Reviving downtown buffalo

Under the current administration, Downtown Buffalo is struggling. Businesses are closing, foot traffic has plummeted, and downtown is often a ghost town. Officials estimate that over 20,000 fewer office workers are coming downtown on a daily basis. In 2024, M&T Bank made the decision to end their free lunchtime downtown concert series after 54 years, and in recent months businesses like Braymiller Market and Dinosaur BBQ have closed up shop, with Osteria 166 announcing they’ll be scaling back service next month, and several other restaurants are struggling to remain open. Across America, people are looking for more than just nice-looking downtowns. Downtown should not just be a place where people work, but a place to live, shop, dine out, and seek entertainment. People want downtowns that are activated, that have unique programming, and have easy access to good schools, medical facilities, high-quality housing, and shopping options. Sean knows that our small businesses don’t get enough support from the City, and that we need to focus on creating equity for all of our commercial corridors.

Sean's Plan

Take Inventory & Encourage New Builds: As Mayor, Sean Ryan will conduct a full assessment of downtown infrastructure including streets, buildings, parking lots, vacant or underutilized commercial spaces, and street parking to better understand the existing downtown tax base and identify ways to expand and support it. This includes investing capital into downtown to rebuild Main Street and the downtown core, replace sidewalks that are in poor condition, repave downtown streets, and repair core structures. It also includes creating different development and commercial zones for downtown. Working with responsible private sector developers, he will encourage responsible new builds and commercial-to-residential conversions downtown, focusing on addressing the number of unused and underutilized lots. Sean understands that encouraging development downtown is both smart and necessary. Fixing the built environment through strategic capital investments will draw businesses and residents to downtown. He will work with the State to ensure that incentive programs are easier to navigate and that they actually benefit our community. Sean also understands that vacant land and surface level parking lots disrupt the vibrancy of a concentrated and walkable downtown. He will enforce code compliance on parking lots that are out of compliance with the Green Code, and develop a plan in collaboration with residents, stakeholders, and downtown building owners that ensures valuable land is used in ways that support a thriving downtown. This includes exploring a land value tax and expediting approval processes to take the friction out of working with City Hall.

Support Small Businesses: The demise of the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation means that Buffalo has no entity that is focused on supporting small businesses. Navigating municipal and state bureaucracy is difficult and can be overwhelming; business owners do not have time to both manage their business and learn all the ins and outs of government. As Mayor, Sean Ryan will hire a new full-time employee – with a name, a face, and a cell phone number – who will report directly to the Mayor and serve as a liaison to the city government on behalf of small business owners. This small business liaison will be part of the Barrier Buster Team, a new group of people focused on cutting red tape in the areas of small business, public safety, streets, and development in high priority commercial corridors, including downtown. This liaison will work to identify new and existing grants and incentives that would encourage small businesses to move downtown, exploring options like state-backed leases and loan guarantees and working closely with state partners like Empire State Development. Sean will also create a Small Business Micro Loan Program that will provide grants of up to $10,000 to existing downtown small businesses to help them stay competitive via technology upgrades, employee retention bonuses, minor renovations, or the purchase of new equipment.

Focus on the Downtown Core: Main Street is the heart of Buffalo and for many visitors it is their introduction to our city. As Mayor, Sean Ryan will work to revive this key part of downtown and draw visitors out of their hotels and into local businesses. He will name a Downtown Development Coordinator to jumpstart redevelopment efforts through new and existing grant programs. This coordinator will work to update surveys and inventory of all buildings along the corridor and on its cross streets, and focus on storefront activation at the street level and immediately above. They will work with existing downtown stakeholders including Buffalo Place and Visit Buffalo Niagara, among others, to identify the highest priorities. As Mayor, Sean will take on the largest challenges first, by focusing on redevelopment and activation of the former AM&A’s, including the potential use of eminent domain. In addition, there will be a focus on improved wayfinding and street signage, and recognition of the historic importance of the many structures along the Main Street spine. He will also work to create a sales tax-free zone to encourage small businesses to return to Main Street.

Activate Downtown: Sean believes we need to bring fun and imagination back to downtown Buffalo. His Downtown Development Coordinator will work to activate downtown and bring back downtown programming year-round, including concert series, family-friendly festivals, and arts and cultural programming. Sean will work collaboratively with Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation to better integrate Canalside into downtown. He will also make sure folks are able to access downtown easily by working with the NFTA to focus on improvements along the downtown spine. While we need to bring more residents and visitors downtown, Buffalo also needs more options for those who live there to access fresh and healthy foods. Sean will work to transform unused space into amenities for residents, like a year-round farmers market that would cater to the needs of those who live nearby and attract visitors from outside of Buffalo.

Rebuild Our Commercial Corridors: Decades of disinvestment have taken a toll on Buffalo’s once-thriving commercial corridors. Sean knows that successful commercial corridors will be a key part of building the future of Buffalo’s economy. As Mayor, Sean will focus on building out our infrastructure, and improving signage and landscaping along commercial corridors to create welcoming spaces for small businesses to thrive. Sean knows that neighborhoods with high-quality housing are also key to successful commercial corridors, and his City of Good Neighborhoods housing plan will help reinvigorate neighborhoods across the City of Buffalo.