Development plans are moving forward for a major project at 201 Ellicott in Buffalo.

Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. officials say the planning board found no negative environmental impacts with the proposed project.

The mixed used development would include affordable housing units and a downtown grocery store.

Local developers have raised concern about a potential loss of parking in the area, but Ciminelli officials say its goal is to bring density back to downtown Buffalo.

"This is what the green code was all about and focused on doing just this, getting rid of these large surface parking lots and bringing density back to downtown Buffalo, so I know we're really excited about that and we thing these uses, affordable housing, a public market, really fit this site location," said Matt Davison, Ciminelli Real Estate Corp. spokesperson.

Developers will go to the zoning board for variance approvals next week201  and then it goes back to the planning board.

They hope to break ground sometime this year.