Buffalo’s Outer Harbor is home to the Tifft Nature Preserve, a 264-acre sanctuary dedicated to conservation and environmental education. Established in 1972, the preserve was initially purchased by the City of Buffalo for a landfill site. However, concerned citizens recognized the ecological significance of the area and successfully lobbied for its preservation. Today, Tifft Nature Preserve offers a natural habitat for a variety of wildlife, making it an urban sanctuary envisioned by many over two decades ago.
The 264-acre property in Hampden and Hampshire Counties boasts highway road frontage, electricity, water, mature trees, elevation changes, and river views. It features approximately one mile of frontage along US Highway 20, with 0.4 miles along the Northern boundary and 0.6 miles along the Eastern boundary. Electricity lines and poles are already in place along the highway, and there is an access road at the Northeastern portion of the property. The Westfield River runs along the other side of US Highway 20 and is visible from the property.
A portion of the property lies within Huntington city limits, a town with a population of 2,100. Huntington offers amenities such as the Hilltown Community Health Center, a garden center, Westfield River access, a country store, schools, and historical buildings. Another portion of the property is within Russell city limits, a town with a population of 1,650. Russell features historical buildings, a public library, a post office, and multiple churches. Westfield, located 15 minutes away, has a population of 41,000 and offers a Walmart Supercenter, Baysate Noble Hospital, Home Depot, pharmacies, groceries, auto, hardware stores, and other shopping and professional services. Springfield, the third-largest city in Massachusetts with a population of 156,000, is 38 minutes from the property and offers Costco, Walmart, multiple hospitals, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and numerous dining, shopping, and professional services.
The property is surrounded by state forests and parks, including Chester-Blandford State Forest (8 minutes away), Tolland State Forest (28 minutes away), October Mountain State Forest (37 minutes away), and Mount Holyoke Range State Park (44 minutes away). Quabbin Reservoir, the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts, is 57 minutes from the property and offers activities such as fishing, boating, biking, hunting, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing, and picnicking.
In late 2015, Stoneco donated a 264-acre decommissioned sand and gravel quarry in Washtenaw County near Ann Arbor to Ducks Unlimited, a wetlands conservation group. The property, valued at $2.1 million at the time, was considered for the organization’s regional headquarters. Ducks Unlimited took on the responsibility of reclaiming the property, planting 200 trees and seeding slopes to prevent erosion. However, the organization eventually decided not to use the property for its base of operations. After three years of attempting to work with various agencies and partner organizations to maintain the land as green space, Ducks Unlimited listed the property for $2.5 million. The proceeds from the sale will support the group’s conservation mission, funding other wetlands conservation projects across the Great Lakes.
In December 2021, Venture One Real Estate announced the acquisition of 264 acres in Huntley, Illinois, for the development of two industrial facilities totaling approximately 1.8 million square feet. The first phase is a 629,186 square-foot industrial development featuring 132 loading docks and parking for 1,046 cars and 720 trailers, scheduled for completion in Q2 2022. The second phase is a 1,160,150 square-foot facility with 156 truck doors and parking for 643 cars and 358 trailers, scheduled for completion in Q3 2022. Venture One was represented by Brian Kling of Colliers International, with Ryan Companies acting as the general contractor.
Venture One Real Estate is a private equity fund manager, developer, and operating company specializing in the industrial property sector. Headquartered in Chicago, the company manages a series of discretionary value-add investment funds targeting opportunities throughout the Chicago MSA and Northeast Industrial Region. The principals of Venture One have over $7 billion of transactional experience.
Source: Buffalo Museum of Science, LANDiO, Ducks Unlimited, Venture One Real Estate
