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Why are businesses leaving Elmwood Village?

A growing number of people are taking notice that the Elmwood Village has a lot of empty storefronts right now.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – There's a lot of life and beauty in Buffalo's Elmwood Village, but a growing number of people are taking notice that the destination strip has a lot of empty storefronts right now.

"Since the hospital closed, a lot of the businesses have suffered,” said village resident Susan Vega.

Indeed. some businesses have left that area around the former Children’s Hospital

Casa Di Pizza reopened on Mohawk, and Newbury Salads intends to reopen on Hertel.

Glory Market, a West African food store with a focus on culture, is next to the former Newbury.

"Since being in the neighborhood, we've seen a few people that have left, and as a business owner, it makes me just worry for my future,” said owner Gloria Ofori.

Ofori believes Newbury may have struggled with rising rent costs while trying not to raise the prices of food.

"How do we find that balance without losing our bottom line?” Ofori said.

Common Council member Joel Feroleto said he has not heard complains about commercial leasing space prices, but he acknowledges the closure of the hospital has had an effect as has several recent building transactions.

Farther north on Elmwood, JP Bullfeathers is still empty.

Feroleto said that development plans that long kept Bullfeathers on hold fell through, but it is now available for lease again.

So what's being done to help the area?

"The business owners want to have some advocacy,” Feroleto said.

Apparently, the Elmwood Village Association did not have local business owners on its board of directors, until now. Feroleto says the Association is now in the process of bringing businesses owners on board, and it will add more business owners this summer.

Feroleto believes it will give the business owners a voice is sharing ideas and initiatives to spur growth.

Channel 2 reached out the Elmwood Village Association Thursday afternoon but did not hear back.

Hertel Avenue meanwhile, which is also Feroletto's district, is thriving. What are the two commercial strips doing differently?

"I know the Hertel Business Association does a phenomenal job with doing different events, like ‘bring your dog to Hertel day,’ and ‘shop, rock, and stroll.’ And I'm happy in the direction the Elmwood Village Association is moving to get the small business owners working together to come up with different ideas to help the whole neighborhood,” he said.

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