By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

Following a decade of intensive review, Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. has received the last of the mandated permits that enable it to begin work on Muir Woods in Amherst.

Ciminelli has been working on the 330-acre Muir Woods project since it acquired the land from New York state in February 2000. The vast tract of land is located off of John James Audubon Parkway and within two miles of the University at Buffalo North campus.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed off on an environmental review permit July 15, clearing the way for Ciminelli to begin.

"I suspect it was the most exhaustive series of environmental reviews and due diligence that any developer went through in Upstate," said Tim Vaeth, Ciminelli vice president. "It was a monumental task to get this project across the goal line."

The company, in keeping with internal green-development practices, will developing 102 acres of the property. The bulk of the land will remain in its natural state, Vaeth said, adding, "There will be no loss of wetlands."

Of the 102 acres, 92 will be allocated for commercial development and 10 are being set aside for residential projects. Potentially, the commercial projects could top out at 1 million square feet of office, research-and-development and light industrial space.

Amherst officials have been anxiously waiting for Muir Woods to come online so they could offer shovel-ready development sites to prospective tenants and companies.

"Just by virtue of its location and infrastructure, it could be one of the premier properties to be developed," said David Mingoia, Amherst Industrial Development Agency executive director.

He said Muir Woods would be a natural tie-in for UB, as well as companies looking for an Amherst address. Besides being located at the northern end of John James Audubon Parkway, the property is located off of the I-990 Expressway.

"To be sure, UB 2020 will provide some marketing opportunities," Mingoia said. "But this also gives us important options the next time a Geico or CitiBank comes along."

In the past decade, those companies moved large back-office operations to the nearby CrossPoint Business Park. Muir Woods, had it been available, might have landed one or both of those projects.

Vaeth said the project will be tenant-driven. Infrastructure work is likely to start next spring, but that time table could be fast-tracked, he added.

"If we have a deal - and there are some out there - we could have a shovel in the ground this fall," Vaeth said.