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

The Main Street/Youngs Road area of Amherst could be welcoming a new neighbor.

McGuire Development Co. is working with Town of Amherst officials on plans to construct a single-story, 15,000-square-foot office building at 6345 Main St., just east of the Erie Community College campus.

The Amherst Planning Board will begin its review of the project when it meets June 16.

James Dentinger, McGuire president, said while no tenants have been signed for the project, there is continued demand for office space in the area.

"It has to do with a lot of factors, including proximity to the existing medical buildings and other corporate neighbors like National Fuel," he said. "What we are finding is that there are a lot of companies and medical practices looking for these types of smaller offices and buildings."

The project is tenant-driven, according to Dentinger.

"We've already talked to a few people," he said.

The company decided to bring the project before the planning board to start the municipal review process. Construction won't start until a tenant is signed.

"The idea is to make this a shovel-ready, development site," he said.

The McGuire project is one of several that town officials are seeing around Main Street and Youngs Road, including construction of a 92,954-square-foot YMCA complex that will neighbor the ECC campus. The college, meanwhile, is planning a $30 million technology center, while Uniland Development Co. is working with the town on plans for a two-story, 20,000-square-foot building to include a retail component on the first floor and apartments on the second.