West Herr WBEN Buffalo Business Report - Monday, July 1st, 2024

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Forest Lawn will begin their 175th anniversary celebration August 10th with cocktails and a dinner on cemetery grounds. Forest Lawn will also celebrate the release of a book about the cemetery that day called "Pensive Beauty, Visions of Forest Lawn, Buffalo's First Rural Cemetery." Tickets for the event cost $175. It's the first in a series of celebrations over the following 12 months.

Buffalo Business First has a new study out on mall occupancy in Western New York, and the Galleria is still on top with 94% occupancy. The Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls is currently at 77% occupancy, down 4% since the end of 2023. McKinley Mall is 2/3 full, about the same as last year. Eastern Hills and the Boulevard Mall have seen their occupancy rates drop heavily as redevelopment takes place.

Gas prices in Buffalo remain the same once again this week at $3.58 per gallon. That's nine cents higher than the national average of $3.49, according to AAA.

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