fixBuffalo

Just Posted on BuffaloRising...

Great post about Buffalo's possible long-term (not in our life-time) economic recovery. A "Letter to Pottery Barn..." profiles this building on the northwest corner of Broadway and Fillmore, just down the street from Buffalo's Common Council President David Franczyk's presumed residence...

I've added my comments to the BR post...which include a few points that I think are necessary to address before the Buffalo's east-side can be rescued from its current "detroitization" and possibly be saved...the alternative of course is to mow it all down and establish the Buffalo's Future Agricultural District, better known as the former Fillmore District...

• Stop building subsidized houses.

• Stop building subsidized houses especially along commercial corridors such as William, Clinton and Sycamore Streets. Commercial development will never take root on side streets.

• Instead, invest in a revolving re-hab loan program to re-use existing structures.
  

• Develop a comprehensive “Marshall Plan” for the east-side. Yes it's that bad. Pottery Barn will never open if successful residential development - with people who can afford their products – hasn't taken place. Fragmented development plans result in fragmented development that helps re-elect do nothing politicians. Remember before becoming a NYS senator, Byron Brown was Masten District Councilman.

• Tax abandoned Catholic Church property. It's done down I-90 in MA...it has to happen here especially in light of the Bishop's decision to continue to reside in the most expensive house (79 Oakland Place) in the city of Buffalo as he closes – read – plans to abandon dozens of urban church properties in the next 18 months. We are still experiencing the negative impact of the 1993 church closings.

You can read the rest of my comments by clicking this and scroll thru the rest of the comments. Make sure to check out this post about "urban density" and a short commparative study of Utica Avenue at two points...Elmwood and Jefferson Avenue...

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