fixBuffalo

Remember this...

Art Across Borders? It happened during our Pan-Am celebrations back in 2001. Well it turns out that one of Tom Trathen's companies, Trathen International, Inc., provided generous financial and material support to this event. See the list of corporate sponsorship.

Art Across Borders was a project of the Women in the Arts focus group, a sub-committee of the Women's Pavilion Pan-American 2001.

Project Overview
In celebration of the Pan-American Exposition Centennial, the Women in the Arts Focus Group of the Women’s Pavilion Pan-American 2001 presented a public art project which, international in scope, installed public works of art exploring the theme "Pan-American Women: Past, Present, and Future." Artists who live or work in the bi-national, Erie-Niagara region produced works that document, imagine, and interpret the roles, history, and achievements of women in North, Central, and South America.

So why this post?

Tom Trathen is the guy who wants to buy the property down in Perrysburg, NY that Common Council President David Franczyk wants to turn into a city of Buffalo park. We've come to know the property as the JN Adam Developmental Site or the JN Adam TB Hospital.

I've written extensively about the deal that David Franczyk is thwarting. The only thing new to add is that Tom Trathen is now engaged in lengthy protracted legal battle with the city of Buffalo and various NYS agencies. David Franczyk has stopped returning my phone calls and refuses to discuss what his plans for the site might include.

It’s understandable that David Franczyck would like to save the trees in Perrysburg. His forest disappeared a long time ago. It used to be known as the Fillmore District and is now home to more blighted buildings per block than any urban center this side of Calcutta. A recent walk down Koons Avenue last week demonstrates the neglect and lack of serious attention to our urban core. I counted 19 houses boarded and vacant in a two block stretch of Koons Avenue. I mean there were only 50 houses on the street. March 17, 2005

While our tax base continues to shrink, our population continues to diminish at the rate of 15 people/day...will some one please remind why we need a new city park?

And if Buffalo comes out on top and actually becomes the steward of this property down in Perrysburg, like how are we going to pay for it. These first three pics were taken recently in David Franczyk's Broadway/Fillmore district. The last two are from Perrysburg. Here some more pics from Perrysburg.

Demolition by Neglect...Buffalo Style!

click to enlarge

Buffalo, the city of good neighbors? Not if you ask the people of Perrysburg. Tom Trathen is the sort of guy who supports the arts because he wants to. Let's not give him anymore reason to turn his back on Buffalo. We need Tom more than he needs us. It's really that simple.

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Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq