HSBC eyes land Bass Pro wanted to have

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Reaction to Bass Pro's big decision is pouring in from all sides. Local leaders have started insinuating where the blame lies.

Bass Pro says there are numerous critical reasons for their positions, including the fact that several major remain unresolved, a recent lawsuit is sure to be one of them. Another one of them is the Common Council's recent delay of a vote to transfer other waterfront land to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.

To that, Mayor Byron Brown says, "This is inexcusable and an example of a few obstructionists persuading members of the Common Council to stop progress."

Common Council Majority Leader Rich Fontana makes no apologies for a two week delay on a land transfer, but Friday he says he was suddenly pressured by local business leaders to transfer the Webster block of land to satisfy HSBC expansion. The Webster block is the same piece of land that the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation wanted for the Bass Pro deal.

"Stated that their downtown plans with the tower and with the Webster block revolve around our vote happening soon, so that's a concern to me as a businessman in Buffalo. I need to keep HSBC in downtown Buffalo, and do everything we can do. Now if that's not the case, HSBC has to come forward and tell me that's not the case, otherwise I'm not going to push for the vote," said Fontana.

Just to make it clear, it doesn't appear that HSBC has anything to do with why Bass Pro is not coming to town. But now that it was made clear that Bass Pro wasn't coming, business leaders have made it very clear to Fontana that HSBC is very interested in the Webster block. And the Webster block is the parking lot directly in front of HSBC Arena that HSBC apparently wants for its expansion in the future in downtown Buffalo.

Fontana is trying to call a special meeting for next Wednesday to try and get that Webster block to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation to possibly deal over to HSBC.