Buffalo, for far too long, has been &#8220The Land of No.&#8221 The inability to finish

projects because of serial objections has become part and parcel of this region&#8217s own

negative self-image, and a serious bar to the city&#8217s recovery.

Sometimes, those concerns can lead to project improvements. Too often, they simply add

development burdens that make tough projects tougher and delay or kill them. The Erie Canal

Harbor, now expanded into Canal Side, offers examples of both.

A citizen push for rewatering the Commercial Slip slowed the early stages of this vital

waterfront project but, although it actually destroyed the &#8220real thing&#8221 &#8212 the

buried remnant of the slip itself, in favor of authenticity of place &#8212 that delay gave

better shape to the redevelopment and added a great deal of welcome emphasis to the heritage

theme.

The latest last-minute push, which has found traction with a swayable Common Council, is an

obstacle. Demands for a Community Benefits Agreement, or CBA, could be amended to become a

good idea &#8212 but the current proposal should be rejected.

The concept is decent: A CBA seeks to ensure that the $294 million downtown development

project includes measures that will benefit the public in return for the large degree of

public investment.

But this proposal by the Coalition for Economic Justice, a group affiliated with labor

organizations, clashes with economic realities and the concept of a recreation and

entertainment zone, seeking instead commitments more suited to a development zone that either

displaces residents or seeks to build housing or larger-scale commercial enterprises.

Memo to anyone not paying attention: the Canal Side project, on vacant land that has long

been wasted, will benefit the public by just getting completed.

A recent article in The News cited examples of the legally binding contracts between

developers and community organizations of benefit to places such as Los Angeles, Pittsburgh,

Seattle and Minneapolis. But this is Buffalo, where attracting commercial enterprises and jobs

is more difficult at this stage, and such contracts, carelessly adopted, could prove to be

development killers.

Demanding late inclusion of affordable housing in a small 20-acre zone already between a

large apartment complex and a larger public housing project &#8212 not to mention a casino

site already criticized by opponents as too near low-income housing &#8212 is a stretch. Canal

Side already has been designed as a visitor destination through a long public process, and

envisions only a limited number of loft apartments above street-level boutiques and cafes.

Another mandate being sought is that 75 percent of the zone&#8217s retail space, other than

the anchor Bass Pro store, be reserved for local businesses. This is the kind of provision

advanced by people who know nothing about retailing; attracting any such business into what is

now an economic wasteland is going to be a chore and handcuffing developers would, at best,

slow the project and the jobs and economic vitality it could deliver. At worst, it would turn

businesses away or torpedo the project altogether. There are currently no businesses in that

location. Anything would be an improvement. Local business should be a goal, not a mandate.

The demand for a living wage for businesses with more than 20 employees, in an area likely

to be heavy on restaurant, tavern and small retail shop jobs, again shows a lack of

understanding of the economics of such businesses. This is an economically depressed area

where jobs are not only welcome but needed, including jobs that might allow some income for

the young during school years or seniors seeking to augment retirement benefits. Any business

jobs are a gain over the current empty slate on the site.

A fourth demand for &#8220green&#8221 building standards adds a mandate to development

already working toward that goal. The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp., as a state agency,

is required to consider &#8220green building&#8221 construction guidelines and procurement

policies.

Buffalo does not need another project killed because of naysayers.

The Erie Canal Side project holds the possibility of a major transformation of the downtown

waterfront. Putting up extra roadblocks will serve only to discourage and diminish the

ambition of any developer looking to do business in this city. The CBA idea should be

rejected.