fixBuffalo: November 2005

11/26/2005

Heading Towards Elmwood...

While heading over to my favorite Elmwood Avenue coffee shop the other day I stopped here on West Utica to take a look at this house, located at 225 West Utica.

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I had the opportunity to talk with a neighbor, Carl, who used to own property on one of Buffalo's most blighted streets, Loepere. He agreed with me that the "urban prairie" is way out of control. It's taken three years to get this property on the demo list, as the owner passed away and the only surviving family member can't make legal decisions. Ask Michele Johnson - Housing Activist, who's on Loepere Street at least once a week checking on abandonded property in Common Council President and presumed Fillmore Avenue resident David Franczyck's backyard. She deals with f***-up property just like this one at 225 West Utica every single day. It takes forever to get action as surviving family members have long sinced moved away or are ashamed of the property's condition and don't want to be found. This ususally means they don't want to pay for the demolition.

So, guess who pays the 10-12K for the demolition?

For more about the ever increasingly larger "urban prairie" follow this link, which just happens to show the wrecked devestation of our "built environment" and tax-base along Utica...at Jefferson and Elmwood. Great pics if you haven't checked them out yet.

Guess it's not just an East-Side thing anymore...

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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 • my flickr

Woodlawn Row Houses....November, 2005

Latest pics. Still no progress.

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The Woodlawn Row Houses are located on Buffalo's near East Side. When I first moved into the neighborhood, more than 10 years ago I remember meeting Byron Brown. He was campaigning door to door and gathering signatures for a Common Council seat. Let's see if a Mayor living in the Masten District can get the place properly secured. We'll see...

Check out the rest of the archive to see the long slow process of demolition by neglect. And just a reminder if you are new to reading this blog...the Woodlawn Row Houses were designated a local-landmark by the Preservation Board in 1981. They have been owned by the City of Buffalo since July 2003.

11/24/2005

Welcome to Coe Place...

When I first walked over to Coe Place 10 years ago to visit another 'urban pioneer'...I was amazed. 15 houses all right there, literally on the sidewalk. My friend has moved away but Coe Place remains with out a doubt one of the coolest streets in Buffalo. Meanwhile the City has re-done the sidewalks and curbs and just re-paved the street. It used to be bricklined pedestrian path...and may be again soon...

Coe Place is adjacent to the new Artspace development scheduled to break ground in a few months. And readers of this blog have been keeping track of Artspace developments in the Artspace Archive.

Recently Ryan Pierce from Polis Realty contacted me about his latest listings and they just happen to be right here on Coe Place. I know, the smell of gentrification here on the City's near East-Side is finally in the air. Reach Ryan at 881-1200 (o) or 982-6811 (c) the asking prices are amazing...get in touch with Ryan for details. The house on the right in a few of pics with a funny shaped dome is 19 Coe Place. It sold at the recent City Auction for $3K...

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Here a few additional images of Coe Place that I grabbed the other day.

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Here's the map in case you still don't know where Coe Place is...these pics are just around the corner and with in one block from the east end of Coe Place.

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Chris Hawley has spent a good part of the summer preparing a plan for the revitalization of the immediate neighborhood surrounding Artspace and Coe Place. I hope to have that plan available here in .pdf format soon. Chris's recent comments over at BuffaloRising about related issues dealing with positive economic development here on the near East Side shouldn't be missed.

Who thought the newly christened Midtown would be home to a 55-unit artist loft project? Now watch. The city is engaged in a planning process to re-do Coe Place in brick in a distinctive diagonal herringbone pattern. It will be the Little Summer Street of the East Side soon enough, with its quaint Queen Annes dating to 1890 and 1891. If the city follows through, a landscaped mini-traffic circle will be installed on the corner of Northampton and Ellicott streets. Commercial buildings, including the former Homer Tarbell livery stable on Riley Street and the old Joseph Denzel's Tavern on the corner of Michigan and Riley, could be receiving new investment as corner stores or gallery space.

More about the totally unique history of Coe Place, soon. Yesterday I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the librarian at UB's School of Architecture and Planning. The library there is about the coolest place. It's in the first floor of Hayes Hall. Dorothy pointed me in the direction of a Master's thesis completed by a recent Urban Planning grad that details the history of Coe Place and presents a viable plan to turn the street into a pedestrian zone. Details soon...

Meanwhile does anyone know where this pedestrian zone model is in place, here on the City's near East-Side? Let me know...I've got the pics!

11/23/2005

More Laws Won't Help...

If you are interested in getting the scoop on some of Buffalo's hottest political and preservation oriented news...sign-up for Buffalo Issue Alerts, moderated by über-cool Cynthia Van Ness, when she's not peddling about town or working as one of Buffalo's best librarians. Alan Bedenko from Buffalo Pundit reads it and beat me to posting about a proposed ordinance that the Common Council may be considering sometime soon. It's about "demolition by neglect" and pretty much goes to the heart of what started me on this blogging venture last October. Alan is reffering to this bit of news from BuffaloPlace that appeared on Cynthia's BIA e-list today.

***Update***
The guys over at BuffaloRising just posted
about "Demoliton by Neglect"....check it out here!

This "demolition by neglect" ordince is being sponsored by Common Council President and presumed Fillmore Avenue resident, David Franczyk. Here's a copy of the Common Council resolution regarding "demolition by neglect" that the Council passed earlier this year. Let's assume that a new ordinance that Franczyk is proposing will included substantially the same language and build upon the resolution adopted earlier.

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NYS Assemblyman Sam Hoyt has sponsored similar legislation in Albany, A-06980. I first wrote about Hoyt's preservation thing in April and again in May and referred to it again in October as Sam was called to "witness" the ironic demolition of NYS owned property on Forest Avenue. My e-mail exchange with Sam gets rather snarky so I don't want to include any thing here, yet ask yourself the simple question..."Who is going to enforce this new preservation law?" If our existing laws regarding the proper care of buildings and houses are not being enforced do you really think a new law is going to help?

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Besides, both Franzcyk and Hoyt's "modest proposals" rely on a wrong interpretation of a recent case involving historic property in NYC. I wrote about the "Samuel Tredwell House" case last December. (Cool building, lots of links in that post.) Here, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub, used existing building code ordinaces to force compliance. He didn't use or need new preservation laws.

Alan Bedenko first picked up on my posting about "demolition by neglect" over here. He also has some kind words for my efforts to call attention to City of Buffalo's negligent ownership of historic building here in Buffalo, over here.

A new detente between David Torke and this blog has developed, so I’ll be linking to him and his efforts, which are quite noble, would do a lot of good for the city, and are do-able.

Please take a moment, next week and let your Common Council representative know that you think. Exisiting laws, properly enforced, have serious built in incentives to get negligent property owners into compliance. The decline and erosion of our 'built environment' is in an advanced state "detroitization." We need something more creative than passing new laws, that stand about as much of a chance getting enforced than our current laws. New laws are a "quick fix" that make us feel good. They don't get things done.

Let Franczyk and Hoyt know that we have enough laws.

New laws won't help. The slow, steady and regular enforcement of existing building codes will help to reverse this. Ask Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub. He did it in NYC. We can do it here in Buffalo...

11/22/2005

Housing Court...Follow-Up

I was there a few weeks ago and asked Judge Nowak for an "Order to Vacate" for the following abandonded, boarded, increasingly more derelict and vacant house here at 2 Girard Place (map), right alongside Humboldt Pkwy. Some of my readers have commented about the "demolition by neglect" taking place as they pass by on their way to work in the morning. I first reported about this house in March, later in May and most recently in July where I stepped inside the house and showed how the architectural detail had been stripped. That pissed me off and motivated me to ask Judge Nowak for the "Order to Vacate."

While I was there a few weeks ago checking up on the building's exterior I found that the front porch had become a favorite spot for neighborhood kids. I walked down the street and shared a copy of the Judge's order with a few of the parents.

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The stenciled court order is clearly visible in red. But as you click through some of those images you'll quickly see that the Judge's order was apparently not read and disregarded by at least one person.

I give the house another 6-8 months...then, off to the landfill in Niagara Falls...

Another McChurch...

While Bishop Kmiec appears to have made the decision not to sell his house at 79 Oakland Place, rumor has it that he already has his list of 40-50 diocesesan buildings here in Buffalo, NY that he will be closing. I've begun tracking what I've called, "A Journey to Avoid Housing Court." We know that he's already shuddered the Immaculate Conception at the corner of Elmwood and Edward and is fully involved in the what some people think are frivolous and unnecessary renovations over at St. Stans.

I received a series of e-mails from former Catholic priests here in Buffalo describing among other things and despite Common Council President David Franczyk's praise for the (un) historical renovations the fact that building permits have never been filed for the extensive work to the exterior or interior.

Well to rub salt into the wounds of Buffalo's ever increasingly larger urban prairie and the advanced stages of "detroitization" that metastasizes here on the City's east-side, seems like Bishop Kmiec has given the green light to Buffalo's next McChurch. This one is located at the corner of Hickory and Eagle Streets.

Betcha it'll look something like this one...adjacent to the former and now abandoned and vacant German Roman Catholic Orphan Home on Dodge Street. The Bishop is going to do what the Bishop is going to do. And it's not like the Catholic Church has a reputation for transparency in decisions that involve the community...but think of it for a minute. He said earlier this spring that Immaculate Conception needed $830K of immediate renovations and this summer he began the process involving the shutting down of additional buildings...

I'll call the inspections deptartment tomorrow to see if permits were filed for Hickory and Eagle and follow-up on at least one priest's claim that permits were not filed for David Franczyk's much lauded (un)historical renovations to St. Stans...

11/21/2005

A Re-post...

I rarely do this, I think it's the second time...but inlight of some awesome comments being posted for the time being over at BuffaloRising about Buffalo's built environment and economic recovery make sure to check out this post from the past summer...

On Friday I posted this about the SkyscraperPage.com and the forum thread about downtown Buffalo Development. Well it turns out that there is another site, called SkyscraperCity.com that contains similar content. Make sure to check out their forum about development and planning issues in downtown Buffalo. I noticed a few contributers from the other site. There are a number of other forums that are worth checking out. This forum about Upstate NY skylines was pretty cool.

While checking out the highly informed and intelligent banter about development and planning issues in Buffalo I stumbled upon some pretty unique pics that I have never seen before.

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The middle pic of course is a pretty cool night time aerial view of Buffalo and Toronto.

Check out BuffaloRising...

Newell and George have stitched together some awesome posting about Buffalo's East-Side and the potential that some of the forgotten buildings may have and the role their re-development may play in the long term economic revitalization of Buffalo. Seems like the comments section of two of their most recent posts have really expanded into virtual conversations not always seen in the Buffalo Blogosphere.

Check out the posts here and here...

Make sure to check out the slide shows they have featured, too. Newell asked me for some help in identifying some of the buildings...I've got the scoop on six of them...posting to follow.

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Make sure to scroll through the comments section of each post. Some snarky, some salient and still some other comments suggest that an emerging east-side renaissance is at hand. Me thinks there's lots of distrust and deep structural inequities that must be addressed in addtion to a complex problem of failed "afro-centrist" black leadership.

In any case, some of the many comments include those from astute and forever analytical and recent urban planning grad, Chris Hawley and of course Buffalo's own Jim Ostrowski who helps lay the historic background and a theoretical lens to help better understand....WTF happened to the largest geographical part of the City.

This from Jim Ostrowski...

The black community is in a free fall of single mothers and teenage pregnancy. The neighborhood are rife with unsupervised children without fatherly role models, unemployment, drugs, crime, alchohol and adultery. Single mothers dont have time to care about their neighborhoods or watch their kids....so their kids dont understand the value of education....they are labelled learning disabled because their parents dont help them with homework.

Moynahans report detailed the problems the black community faces 30 years ago! Guess what? The biggest problem that the black community faces isnt racism or segregation! Its the black community itself! Thats why as soon as an african american gets educated or gets a decent job they get as far away from the black community as possible. They, better than anyone, dont want to move as far away from the problems of the black community as possible.

And this from Chris Hawley...

The East Side will rebound, but only with determined advocacy and a few investors willing to take great risks...

...Who thought the newly christened Midtown would be home to a 55-unit artist loft project? Now watch. The city is engaged in a planning process to re-do Coe Place in brick in a distinctive diagonal herringbone pattern. It will be the Little Summer Street of the East Side soon enough, with its quaint Queen Annes dating to 1890 and 1891. If the city follows through, a landscaped mini-traffic circle will be installed on the corner of Northampton and Ellicott streets. Commercial buildings, including the former Homer Tarbell livery stable on Riley Street and the old Joseph Denzel's Tavern on the corner of Michigan and Riley, could be receiving new investment as corner stores or galley space.
Imagine as downtown's loft building craze naturally leans closer and closer to the near East Side. I believe inevitably, loft housing will be popping up along Genesee Street as far up as Fillmore Avenue. Take the corner of Genesee and Michigan and tell me how that area is not the next place to be redeveloped?

Lots of other comments to scroll through...especially Mike Miller's from the Central Terminal.

11/19/2005

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...

11/13/2005

St. Stans...

I caught this letter in Saturday's BN and thought it was pretty interesting in light of what Buffalo's Common Council President and presumed Fillmore Avenue resident David Franczyk had to say about the renovations at St. Stans recently.

Changing historic architecture of St. Stan's is serious mistake

11/12/2005

I initially shared in Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz's goal of re-establishing St. Stanislaus as the primary focal point of Western New York's Polish-American community. Many of the projects he initiated have had a positive effect on preserving the parish complex and energizing a sense of pride among parishioners.

Unfortunately, my support of his efforts has changed following the drastic alterations taking place to the interior of the church. The removal of pews and the out-building of the altar destroy the architectural and historic integrity of one of Buffalo's most important cultural landmarks.

The alterations contradict the common attributes associated with the Polish community: heritage, tradition and history. I believe the parish has made a grievous mistake in changing the historic architecture of the building. My family's involvement and dedication to the parish can be traced back to 1887. For generations of ancestors before me, the altar has played host to countless sacraments. The changes have made the church unrecognizable.

With this letter, I formally protest Grosz's undertakings and ask that the Parish Council please reconsider the construction of the new, historically inappropriate altar.

Martin Biniasz, Buffalo

Marty Biniasz is the genius behind Biniasz.com that I first linked to last January, over here. On Marty's site you'll read more about the fight to save St. Stans and make sure to check out his coverage of Broadway Fillmore's Polonia - tons of old photos. He also has a section called Lost Buffalo. Don't miss it.

Contrast Marty's position on St. Stans with presumed Fillmore Avenue resident David Franczyk's. This letter appeared in the BN on October 30th.

How can people knock bishop for improving historic church?

I am appalled by the petty, small-minded criticism leveled at Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz for having the vision to invest in beautifying St. Stanislaus Church, the Mother Parish of Polonia. Criticism is usually reserved for people who let their buildings deteriorate; are we now knocking someone for improving property?

Grosz's critics insult the hope of those who refuse to believe that the East Side is condemned to an earthly hell of abandonment and deterioration. Have they no faith?

The renovation of St. Stanislaus Church is a powerful inspiration to other property owners to fix up their homes and buildings on the East Side. It is also an important historic landmark of great importance to the entire Western New York community.

Every week, hundreds of people either attend church there or take part in the numerous religious, civic or cultural functions in the renovated Social Center.

I am deeply grateful to Grosz for helping improve the district I represent. The beautifully lit-up spires of St. Stan's are a nightly beacon pointing the way to a better future for a proud neighborhood.

David A. Franczyk

I had the opportunity earlier this summer to walk part of Franczyk's Forgotten Fillmore district. It's the epitome of the "detroitization" of Buffalo. He's been spending alot of time 40 miles to Buffalo's south in Perrysburg, NY recently. He's even won an award down there...as the Fillmore District entered another circle of Dante's hell.

About my posting...

Hey academic things are ratcheting up and this blog, as frequent visitors realize, is not high on my priority list right now...stay tuned...you won't be disappointed.

Meanwhile check out my links over on the left hand side and learn more about what's happening in Buffalo...

Don't forget to check out Figmo's outstanding work on school choice and Charter Schools here in Buffalo over at BuffaloRising.

Tracking Crime...

I've been loving things google for a long time. Blogger, Picasa and of course the easy to use and ubiqutous GoogleMaps. I reported on ChicagoCrime.org awhile ago and placed a button over on the left. Totally cool way to track neighborhood crime and even subscribe to rss feeds detailing what's happening on you own block on the Chicago Police blotter.

Well it was only a matter of time until someone put level 3 sex offenders living in your neighborhood on the web and combine it with the selection, sorting and display power of google maps. Here it is...just plug in your street or zip code.

Map Sex Offenders

Now if we only had a similar tool to track people with outstanding Housing Court warrants in Buffalo City Court and of course a BuffaloCrime map would be totally awesome. Got to write Mayor Elect Byron Brown a letter tomorrow...

Bishop Kmiec's Right Hand...

In case you missed the announcement, Bishop Kmiec recently announced the formation of another commission. This time "The Journey to Avoid Housing Court" is composed of the following members:

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While Bishop Kmiec continues to reside at 79 Oakland Place, in the most expensive (highest assesment) residence in the City of Buffalo, it's helpful to remember what happens to former Catholic Church property when it's "flipped" to unsuspecting and irresponsible owners on Buffalo's east-side.

Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec Bishop of Buffalo ** Most Rev. Edward M. Grosz Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General, Diocese of Buffalo, pastor, St. Stanislaus Parish, Buffalo ** Mr. Robert Bennett Chancellor of the NYS Board of Regents, parishioner, St. Christopher Parish, Tonawanda ** Msgr. Leonard Biniszkiewicz Episcopal Vicar of Western Niagara Vicariate, pastor, St. Teresa of Infant Jesus Parish, Niagara Falls ** Mrs. Deborah Brown Director of Sacramental Life, St. John the Baptist Parish, Lockport, parishioner, St. Mary Parish, Gasport; former Regional Director for Religious Education in Eastern Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming Counties ** Rev. Gregory Dobson Episcopal Vicar, Southern Cattaraugus Vicariate, pastor, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Olean, pastor, Sacred Heart Parish, Portville ** Rev. Patrick Elis Episcopal Vicar of Northern Chautauqua, pastor, Immaculate Conception Parish, Cassadaga, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Sinclairville ** Mr. Robert Greene Lay Chair, Bishop’s Council of the Laity, Attorney with Phillips Lytle, LLP, former president, Board of Catholic Education, Diocese of Buffalo, parishioner, St. Louis Parish, Buffalo ** Mrs. Kathleen Heffern Director, Office of Church Ministry, Diocese of Buffalo parishioner, St. Joseph-University Parish, Buffalo ** Sister Nancy Hoff, RSM President of the Sisters of Mercy, Co-chair, Leadership Conference of Women Religious ** Mr. Kevin Keenan Director of Communications, Diocese of Buffalo, parishioner, St. John the Baptist Parish, Kenmore ** Mr. Todd Kniazuk Member of Diocesan Pastoral Council, Senior Staff Assistant, University at Buffalo Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth, Administrator, Erie-Niagara Regional Partnership, parishioner, St. Adalbert Basilica Parish, Buffalo ** Ms. Denise McKenzie Secretary of Catholic Education, Diocese of Buffalo, parishioner, Our Lady of Victory Basilica Parish, Lackawanna ** Rev. Robert Mock President, Council of Priests, Diocese of Buffalo, pastor, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Buffalo ** Sister Regina Murphy, SSMN Director of Research & Planning, Diocese of Buffalo ** Mrs. Milagros Ramos Director of Hispanic Youth Ministry, Diocese of Buffalo, parishioner, St. Anthony Parish, Lackawanna ** Sister Denise Roche, GNSH President, D’Youville College ** Rev. Joseph Sicari Diocesan Director of Catholic Charities ** Deacon Paul Snyder Member, Board of Trustees, Christ the King Seminary, permanent deacon, St. Mary Parish, Swormville ** Msgr. Jerome Sullivan Director of Priests’ Personnel, Diocese of Buffalo, pastor, St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Hamburg ** Mrs. Ann Swan Member, Board of Catholic Education, Diocese parishioner, St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville ** Mr. Steven Timmel Executive Director of Financial Administration, Diocese of Buffalo, parishioner, Christ the King Parish, Snyder ** Sister Lorianne Tylczynski, CSSF At Large member, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, member, Felician Provincial Council ** Rev. Michael Uebler Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Tonawanda, former Vicar of Tri-County Vicariate **Mr. Dan Workman Parishioner, St. Martin de Porres, Buffalo

Absent are members of the various communities who have to live next to the Bishop's neglected and abandoned buildings here in Buffalo. Remember this place...the former Immaculate Conception...at the corner of Edward and Elmwood. Bishop Kmiec closed this building four months ago and claimed that the structure was unsafe and needed $800K of repairs. As of last week there was still no housing court file.

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I do imagine that the Bishop has already determined which buildings he will be closing. This exercise, that I've called "Journey to Avoid Housing Court" is simply a thinly veiled attempt to make the process appear more transparent than it really is. If you have any additional information about this "process" ask one of the commission members and let me know.