When Chuck Schumer was speaking in Niagara Falls recently, a few cars zipped by on Robert Moses Parkway.

That was just the point of the meeting called by the state senator: He says the parkway is not living up to its potential and has become an urban planning and economic development obstacle.

It was no accident that from the Fourth Street slice of grass where Schumer was talking, the cityscape of Niagara Falls, Ont., was visible, dominated by multimillion-dollar, private-sector developments.

He was in the Cataract City to announce that he is lobbying federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to ante up $10 million and "fast-track" an effort to turn a portion of Robert Moses Parkway into a pedestrian- and business-friendly roadway instead of a speedway to the falls.

The federal dollars, coupled with a matching $5 million from the state, provides seed money for Niagara Falls. At issue is the stretch of the Robert Moses Parkway between John Daly Boulevard to Main Street and turning it into a tree-lined boulevard that opens more than 40 acres of prime real estate for development.

The federal fast-track status moves the project from being years away to months.

"Once it's fast-tracked, you don't have an alphabet soup of federal agencies taking their time in the approval process," Schumer said.

"We need to restore the access," said Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster. "There is some very substantial economics tied to improving waterfront access."

Niagara Falls leaders have been pushing state and federal officials to free up the money.

Let's be honest: Turning a several-mile stretch of Robert Moses Parkway into a picturesque boulevard isn't the be-all end-all when it comes to transforming Niagara Falls. But it can greatly help.

"The parkway stands like the Berlin Wall," Schumer said.

A massive East Delavan Avenue warehouse that until recently was a Sears distribution center has been acquired by a Buffalo firm that specializes in supplying the automotive industry with refurbished parts and supplies.

Buffalo Engine Components Inc. purchased the 200,914-square-foot building on 12.1 acres from Sears for $1.425 million, according to documents filed in the Erie County Clerk's office.

Sears had marketed the property since early 2010 for $2 million. The retailer is close to signing a deal to lease a new warehouse locally.

Buffalo Engine Components, founded in 1981, is on Walden Avenue. It buys and supplies a variety of parts for automotive remanufacturing. Clients include local shops and others outside the region.

The deal is the latest in a series of industrial commercial real estate transactions.

"During the past six weeks, I've completed five industrial transactions for my clients totaling 425,000 square feet, with another 40,000 square feet to close this week," said David Schiller, Pyramid Brokerage Co. associate broker and director of sales.

He and Ben Kirnie of Pyramid's Rochester office represented Sears. Howard Saperston Jr., chairman of Saperston Real Estate Corp., represented Buffalo Engine Components.