Michael LoCurto to address concerns.

Three franchisees, all based in Michigan, want to open the states first Jets Pizza shop at 2165 Delaware Ave., near Great Arrow Avenue and across from Marshalls Plaza. Their $750,000 project calls for a complete renovation of the 1,600-square-foot masonry building, which was formerly a SuperCuts hair salon and previously a bank branch, with a goal of opening by the end of March or early April.

The majority of Jets business is delivery and some takeout, said Steve Earll, an associate at Chiodini Architects in St. Louis, which is working with the franchisees and Jets. This is not a sit-down pizzeria, Earll said. You just pop in, get your pizza and go.

So they wanted to move the buildings main entrance from Delaware Avenue to the parking lot next to it. Earll said the pizza ovens would be lined up along the Delaware side of the building, and Jets wanted to remove all the storefront windows there and replace them with masonry for a solid wall.

But that didnt sit well with LoCurto, the Delaware Council member, or with members of the Planning Board.

It seems not to pay homage at all to Delaware Avenue, said board member Frank A. Manuele.

The board sent the architects back for more communication with the community and LoCurto, as well as to rework the Delaware entrance and signs.

Separately, the board also tabled two projects by Carl and William Paladinos Ellicott Development. The firm wants to build nine new townhomes at 21-51 Ojibwa Circle, representing the second phase of its Townhomes at Waterfront Place project.

Priced between $500,000 and $650,000, four have been pre-sold, said Tom Fox, Ellicotts director of development.

Ellicott also wants to convert a vacant 56,000-square-foot, four-story building at 960 Busti Ave. near the Peace Bridge overlooking the Niagara River into a $7 million mixed-use project, with commercial office, retail or even restaurant space on the first two floors and 18 apartments on the third and fourth floors.

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Buffalo Planning Board tables pizza shop plan