The Statler and Legal Ramifications

The latest in the Statler drama?  An idea for UB School of Law relocating into the downtown icon has been floated.  Representative Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, is among those advocating for UB to consider the Roaring-Twenties era hotel as a suitable new home for UB Law.

The case made by Higgins and other proponents of the plan is a compelling one.  Besides finding a useful new purpose for the Statler, having the law school there would put budding lawyers right at the doorstep of over 40 law firms and downtown courthouses.  The building could be used not only for academic space, but also for student housing.  The Statler is huge; I imagine they could have recreational/fitness facilities, moot courtrooms, library facilities, and more housed within those three high rises. 

Columnist Donn Esmonde goes so far as to make it appear that relocating to and reviving the Statler is all but UB Law's duty.  He portrays it as a service to the taxpayers whose money no doubt subsidizes the university.  Esmonde is a columnist, and therefore paid to share his opinion.

However, one has to wonder about a few things.  First, the costs of repair and renovation converting an old hotel into a law school would not come inexpensively.  Are taxpayers going to foot that bill through "public" grants and federal/state funding?  Will students pay for it in increased fees and tuition?  Probably a mixture of both.  Since UB Law is slated to move to South Campus anyway, which move would cost more—UB South or the Statler?  I can't answer that question, but I have my suspicions. 

Parking is another issue, and not one to take lightly.  Parking is already expensive and limited in downtown Buffalo.  Unless there are plans to stick a garage under Statler (an expensive conversion for sure), where are all these bright, strapping young lawyers and their wise professors going to leave their cars?  Park & Ride?  Metro Rail?  Sounds like a logistical nightmare.  I'd hate to be on the I-190 in morning rush hour with a glut of ambitious legal scholars on the road—it'd be like a real-time case study—just imagine the lawsuits that would stem from fender benders on this already congested beltway?  (Ok, semi-joking on that last one, but traffic would be an issue.)  

If anyone knows it's possible to take wasted space and turn it into a law school, it's me.  From 2003 at its inception, I watched as Liberty University Law was chartered, staffed, and an old Sony/Ericsson factory was converted into top-notch academic space.  LU Law was granted provisional accreditation in near-record time, and the first class of lawyers marched with me in commencement 2007.  I can also tell you horror stories of traffic and parking on the LU campus.

But anyway, while a compelling idea definitly worth some serious study, I think UB Law should be left to do ultimately what it feels is best for the school and its 2020 future outlook.  It may in fact be more of a taxpayer burden to renovate the old Statler.  School officals thus far have considered the idea, but remain opposed to it.  Meanwhile, I'll be watching to see what becomes of the old dinosaur living on Niagara Square.