Buffalo’s hostel worried about city’s plans

The 29-year-old Athens, Ga., resident said her two-week trip to Buffalo to see friends wouldn’t have been possible without the hostel’s $35-a-night-rate for the longer booking.

“It’s been a lifesaver for me and it’s close to public transportation, and that’s helpful,” said Hendrix, who has cerebral palsy.

She praised the staff’s friendliness and laughed recalling the fun she had singing karaoke there on a recent night. But the sense of community the hostel is known to foster may soon come to an end for the better part of this year – perhaps permanently.

The 48-bed lodging, which annually attracts about 6,000 travelers, mostly 18 to 35 years old, has been told by the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency it must vacate 667 Main St. by Monday. That deadline could be extended past April 8, an agency official said, so the hostel, booked solid for the total solar eclipse, can meet its obligations.

BURA is a community development agency chaired by Mayor Byron Brown. It has committed $2 million to stabilize two long-neglected sections behind the hostel, including the portion that fronts 664 Washington St. To safely do that, the hostel will need to close for six to eight months of construction, which officials hope to start in late April.

“From a public health and safety perspective, our architects and engineers are indicating we need that whole location vacant,” said Hope Young-Watkins, BURA’s senior director.

Alexander Burgos, hostel president, believes preventive safety measures can be put in place so the business can remain open during its busy season, since construction is going to occur in areas where the hostel doesn’t operate.

The bigger question concerns the long-term future of the hostel, which has been in its present location since 1996, and is the only one operating in New York State outside of New York City.

BURA has sold three other…