Mayor Brown: Bring Down the Aud

"I will be discussing with Governor Spitzer in the coming days a plan to use some of the resources to demolish the Aud and make that five-acre site shovel ready and available for other opportunities," Mayor Brown told 2 On Your Side.

On December 18, 2006, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation gave Bass Pro 30 days to decide if it wants to be part of Buffalo's waterfront plans. That 30 day deadline expired yesterday, but the Mayor and harbor development officials extended it. The Mayor says it was extended because an ice storm has shut down Bass Pro headquarters in Missouri this week. Development Corporation officials tell us that they are close to a deal.

"I think we're really really close, and i think it's just a matter of a very short time," said Bill Collins of the waterfront development corporation."

Both Collins and the mayor say that the Aud is no longer being discussed as a potential location for a Bass Pro store. Instead, another piece of property on the Inner Harbor has entered the picture. As for extending the deadline, Collins told 2 On Your Side that it was the only logical move.

"We're at the cusp of making this deal, and it would be foolish to say we're just going to walk away because we don't have a deal," Collins said. (Click on the video link to the right to watch the entire interview.)

Bass Pro: A Timeline

12/18/06 ? Mayor Byron Brown says: "If this can't be wrapped up in 30 days, it's time to move forward."

Larry Quinn, a member of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, says: "It was a little bit of the cart before the horse. They announced the store before we had a plan."

Reporter asks Mayor Brown: "Is there frustration that we still don't have a deal?"

Mayor Brown says: "Well, obviously we're all frustrated that we still don't have a deal, and I think as you heard Larry Quinn say, a tremendous offer has been made to them."

12/19/06 ? Reporter asks Bass Pro: "Is this a dead deal?" Bass Pro Spokesperson says: "No sir, there wouldn't be 30 days. If it would, it would be over right now." Reporter: "What's the holdup here?" Bass Pro: "We're still looking at all the feasibility of it. And we just got some of the reports in very recently, and we're looking those over."

12/20/06 ? New York Governor George Pataki says: "The corporation has said to Bass Pro that it's time to make a final decision and you have a month to do that. And I'm still hopeful that in the course of that month Bass Pro will recognize that they wanna be a part of harbor development...a multi - hundred million dollar development that will go forward. And we're just gonna do everything possible as we have to do everything possible to convince Bass Pro that they should be a part of this renaissance of this waterfront in Buffalo." Reporter: "What went wrong?" Pataki says: "It's just uh...Bass Pro is just continuing to run their numbers but uh...I will again...I've talked to them a number of times and will continue to do so."

12/21/06 ? The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation says it is trying to set up a phone conference with Bass Pro.

12/22/06 ? Quinn says talks continue with Bass Pro and the deal is by no means dead. He also says both sides are taking several days off because of the holidays.

12/29/06 ? Officials from the Harbor Corporation say they have spoken with Bass Pro, but no major negotiations have taken place.

1/2/07 ? Quinn says the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation will meet later in the week with Bass Pro.

1/4/07 - Advertisement in Bass Pro 2007 mailings don't list Buffalo as a "coming soon" location, despite being listed as such in 2006 ads. Tony Gioia with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. says he wouldn't read too much into that and remains confident a deal can be reached.

1/5/07 - Bass Pro spokesman Larry Whitely says they are still talking with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation but he will not discuss other matters. He says no mention of Buffalo on "coming soon" location may be a mistake. Gioia says corporation board members are still optimistic but they have plenty of other options. Bass Pro update meeting with corporation has been postponed and so far no rescheduled date. City Hall official says "the deal is not dead but it's on life support."

1/7/07 - Erie County Executive Joel Giambra says he thought Bass Pro was an important project for Buffalo two years ago. But now with so many more stores having gone up in locations that are driving distance, he wonders if the project would have the same impact. "It's time now for them to make a decision. If it's not going to happen we need to move on and figure out how to spend those dollars that were allocated for Bass Pro."

Web EXTRA:

• See a map of the commissions plans for the Buffalo waterfront.

• See an artist rendering of the commission's plans.

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