Around Artspace this Saturday

The next neigborhood walk is scheduled for this Saturday. I'll be sharing some recent insights about homesteading success stories in the neighborhood. If Coe Place, Artspace or some of the streets just East of Main Street have captured your attention recently come on over and spend an hour learning about this emerging neighborhood.

Here's this Fall's slide show. Or see all the pics at once - Walking around Artspace on flickr.

Here's the schedule for the rest of 2008, rain or shine. Meet-up is at the Sonice Cafe at 9am right across from Artspace. Here's the map.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

City Honors - Update

While walking around the construction site at City Honors the other day, I noticed that the first of two new structures, the new natatorium, is slowly taking shape on the what was once the school's front lawn. This 40m renovation project is part of the larger one billion dollar Joint School Reconstruction Project, the largest construction project in the City's history - ever.

LPCiminelli is the lead developer for the city wide project. They're keeping track of progress at City Honors - here. I'll be adding pics to this - City Honors - flickr series on a regular basis in the weeks and months ahead.

If you're a current City Honors student or graduate I'd like to know your thoughts about this project.

Check out the City Honors archive for additional information.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Partners Newsletter

Here's the latest e-newsletter - October 2008 - from George Grasser and Partners for a Livable Western New York. I've archived previous issues here.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Inviting Buffalo

The Buffalo 'sphere has taken shape over the past few years and reflects growing integration and non-heirarchical ways of reaching and connecting people. While Buffalo Rising and the family of blogs under the WNYmedia.net banner continue to set the pace, there a number of unexpected and welcome surprises that surface. I mentioned Buffalo Ideas last month and have just learned about Inviting Buffalo. The newest addition to the local 'sphere comes from City Hall and is maintained by the Department of Economic Development.

A recent post features a news item from Buffalo First.

Buffalo First will distribute a Local Coupon Book mid-November. The book’s purpose is to root more dollars in the local economy (one dollar spent locally gets re-spent three times more than if it were spent at a chain), make local purchasing more affordable and educate the public about making more responsible purchasing decisions - read the rest.

This is about the coolest thing I've seen from City Hall. No comments yet in any of the posts. So, check it out and add it to your daily list of local sites.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Neighborhood Planning Summit

I had the opportunity yesterday to talk with Elizabeth Huckabone, President of Belmont Shelter, about a number of issues impacting the immediate neighborhood around Artspace. I'd stopped in to check out the various displays that were being set up for tomorrow evening's neighborhood summit meeting - details here.

10/22/08...update and follow-up
Check out a series of posts in Inviting Buffalo dated October 17th and labeled
'the future of housing' to see what the evening's conversations included.

I encourage everyone who is interested in the area that's historicially known as the Hamlin Park, Cold Springs and Masten Park to attend this important and unique meeting. A number of City officials, BERC and LISC as well as Rev. Stenhouse will be addressing a number of important issues that are crucial to this neighborhood's longterm revival.

If you haven't already read - Midtown: Poised for Renaissance, I encourage you to become familiar with it before attending tomorrow evening's neighborhood meeting. Here, Chris Hawley writes:

Coe Place is the most historically and urbanistically significant street in the Midtown neighborhood. At one time a brick pedestrian pathway, converted to a residential street by a quixotic nineteenth-century skating rink operator, Coe Place is a charming, very narrow street, originally no more than fifteen feet wide, lined with a collection of close-knit Queen Anne-style houses whose singular attributes are unmatched anywhere else in Buffalo.

Here a few additional pics of yesterday's planning posters. Make sure to check out the neighborhood's Cultural Assets that Chuck LaChiusa and the Landmark Society have compiled.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Bailed - Buffalo Reacts

I received the following video this week as a local response to the Wall Street bailout and the mortage foreclosure crisis.

I'd like to know what you think and how fixBuffalo readers view the current financial crisis. How will this impact exisiting demographic trends in the future?

Video credit - Michela and Eric.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Around Artspace

I met a few fixBuffalo readers on Saturday for another walk around the Artspace neighborhood. We stopped here on Coe Place and admired the renovation that's happening on one of the East side's most unique streets.

After examining the rapidly deteriorating St. Vincent's Orphan Home on the corner of Ellicott and Riley, we ended the hour long walk behind Artspace talking about the project's impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

I'll keep track of my Saturday morning pics - Walking around Artspace - and update this series every two weeks.

Here's the schedule for the rest of 2008, rain or shine. Meet-up is at the Sonice Cafe at 9am right across from Artspace. Here's the map.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Visiting Buffalo ReUse

A neighbor tipped me off to a deal at Buffalo ReUse the other day, an incredible price on plywood - $8/sheet. So I stopped over to the store at 298 Northampton Street and stocked up for a number of projects.

Kevin Hayes, the store manager, showed me his new business cards that had just been delivered.

If you haven't stopped by and checked out the deals you should before you head off to any of the traditional retail outlets for building products. I spotted this amazing laundry tub out back.

I had a chance to talk with these two ReUse customers who are opening a vegetarian restuarant on Delaware Avenue in the spot that used to be one of my favorite local bars, Prespa. Here, they're picking out some reused shelf brackets for their new business.

Kevin reminded me that in a few short weeks, Buffalo ReUse will be hosting the 2008 Great Lakes ReUse Conference. Youngstown, OH Mayor Jay Willams will be one of the keynote speakers. I first mentioned Jay Williams - Visiting Youngstown - in a series of posts last year. This should be an amazing event.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Blogging Buffalo Ideas

Buffalo Ideas is a daily read. Paul Wolf, the blog's author, was formerly the Common Council's Chief of Staff and is currently General Counsel at the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.

One of Paul's recent posts - Let's Talk about Leadership - is a short review of Barbara Kellerman's book, BadLeadership - What it is, How it happens, Why it matters.

Paul has a loyal following and is the only person I know in local public service who blogs. If you know of anyone else in local government who blogs, please send me the site. Thanks.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Laurel/Michigan Row Houses

When I bought a neglected and vacant row house in the City's Cold Springs neighborhood 12 years ago I developed an interest in the remaining sets of row houses in the area. The Emerson Row and the Woodlawn Row (then occupied) were just a block away and were the last remaining row houses in the immediate neighborhood, a neighborhood that once contained 15 sets of row houses and maybe the largest concentration of this type of housing in the City - see map. Fifteen sets had dwindled to three.

A fixBuffalo reader sent the following link this morning to another set of row houses, a few blocks away at the corner of Laurel and Michigan. I remember this row and despite it's successful nomination and placement on the National Register and its designation as a local landmark, it was demolished in 1997.

I re-read the nomination package for this property recently and was struck by the high level of architectural detail that was described. The wrapped 'L' shape was unique. I also remember riding past this corner one morning 11 years ago wondering why construction crews were out shortening and shrinking the window openings. I called the building inspector and asked if a permit had been filed and whether the Preservation Board had approved the exterior changes. A permit had been approved for the window shortening.

This was probably my first direct lesson in the lack of institutional oversight and protection for the City's architechural and cultural heritage. Years later I learned that the Woodlawn Row experienced the same City Hall disconnect as building permits were approved on two occasions for exterior work - here and here - without the Preservation Board's approval for the installation of blue vinyl siding.

I spoke with a neighbor of mine later this afternoon about the 'L' shaped row at Laurel and Michigan. She told me that after a series of drug busts three bodies were found in the vacant structure, the place was demolished.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Walking Around Artspace

This morning I met a couple fixBuffalo readers and walked the Artspace Neighborhood. Since Artspace plans were finalized in February of '06 the neighborhood has attracted a significant amount of attention. There are now major residential renovation projects happening on every block.

I'll keep track of my Saturday morning pics - Walking around Artspace - and update the series every two weeks.

1042 Ellicott and 91 Northampton

Here's the schedule for the rest of 2008, rain or shine. Meet-up is at the Sonice Cafe at 9am, right across from Artspace. Here's the map.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

First Ward Lofts at the Cooperage

The E & B Holmes building, in Buffalo's first ward, caught my eye years ago - google map. I just learned about the following media advisory from a fixBuffalo reader.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.

The E. & B. Holmes Machinery Co., 55 Chicago Street, Buffalo

Jay DiLorenzo
President
Preservation League of New York State

Clinton E. Brown
Owner
Newark Niagara LLC

An important announcement by the Preservation League of New York State and others regarding the rehabilitation of the historic E & B Holmes Machinery Co. on the Buffalo River waterfront into residential market-rate lofts and commercial space.

Here a few pics I've collected and a link to additional information about the building.

Very good news.

Update...9/15/08...10:15pm

The following photo appeared in this Buffalo Rising post about the Cooperage.

Check out the website when you have a moment - River Lofts Buffalo.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Church Auction - Follow up

I entered Our Lady of Lourdes for the first time shortly before 11am this morning. I was speechless.

Update - May 18, 2010
Lourdes on Main Street - Part IV

After walking around for a few minutes and taking the following pics - see slide show - I heard Cash Cunningham read the terms of sale and a few minutes later the auction opened at $100,000. After reminding the 50 people in attendance that the location of Our Lady of Lourdes is unique - sandwiched between the medical corridor and new development on Main Street including Artspace - the auction very quickly bottomed out at $25,000, with only one person bidding.

It's not clear at this time what the new owner has planned for the church. What is clear is that 15 years of neglect, on every possible level, has ruined an amazing architectural and cultural treasure.

See: Part I

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

Artspace and Hillary Clinton

In July I had the opportunity to attend a reception at Artspace where Senator Hillary Clinton spoke. At the time i was struck by the following lines from Hillary's address.

Buffalo is a great place to live, to do art, to be part of a community. Not just anybody can come to Buffalo - you have to resilient and resolute, you have to have a certain level of grit and grace and determination and dedication. But we have that in abundance and we are more than happy to share it. read the rest...

A couple hundred long time Artspace supporters and residents gathered on a spectacular summer afternoon. Laura Krolczyk, from Hillary's Buffalo office just sent this along. Thanks Laura.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood

City Honors - September 12 Update

I spoke with Paul McDonnell this morning. He's an architect for Buffalo's Board of Education and the liasion between the Board, Ciminelli and the Joint School Reconstruction Project. He told me that the ground breaking for this 40m project took place a month ago. The school is scheduled to re-open in September 2010. I learned from Paul that what I had mistakenly reported as the ground breaking in late June - here - was actually activity related to the excavation of the last human remains from the long abandoned Potter's Field Cemetery.

So here's my first re-construction photo which shows the former front lawn, along Best Street, and the location of the two new additions.

Two new additions are planned, a gymnasium and an all-high pool. As you can see from the rendering, from Buffalo's Hamilton Houston and Lownie, the new Fosdick Masten Field will replace a cluster of poorly constructed multi-family structures operated by BMHA are known as Woodson Gardens.

According to Paul McDonnell this single family house, owned by BMHA, has been scheduled for demoltion. Negotiations for the demolition of the entire Woodson Gardens complex are on going, according to Paul.

Check out the City Honors archive for additional information and regular updates.

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Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • fixBuffalo flickr
Creative Class • Shrinking Cities • Saturdays in the neighborhood