Remembering Mark Croce as a visionary and Buffalo Booster

Remembering Mark Croce as a visionary and Buffalo Booster

GOOD EVENING ONCEAGAIN - HE WAS ASHEPHERD OFBUFFALO'SRESURGENCE...TONIGHT - WESTERNNEW YORK ISMOURNING THE LOSSOF PROMINENTDEVELOPER MARKCROCE... WHOTRAGICALLY DIED IN AHELICOPTER CRASH...ALONGSIDE ANOTHERWELL-KNOWNCOMMUNITY MEMBER-- MIKE CAPRIOTTO.CROCE WAS FLYINGTHE HELICOPTER THATCRASHED LAST NIGHTIN PENNSYLVANIA.CAPRIOTTO WAS HISPASSENGER.THEY WERE HEADEDBACK TO BUFFALOFROM WASHINGTON,D-C... WHEN THECHOPPER WENTDOWN IN ANEIGHBORHOODOUTSIDEHARRISBURG.FEDERAL AUTHORITIESARE NOW WORKINGTO FIGURE OUT WHATCAUSED THE CRASH.CROCE'S DEATHCOMES AS LONG-AWAITED RENOVATIONWORK CONTINUES ONSTATLER CITY -- ALANDMARK BUILDINGIN THE HEART OFDOWNTOWN BUFFALOTHAT SAT INBANKRUPTCY UNTILCROCE STEPPED IN...AND THAT IS WHEREWE BEGIN OURCOVERAGE TONIGHTWITH A LOOK BACK ATTHE LIVES OF BOTH OFTHESE MEN.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSSENIOR REPORTERSEILEEN BUCKLEY ANDED REILLY ARE LIVEALONG DELAWAREAVENUE.KEITH ...MARK CROCE IS BEINGREMEMBER ASVISIONARY ANDBUFFALOBOOSTER....WE SPOKETO TWO OF HISFRIENDS - WHO WERESHAKEN BY THE NEWSOF HIS TRAGICDEATH...MARK CROCE.

"'WE'RETAKING A BOOK OUT -- APAGE OUT OF THEBOOK OF WHAT WE DIDFORSKYBAR....WEDDINGS."THAT'S THE MARKCROCE FRIENDS SAYTHEY WILL REMEMBER- A BUSINESSMANWITH PASSION - WHOTOOK A RISK ONBUFFALODEVELOPMENT...OTHERS RECALL THEMAN THEY SHARED ADEEP FRIENDSHIPWITH.CRYSTAL PEOPLES-STOKES.

"I'VE SHAREDA LOT OF GOOD TIMESWITH HIM.BIRTHDAYCELEBRATIONS.FAMILY CELEBRATIONS .THEBIRTH OF HISCHILDREN.YOU KNOWWHEN HE MARRIED HISWIFE ..

I MEAN WE HAVEBEEN FRIENDS FOR ALONG TIME."STATE ASSEMBLYMAJORITY LEADERCRYSTAL PEOPLE-STOKES COULDN'THOLD BACK HERTEARS AS SHEDESCRIBED HERLONG-TIMEFRIENDSHIP WITHCROCE AND HISFAMILY...CRYSTAL PEOPLESTOKES.

"IT'S JUST ASHOCKING THING - TOWAKE UP TO IN THEMORNING.MARK WASA GOOD MAN .HE WASA GREAT FRIEND OFMINE I COULD CALLHIM ANY TIME."THE ASSEMBLYWOMANWAS ATTENDING THEAMHERST CHAMBEROF COMMERCELUNCHEON AND STATEOF THE TOWNADDRESS WITH A FEWHUNDRED MEMBERSOF THE BUSINESSCOMMUNITYCHAMBER PRESIDENTAND CEO AJ BAYNESHELD A MOMENT OFSILENCE...TO HONORBOTH MEN WHO DIEDIN THE CRASH...AJ BAYNES.

"AND IWOULD LIKE TO JUSTHAVE A MOMENT OFSILENCE.IF WE COULDPLEASE."BAYNES WAS ALSOFRIENDS WITH CROCEAND EVEN FLEW ONHIS HELICOPTER....AJ BAYNES.

"HE LOVEDAVIATION.HE LOVEDFLIGHT...FROMANYTIME WE WOULDTALK.THAT WAS ONEOF THECONVERSATIONS HEWOULD TOUCH ON."BAYNES SAYS IT'S ATRAGIC LOSS FORCROCE'S WIFEJESSICA AND THEIRTWO CHILDREN -DOMINIC AND DANTE...AJ BAYES.

"MARK WASPASSIONATE ABOUT HISFAMILY.HE WASPASSIONATE ABOUTAVIATION ..HE WASBUFFALO."CROCE BOUGHT THEMOSTLY VACANTSTATLER TOWERSFROM THE CITY IN2011.

SAVING IT FROMPOSSIBLEDEMOLITION.HE RESTORED THREEOF THE LANDMARK'S19 FLOORS..

ANDTURNED THE LONG-VACANT CURTISSBUILDING A FEWBLOCKS AWAY INTO ABOUTIQUE HOTEL ANDDOWNTOWN DININGDESTINATION.AJ BAYNES.

"HE TOOK ARISK ON THE CITY OFBUFFALO BEFOREOTHERS DID.I THINKWHEN YOU LOOK ATWHERE HESTARTED.HE WASRENTING THE FIRSTFLOOR OF THECOLISEUM HE WASRENTING IT HE DIDN'TEVEN OWN THEBUILDING.HE RENTINGIT AND WAS PUTTING ANIGHTCLUB IN THEREIT'S AN INCREDIBLESTORY.THAT HE HAS."PEOPLES-STOKESSAYS WHEN CROCEHAD A PLAN...HE SAWIT THROUGH...CRYSTAL PEOPLESTOKES.

"HE LOVEDBUFFALO.ANDBUFFALO LOVEDHIM..AND HE WILLNEVER, EVER, EVER BEFORGOTTEN."CRYSTAL PEOPLESTOKES IS SO UPSETBY THE DEATH OFCROCE - THAT AFTERTALKING WITHREPORTERS - SHEWENT INTO A CORNEROF THE ROOM TOCOMPOSE HERSELFBEFORE HEADINGBACK INTO THEEVENT...NOW MY COLLEAGUEED REILLY HAS MOREON CROCE'SDEVELOPMENTLEGACY...CROCE WAS ONE OFTHE BIGGESTDEVELOPER HERE,THERE'S OTHERS, BUTJUST NONE LIKE HIMBUFFALO COMMONCOUNCIL PRESIDENTDARIUS PRIDGENFEELS THE CITY HASNOT ONLY LOST AGOOD FRIEND - BUTSOMEONE WHO HAD AUNIQUE VISION FORSEEING POTENTIAL INOLD BUILDINGS.THIS WAS A GUY .

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YOUDIDN'T SEE HIME BUILDFROM THE GROUND UPA LOT.

YOU SAW HIMTAKING THE OLD ANDMAKING IT NEW AGAINCROCE'S PROJECTSSUCH AS SKYBAR ANDDARCY MCKEE'S IRISHPUB, THE BUFFALOCHOPHOUSE, THECURTISS HOTEL ANDTHE STILL WORK-IN-PROGRESS - STATLERCITY .

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CHANGEDTHE DOWNTOWNLANDSCAPETHIS GUY LITERALLYPICKED THE SINKSHIMSELFIT IS ALSO A VERYPERSONAL LOSS.PRIDGEN WAS CLOSEFRIENDS WITH MARKCROCE.THE TWO OFTENTALKED ABOUTDOWNTOWNDEVELOPMENT.I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVEEVER MET ANYONEWHO WAS AS DRIVEAS MARK CROCECROCE AND HISBUFFALODEVELOPMENTCORPORATION HADHIGH-HOPES FORSTATLER CITY ANDFELT IT WOULD PLAY AKEY ROLE IF A NEWDOWNTOWNCONVENTION CENTERWAS BUILT.SOMETHING CROCETALKED ABOUT WITHREPORTER EDDRANTCH IN 2018.I APPRECIATE THEPUBLIC'S PATIENCE.THERE ARE A LOT OFLARGE SCALE THINGSTHAT WE WOULD ALLLOVE TO WAVE A MAGICWAND AND SAY 'POOF"BUFFALO IS BACK BUTIT DOESN'T WORK THATWAY.SADLY .

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CROCE'SDEATH OCCURS AS HISJOINT-REDEVELOPMENTPROJECT AT 73 HURONSTREET IS WRAPPINGUP.IT IS CREATING THENEW BUFFALOSCHOOL OF CULINARYARTS ANDHOSPITALITYMANAGEMENT.BUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOLS ISSUED ASTATEMENTEXPRESSINGPROFOUND SADNESSAND CALLING MARKCROCE "A CHAMPIONOF AUTHENTICACCESS ANDOPPORTUNITY FOROUR STUDENTS."HE TALKE ABOUTIMAGING THESTUDENTS AND HEWANTED THE BEST INTHAT PROJECTSO WHAT WILLHAPPEN TO CROCE'SPROJECT GOINGFORWARD?BUFFALODEVELOPMENTCORPORATION ISSUEDA STATEMENTTHANKING THEOUTPOURING OFSUPPORT .

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ANDASSURINGEMPLOYEES AND THEPUBLIC THAT MARKCROCE'S BUSINESSWILL CONTINUEWITHOUTINTERRUPTION.HIS HEART WAS INEVERYTHING HE DID.SO IT IS ATREMENDOUS LOSSFOR THE CITY OFBUFFALO TO HAVESOMEONE WHO WASBELIEVING IN BUFFALOBEFORE BUFFALOBELIEVED IN ITSELF