By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – There's still no deal yet but talks are continuing. National Fuel officials say they continue to work out details on relocating their corporate headquarters to the Tops Markets complex in Amherst.
This marks the second extension of a deadline for the two companies to finalize an agreement. In February, National Fuel agreed to lease about 150,000 square feet of space in the Tops complex on Main Street. Tops would keep its corporate headquarters in the remaining 50,000 square feet.
Late Monday, the latest deadline day, National Fuel spokesman Julie Coppola Cox said the talks are taking a lot longer than anticipated.
"No substantive problems have emerged in the negotiating process," Cox said. "But more time is needed to finish up the contractual language. We're still working through the details, and we're expecting to have this wrapped up some time this week."
National Fuel announced last year that it would leave its long time home in the Tishman Building downtown. It was considering sites in Orchard Park and Erie, Pennsylvania for its new headquarters before deciding on the Tops complex.