When Mark Croce bought the Statler back in March, it looked like the odds were against him. Personally, I was thrilled to see new ownership being that the Statler has always been one of my favorite buildings in the city.

As a young Irish dancer, I spent many nights performing shows in the ballroom over the last few years for St. Patrick’s Day parties, weddings and other events. The building captivated me, but it was always clear that getting the Statler back to its prime would be an uphill battle. Luckily, Croce took the reins, invested over $4 million and things are looking good—no, they are looking great.

Statler City will have its debut event with the Ice Ball 2011, a huge New Year’s Eve party that has been the talk of the town. The party will take place this Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 9 p.m. for general admission ticket holders. As of this morning, there were approximately 105 general tickets remaining for the event. You can still purchase these tickets through the Statler City website here.

Tickets are priced at $150 and can be picked up at Statler City the night of the event when ordered online. This is a strictly 21 and over event and valid ID will be required upon entry.

For a city with so much history and old school glamor, it’s fantastic to see events like this start to make a come back. Attendees will be granted access to four hours of the Buffalo Chophouse Grande Buffet, five hours of premium open bar beginning at 9 p.m., a red carpet arrival, champagne toast at midnight and a massive balloon drop.

But wait—there’s more. Also on hand will be The Jim Tudini Orchestra providing entertainment in the Golden Ballroom, Jeremy Hoyle and the Strictly Hip in the Terrace Room, Nick Battistella in the Lobby Room singing Sinatra and a few DJ’s spinning all night. It’s an assortment of Buffalo music and there will be a set list represented for all music lovers.

Here is an old school picture of the Terrace Room on the Statler City Facebook page.

Be sure to take a look through Buffalo.com’s Tour of the Statler Tower album here.