Monday's announcement of Bass Pro Shop buying Cabela’s, and maybe one day moving into their Cheektowaga location, has us thinking about what might have been for downtown.
At a highly anticipated news conference in November of 2004, former govern George Pataki spoke optimistically of the plan to build the outdoorsmen store in downtown Buffalo, near current day Canalside.
“This is going to be when we look back at it in a few years, one of the most exciting events, one of the most important announcements for the city of Buffalo in decades.”
The plan was for a $123-million project spearheaded by Bass Pro Shop. There would be a 250,000 square foot store, a museum and a restaurant at the site of the old Aud.
In 2004, plenty were excited about the proposal. But, Bass Pro dragged their feet and the store was never built.
Now, in 2016, Canalside is Canalside, and plenty of people like it that way.
