fixBuffalo

7/31/2007

BAVPA Reconstruction - End Week 61

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July 29, 2007 - Day 400

Seems as though the pace picked up with only five weeks before BAVPA's new doors open for students. Additional site work for landscaping, installing the new stairs on the Ferry Street entrance and out door lighting.

Here a few pix from the walk around on Sunday evening. Crews were there most of the day bringing in boxes of books and classroom supplies.

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See BAVPA Reconstruction Archive for additional details and updates.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Tour d'Neglect - 2007 • Woodlawn Row Houses • faq • my flickr
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7/30/2007

Well, Water?

Spotted water running down Northampton Street right across from the rear entrance to Artspace.

Water has been running for more than 10 days. On Saturday I pulled the plastic drain pipe out of the hole to see just how deep it was. Almost slipped in and quickly realized that the pipe is 10' long!!! Imagine if this hole was a few blocks over, perhaps somewhere on Elmwood.

Let's see how long it takes...

Rise of the Blogosphere

New book about what some of us do on-line, Rise of the Blogosphere [amazon] by Aaron Barlow. Great review from Firedoglake...

The Rise of the Blogosphere is a serious work of research, outlining the historical context for the emergence of blogs and citizen based journalism as part of the contemporary national conversation. Perhaps primarily targeted to students of journalism in formal training programs, it’s lessons nevertheless are relevant and interesting in their own right to anyone engaged in this blog world, either as a writer or as a reader and participant.

Rather than provide a more complete review or summary of such a meaty and engaging piece of work, I’d like to offer some snap summaries, impressions and questions for Aaron, especially with this particular community at Firedoglake in mind. But first, let me offer a quick sense of the sweep of... read the rest...

Check out Aaron's blog - One Flew East. He writes about his own book in this post, from May. Special thanks to Cynthia who writes that Barlow's book is now in the Central Library. Thanks Cynthia.

Saturdays at Artspace

Saturday's Artspace Backyard Neighborhood tour found us checking out a City owned house here at 115 Northampton Street.

First wrote about this spot, just two blocks from Artspace, last September - right here. Aside from Coe Place, these two blocks of Northampton have some of the most interesting architecture and solid street scapes in the Midtown area. 94 Northampton is amazing and this house at 91 is beginning to get lots of love, too...

Tours every Saturday beginning at 11am and leaving from the Sonic Café across from Artspace.

7/27/2007

Saturday's - Tour d'Neglect

Saturday we begin stage two of this year's Tour d'Neglect. Stops include various Catholic complexes including the German Roman Catholic Orphan Home down on Dodge Street.

Here's a video of the GRCO from Sean in Toronto. Sean is the creative impulse behind DK Photogroup. You'll remember their exhibit Orphaned that opened in Toronto last October. Buffalo's Artvoice covered the show - An Orphan of History.

Here's an archive of posts from this forgotten spot - GRCO Archive

Ellicott District Councilman, Brian Davis is the president of the Community Action Organization's board. They've owned this place for four years. It remains wide open...and falling apart. Nathan Hare is the Executive Director of the CAO.

Last time I checked, there was no housing court file for this property. Wonder why?

7/26/2007

Urban Prairie...this week...

While visiting St. Ann's Tuesday evening, found these places on the urban prairie right across the street.

Imagine a utility pole like this, broken on Allen, Elmwood or Hertel. Yet just 50' from Broadway here it is...

Detroit, again...

New nyc based fixBuffalo fan just passed along this video from MOCAD and Cranbrook's Shrinking Cities show earlier this year. The video is posted here on Model D Media, great site about things Detroit.

First posted about Shrinking Cities in Detroit - Emerging Patterns - in February. Lots to learn from our friends on the other side of the lake.

7/25/2007

The Bells of St. Ann's

I got the call early Tuesday morning. "David, Martin Ederer needs some help with bells this evening, are you available?" Ever since hearing Dr. Ederer's story about setting the clock in the steeple and ringing the bells for St. Ann’s Tridium, that he told on last year's Tour de Neglect, I'd been hooked. Here's that post from last summer when he described the narrow intricacies of the clock tower.

Tuesday night, I went inside and climbed a dozen stair cases that reminded me of previous explorations in Aachen, Cologne and Paris. While I waited for the rest of the evening's bell ringers I had 20 minutes to myself, 200 feet above Broadway. I was mesmerized. I could hear the sounds of children on the street. I thought of the countless artisans and workers who built the structure that surrounded me. I sent pics to NYC and started to catch sight of the bells and clock works that were marking the passage of decades. Here's a small set of pics.

Here's St. Ann's official site and a recent post comparing St. Ann's to how others worship - here.

I told MJ about the St. Ann's Tridium and invited him to ring the bells tonite. Here's some truly exceptional pix - St. Ann's slide show.

Yes, Bishop Kmiec plans to close St. Ann's next year.

Vinyl vs. Brick...

Last evening had an opportunity to walk the St. Ann's neighborhood with Jeff Brennen, local green contractor and newest board member of PresCo - down Emslie, across Peckham and back up Watson Street to Broadway. On Watson, Jeff spotted this...

...brick house, shrouded in vinyl! Here's the proof below.

If you're still not convinced check out the brick - right here - with the lintel stones. Couldn't believe what Jeff was telling me, 'till I looked closer myself. I've seen painted vinyl, never vinyl covering brick....

More about some of Jeff's observations soon...stay tuned....

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. Mcguire: Plastics.

See My Vinyl Collection for additional inspiration.

Old House...New Blog...

Checking out the daily stats, see that I've just gotten a few hits from - This old, old house.

We're Whitney and Steve, two early-twenties homeowners living in the city of Buffalo, New York. Read about our home-buying and house-renovating experience here. We also blog about things going on in our neighborhood, housing issues in Buffalo, and the general roller coaster of home ownership. To find out a little more about us and our situation: click here.

New material all the time on their blog...

No Show...

Reverend Stenhouse and his attorney didn't show this morning.

Ben Upshaw represented Bethel CDC. Judge Nowak adjourned proceedings 'till next week and reminded Ben that Reverend Stenhouse must show with an attorney as he's a named defendent in the four cases.

I spoke on behalf of the block club and area residents. I asked Judge Nowak to order Bethel CDC to immediately board and secure the property. After looking at the pix I shared with the court and realizing that there's been no progress on the properties since the initial inspection report, he directed the Mayor's Impact Team to board the four properties, cut the grass and issued an "Order to Vacate" for each property.

Will be staying with this story as it unfolds....

Just heard from "exiled" housing activist Dick Kern that 7 News WKBW picked up the story last night - right here.

7/24/2007

In the News and in Court...

In today's Buffalo News...

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This isn't news to fixBuffalo readers. I've been reporting on Rev. Stenhouse's properties that surround the newly renovated Performing Arts HS for the past year. They continue to be in deplorable condition, wide open and rat infested. On my way down town this morning a number of neighbors said they were planning to tell Judge Nowak just how bad the houses really are...

In another development just heard that Rev. Stenhouse's Bethel CDC has just applied for City loans to re-hab 121 Woodlawn Avenue. It was rehabbed less than five years ago and for the past three years has been stripped and left wide open. Wrote about it recently - right here. It's what students at the newly renovated Performing Arts HS see when they look out the window.

Here's the link to additional information about Rev. Stenhouse's properties and a video from earlier this year.

Aside from the obvious problems with the building code violations and the deep irony that a control board member controls the largest collection of blighted property surrounding the City's newest school - the other issue of course surrounding Bethels's lack of stewardship include the possible conflict of interest where a control board member is seeking funds from an entity he actually controls. Not to mention the fact that the "rental registry" fees have not been paid and at least one of these four properties is on the October auction list.

7/23/2007

Clean Up...Queen City Farm...

Just in from Rod McCallum....

Whistle While You Work...
We have spent some time behind the scenes for the last few weeks but we are ready to get our hands a little dirty. This Friday, July 27th we will be working on the farm site from 3-5 pm. We will pickup trash, clear some overgrowth and finish with some pizza. Meet at 194 E Utica Street at 3 pm. RSVP by sending an email. Please include the number of people and a list of landscaping tools (trimmers, saws, chipper, etc.) you will bring. See you there!
rod@queencityfarm.org
www.queencityfarm.org

If you haven't seen the Queen City Farm film by John Paget, check it out!
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Artspace • BAVPA • Tour d'Neglect - 2007 • Woodlawn Row Houses • faq • my flickr
the creativity exchange • CEOs for Cities

7/21/2007

BAVPA ReConstruction - End Week 60

July 20, 2007 - Day 391

The construcition trailers are gone and the pavement across the street has been removed. Have heard conflicting reports regarding the installation of the tennis courts. I'll be talking with Paul McDonnell, architect for the BOE, again this week for the latest.

Also noticed that the new front steps along East Ferry Street were installed this past week, too.

Board of Education trucks were on location last weekend and today, too. Desks, books and all sorts of other supplies are arriving. Wonder who's in charge of logistics.

See BAVPA Reconstruction Archive for additional details and updates.

Moving in.... Artspace

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On my way to the Sonic Café this morning noticed lots of activity in front of Artspace. Everyone was waiting for the guy with the key...including one person who moved in last night and couldn't get out!

Midtown's newest residents...making Artspace their home...

Met up with Lukia Costello and was quickly invited to help carry a few things in. Here's a peek inside her 5th floor studio.

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Place still looks like a construction site and imagine there will be a few stories about this in the days or weeks ahead...

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Seems like the projected August 1st move in date for the new units behind the Main Street building will be pushed back. Heard from a few sources that windows don't fit the openings. Here's two of the six new buildings. One person moving in mentioned that Artspace had recently opened up the list to non-artists...trying to track some additional sources about this.

Hope to have some additional interior views soon. Amazing development for Buffalo and this part of the City's near East side. My first Artspace post, in December 2004 - here, seems like decades ago. Check out the pix/Artspace to see the site's development on a weekly basis since June 2006.

Artspace C onstruction Updates • Artspace Buffalo • pix/Artspace