MJ Peterson proposes senior housing project in Amherst

The Amherst-based company led by Victor L. “Pete” Peterson III is seeking to have the city rezone nearly 10 acres of vacant land along East Robinson Road, just east of Niagara Falls Boulevard, to to facilitate a large-scale new development project with easy access to a variety of grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses nearby.

Plans by MJ Peterson and Carmina Wood Design call for a new complex dominated by two large four-story apartment buildings, as well as five smaller two-story buildings arrayed on two sides. In total, it would include 272 apartments, including 32 one-bedroom units and 240 two-bedroom units.

Located at 3880 and 3910 East Robinson, on the northwest corner of Naples Lane, the project would occupy a 9.44-acre site that is already owned by the developer, through the Rainbow Racquet Club. It is directly adjacent to a Tops Plaza along Niagara Falls Boulevard.

Specifically, the two large H-shaped buildings would be arranged parallel to East Robinson and face each other on the north and south ends of the site, with surface parking filling the interior between them and along the sides of the building. Each would comprise 100 two-bedroom apartments and 16 one-bedroom apartments, with an outdoor patio facing north or south towards the exterior of the site.

There would also be five two-story buildings with eight additional two-bedroom townhouse or duplex apartments each, for a total of 40 additional apartments. Three of the buildings would be located along the western boundary, adjacent to each other and perpendicular to East Robinson, while the other two would be located in the northeast corner of the site.

Finally, the southeast corner of the property would contain a single-story, 2,500-square-foot clubhouse, with grills and patio seating on the north side and a fire pit and more patio seating on the east side. A dog park and four pickleball courts would also be located just north of the clubhouse. And two 10-car garages would be located on-site, one on the north end and one near the clubhouse, in addition to 235 surface parking spaces.

That’s a total of 255 parking spaces, although parking needs require double that number, according to the proposed concept plan. The project will also include sidewalks, landscaping and lighting, as well as interior private roads linked to East Robinson and Naples, utility connections and stormwater management features. The paths will connect both Tops Plaza and Wegmans to the north.

An earlier version of the project had just 256 apartments, with two 10-car garages in place of the two two-story apartment buildings to the northeast.

In its application, the company notes that the site is already designated by the city for a “commuter corridor” and “commercial/mixed-use” development, but that there is not enough demand for new retail spaces. On the other hand, the application states, there is a need for senior housing, and “the infill location near many commercial uses is an excellent location for a new senior housing project.”

In addition to the requested rezoning from “general business” to “multifamily residential,” Peterson also needs site plan approval from the city, as well as permits from the city, county and state, and the company indicated that it may seek tax breaks from Amherst Industrial. Development Agency. The project is still under study by the city.

If approved, the project would be built in two phases, beginning in 2026 and ending in 2028, depending on market conditions, according to the application.