fixBuffalo

Righteous Relief, a Six-pack for Jimmy!

I’ve been ranting elsewhere about Ani DiFranco & Scot Fisher and the New Market Tax Credits they are using to help finance the Asbury Church on Delaware Avenue. Seems like they ran into a snag with our less than enlightened leaders downtown. The story first broke in the Buffalo News last week and was continued here in yesterday’s paper.

The tie in to this neighborhood and the possible future success of the row house restoration is simple. BAVPA is supposed to move into the site now occupied by Buffalo Traditional High School. The synergy generated by the proximity and collaborative nature of Apollo, African-American Cultural Center, Artspace and Ani’s Asbury Church…..well I think this neighborhood will once again be on the map. It used to be….Offerman Stadium - where the Bisons played and where Luke Easter loved to hit the ball over the center field fence - once occupied the space where the high school was built in 1963.

Tonight, at the monthly meeting of Partners for a Livable WNY, I sat next to Michael Clarke, Program Director for LISC. His organization is assisting with the sale of Ani & Scot's New Market Tax Credits. When I asked him about the results of today’s vote in the Common Council Meeting, he told me that the Asbury financing proposal was approved, 8-1 with south Buffalo holding out. Looks like Jimmy will be staying home with his six-pack, again.

We also learned in today’s Buffalo News article that Scot installed a geo-exchange unit at Asbury. You can learn more about that technology here and watch a slide show about it’s application in other historic spots and finally see a short movie about this technology, too. And wouldn’t you know, the installation comes with it’s own set of tax credits and incentives!

I’d like to know if more new-builds or renovations are using this technology here in Buffalo. Is it encouraged in urban planning proposals? Should it be required for new public buildings such as the new federal court house?

Make sure to check out these recent articles about Ani & Scott in Forbes, Inc. and Metropolis. Three glimpses into their creativity, hopes and plans for Buffalo. Somebody drop copies off to Jimmy!