By Natalie Szymanski
BUFFALO — Carl J. Montante earned his law degree at the University at Buffalo, and then made his career in construction and real estate instead of the courtroom. He started Uniland Development Company in 1974 with a single warehouse in Tonawanda. Fifty-two years later, it is one of the largest commercial real estate developers in Western New York.
On Oct. 14, Montante was inducted into the Western New York Business Hall of Fame at the Statler in downtown Buffalo. Buffalo Business First, The Buffalo History Museum and other community partners created the honor in 2017. Montante is in its 10th class. According to Uniland, he is one of 41 inductees in the Hall of Fame’s history and the eighth from the real estate industry.
The UB Alumni Association’s business directory lists Montante, Uniland’s co-founder and executive chairman, as a 1967 graduate of the law school. Uniland says he holds both an LL.B. and a J.D. from UB. He also graduated from Canisius High School and earned a bachelor’s degree at what is now Canisius University.
A lawyer’s training, a builder’s career
Montante didn’t practice law for long. In a 1990 profile in the UB Law Forum, the law school’s alumni magazine, he said he practiced “for about a week.” He said his legal training was still the foundation of his career in development.
“Given what a developer is — a conductor of sorts — I can’t think of any better training than the law,” Montante told the magazine.
When it announced the induction, Business First wrote that “the region’s skyline would look dramatically different” without this year’s honorees and their family businesses. The paper’s Oct. 9 profile of Montante, by Jacob Tierney, ran under the headline “He built a home and then a Buffalo real estate empire.”
Uniland’s suburban projects include Sheridan Meadows Corporate Park, University Corporate Centre and CrossPoint Business Park in Amherst. Downtown, the company built Avant, the mixed-use tower at 200 Delaware Ave., and the Delaware North Building. It has also built projects for many of the region’s schools, hospitals and nonprofits, including Canisius, D’Youville University, Catholic Health, FeedMore WNY, BestSelf Behavioral Health, People Inc. and Evergreen Health.
Montante has also been active on civic boards. He has chaired the boards of Catholic Health, Canisius University, Canisius High School and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Uniland says he has served on more than two dozen boards, including those of D’Youville, Invest Buffalo Niagara, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and KeyBank.
Still building in 2026
The induction comes during a busy year for Uniland. Michael Montante is now the company’s chief executive. Its news releases list several major projects in 2026.
In June, Uniland bought the 205,000-square-foot distribution center at 500 Bailey Ave. WBEN reported the price as $19.4 million. The station cited CBRE figures putting the region’s industrial vacancy rate at just over 2 percent.
“The acquisition of 500 Bailey Avenue aligns well with Uniland’s long-term strategy of owning and operating high-quality industrial assets in strong, established locations,” Michael Montante said in the company’s announcement. “This 205,000 square foot distribution center complements our existing portfolio, and reflects Uniland’s continued confidence in Buffalo’s industrial market and its role in supporting regional employment and logistics activity.”
In September, the company announced a new headquarters for The Bonadio Group at 600 WillowBrook in Monroe County. It also announced work on D’Youville’s planned medical school at 285 Delaware Ave. and on FeedMore WNY’s headquarters. At Avant, the company has been renovating the Embassy Suites hotel and its 123 suites.
“For more than 50 years, Uniland has helped organizations create workplace environments that support their people, culture, and long-term business objectives,” Michael Montante said in the Bonadio announcement.
A protest outside the ceremony
The induction night also drew protesters. Uniland owns 250 Delaware Ave., where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leases office space. Activists with the Evict ICE from 250 Delaware campaign have been asking the company to commit to not renewing the lease when it ends on March 31, 2027.
On Oct. 14, the group held what it called a “Hall of Shame” event outside the Statler. Buffalo Toronto Public Media reported that 10 members of the group went into the banquet as guests and began criticizing Montante before security escorted them out. Eight people were arrested on Sept. 26 after protesters stayed in the intersection of Delaware Avenue and West Chippewa Street following police warnings to move to the sidewalk.
“While people are in there celebrating, having cocktail hour, we’re out here bringing attention to the fact that in our own downtown, families are being detained, separated, and shipped to God knows where,” said Shane Keyes, a spokesperson for the campaign. “And we don’t want to stand for it.”
Uniland has not said whether it will renew the lease. It sent BTPM a statement saying it must follow the terms of its existing contracts.
“We are legally and contractually obligated to honor all lease agreements and abide by their terms, just as we do with every client,” the company said. “As with all lease agreements, the lease renewal is governed by previously agreed upon contractual terms and conditions.”
In February, Investigative Post reviewed federal lease data and found several Buffalo-area landlords that rent space to immigration agencies, not only Uniland. It reported that the 250 Delaware lease is worth about $2 million a year. All of the leases it reviewed began before President Trump’s second term. When the outlet asked about the space, an ICE spokesperson said: “Is it really news that when a federal agency hires more personnel that they need more space?” The agency declined to discuss specific locations, saying its officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them.
Common Council President Joel Feroleto told the outlet the decision belongs to the owners. “The city doesn’t own any of these properties and a private property owner can rent to who they would like to as long as it’s not discriminatory,” he said.
A UB Law alumnus in the Hall
Montante’s induction adds another UB Law graduate to the list of people who have shaped downtown Buffalo’s skyline. Uniland now works in both the Buffalo and Rochester markets. Its founder is executive chairman, and Michael Montante runs the company day to day as CEO.
The Chronicle has asked Uniland for comment on Carl Montante’s career and the honor, and will update this story with any response.
Photo: Avant, Uniland’s mixed-use tower at 200 Delaware Ave. in downtown Buffalo. Photo: Fortunate4now / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
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