HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The former local headquarters for Bethlehem Steel on Lakeshore Road in the Town of Hamburg could be seeing a lot of changes soon. An out-of-state developer wants to add several new entities to the building.
The Gateway Building, located at 3556 Lakeshore Road, is the tallest structure in the Town of Hamburg. It's being acquired by an investment group based out of New Jersey.
The potential developers want to turn the space into a campus with luxury apartments, office space, a hotel and even a restaurant.
"It's an area that's ripe for redevelopment," said Randy Hoak, Hamburg Town Supervisor. "The Town of Hamburg is excited about bringing some new energy and some creative uses of that space."
Hoak said the location of the property is a huge plus, explaining that it has beautiful views of Lake Erie and is extremely close to some major roadways. But, right now, the building is less than half occupied.
"It can take a space that has been underutilized and bring people there to live in apartments, to visit our community, and to enjoy the many wonderful business we have in the Town of Hamburg," Hoak said.
This is a lengthy process, but the next step is to have the property designated under a "planned unit development," which essentially allows a set of zoning rules to accommodate the large project.
"The code review committee has sent this to the town board," Hoak said. "The town board has agreed that there is merit in the project and referred it to the planning board."
The feedback from the residents so far has been positive, but with all major projects comes concerns.
Hoak said he has seen pushbacks from neighbors on similar projects involving building taller buildings, but he said the building is already a tall one, so not much would change.
"In many respects, it's isolated from residential neighborhoods," Hoak said. "We haven't received as much pushback as we have from other projects."
The town board plans on holding several public hearings and public information meetings to make sure any concerns that arise are heard.
Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.
