Bass Pro abandons plans for waterfront

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - After nine years of hype and hope, sporting goods retailer Bass Pro is another one that got away.

The talk about Bass Pro is over for good. The company pulled out Friday, saying it could not meet a deadline to commit to the project.

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairman Jordan Levy said, "I'm thoroughly disappointed in the outcome."

It was to be the anchor tenant of a $300 million project on Buffalo's inner harbor, a 130,000 square foot Bass Pro Store. The company had already sunk a million dollars into the plans, but now has pulled out.

"I didn't hope this would ever happen. A lot of us have worked hard to have a different outcome, and frankly, it's a failing," said Levy.

>>>Local leaders are already pointing fingers to find someone to blame for Bass Pro's departure, but as the Common Council Majority Leader points out, now that Bass Pro is out of the picture, HSBC says they want the Webster block, the same piece of land that Bass Pro was looking to obtain from the Common Council

In 2004, with great fanfare, Bass Pro's founder Johnny Morris came to Buffalo to announce the company's intention to build here.

Morris said, "It's not necessarily a slam dunk or real easy, I mean there's a lot of things that have to happen."

The Aud came down to accommodate final plans, but a lawsuit over public funds used to lure Bass Pro here, and a lack of action from Buffalo lawmakers to transfer land for the canal side project, may have contributed to the store cutting bait.

Levy said, "Certain small pockets of people once again decided it wasn't something they wanted, so they sort of helped drive them out."

Eric Recoon of Benderson Development said Bass Pro also did not like news coverage of its private negotiations.

"Bass Pro is a private company. They're frankly not accustomed to all this negativity. The negativity here became very toxic," said Recoon.

Waterfront planners say the canal side project will move forward, but the search will begin now for a new anchor tenant.

Levy said, "We have identified ten anchor opportunities, and you can revitalize a vacant waterfront and begin the renaissance of western New York. That's what we always dreamed of."

Mayor Byron Brown said Bass Pro President Jim Hagele told him that the Common Council's failure to move on the land deal on the Webster block contributed to Bass Pro's decision.

>>>For full coverage, including statements from Bass Pro, Mayor Brown, Congressman Higgins, ECHDC, and more, follow this link.