BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Developer Douglas Jemal has a clear vision for the future of Downtown Buffalo, and if you ask him the one missing piece, he's happy to spell it out for you.
"W-E-G-M-A-N-S," said Jemal in an exclusive interview with 7 News Anchor Jeff Russo. "You put a Wegmans here and it's all over but the shouts. That's the key to the success of downtown."
It's a vision that Jemal said he's actively pursuing.
Jemal told me that he's met with the Wegmans real estate team about his desire for the company to build a store near KeyBank Center where Canalside meets Cobblestone, either in the Buffalo News Building or the HSBC Atrium. Jemal owns both of those properties.
"Their urban environment is 80,000 feet, and then you watch this whole city boom," said Jemal. "This is their home. They're a Western New York company. They're a Western New York family. They have Western New York values. They're very civic-minded. Open up our downtown."
A Wegmans spokesperson released a statement to 7 News that confirmed the company's meetings with Jemal last year. The spokesperson added that "a new store in Downtown Buffalo would significantly impact existing Wegmans locations and does not align with our business model."
Still, Jemal said he's not discouraged.
"No doesn't mean no," Jemal said. "No means that you've got to work a little harder to get the yes."
Jemal said that he's open to working to bring other grocery retailers to Downtown Buffalo, including Aldi, but he's not giving up in his pursuit of Wegmans.
"I'm not going to give up," he said. "The first answer was no, but no doesn't mean no."
Jemal added that he hopes to work with elected leaders at both the local and state levels to help bring a grocery store downtown.
Below, you can find the full statement from Wegmans:
"The Wegmans real estate team has a tremendous amount of respect for Douglas Jemal and what he has been able to accomplish in Buffalo. They met with Douglas last year and, following a sales projection analysis, it was determined that a new store in downtown Buffalo would significantly impact existing Wegmans locations and does not align with our business model."
