NAIOP honors three local projects at 19th Annual Awards Dinner

The Upstate New York Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, held its 19th Annual Awards Dinner. Three awards, recognizing achievements in environmental, adaptive re-use and mixed use development, honored local projects. William Hunt, chairman of NAIOP and president of The Elmhurst Group in Pittsburgh, gave the keynote address. As the former chair of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Hunt drew connections between that city's past and Buffalo's, calling on Buffalo to focus on the positive. "Buffalo and Pittsburgh are 'Legacy Cities,'" Hunt said. "They're cities with great pasts to guide their futures." Hunt noted marked improvement in Buffalo since his last visit. "It's been several years since I'd been to this area," said William Hunt, NAIOP chairman-elect, "and as I was driving around touring your city it was obvious how many positive things are happening here with respect to growth and development." Some of that growth and development was showcased at the Awards ceremony, as three of the eight honored developments are in Western New York. "It's gratifying to see projects that have a positive impact on our local economy, environment and quality of life being recognized by the entire development community," said Carl Montante Jr., vice president of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives at Uniland Development Company and NAIOP National Board Representative. LiRo Engineers, Inc. who remediated the brownfield that existed at the former Spaulding Fibre Plant in the City of Tonawanda, won the 2011 Environmental Award. The effort, which included removing more than 6,000 tons of contaminated soil from the site, became the largest remediation project ever in Western New York. Clean materials from the site were re-used as backfill on the 47-acre property, and the use of native-grass green space minimizes water runoff and anticipates future construction options. In the adaptive re-use category, Schneider Development, LLC was honored for its renovation of the former Alling & Cory building on Elm and North Division in downtown Buffalo. The 1910 structure, a six-story, former paper warehouse, was transformed into a modern mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments for 290 students from over six area colleges and universities. Now called the Lofts @ 136, the adaptive reuse of the building dictated a green approach throughout the renovation, which included an energy efficient roof-system and insulating building envelope. The Tuscarora Nation House in Lewiston earned Calamar Construction the award for best mixed use project of the year. The building houses a medical center for Tuscarora Nation residents, a community center with library, senior center and office space. It's all housed within a wood framed-structure built to expose thick timber beams throughout and to showcase the unique art and symbolism of the Tuscarora people. Other projects honored were the Dr. Bruce A. Holm MedTech Center by the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, which won for best office award and the Morrell / Pridemark Office building in Perinton, for best architectural / engineering project. McGuire Development Company's SKF Aeroengine plant in Falconer, NY and SWBR Architecture's Harris / R.F. Communications in Rochester each won industrial awards. Wilmorite earned a mixed use award for its Park Point Syracuse student housing project at Syracuse University. The Awards event held at Salvatore's Italian Gardens was attended by more than 80 NAIOP Upstate New York Chapter Members, supporters and honorees. It was sponsored by R&P Oak Hill Development, LLC., Clark Patterson Lee design professionals, Calamar Construction, Harris Beach PLLC., NorthMarq, Uniland Development Company, LiRo Engineers, Inc., Schneider Development, LLC., Chicago Title Insurance Company and Davie Kaplan CPAs.