fixBuffalo

1/06/2007

Just Imagine...

Imagine for a moment if Carl Paladino owned this property and nothing happened...for four very long years! Yes...we know who would be leading the campaign to ride Carl out of town, again...

Please take a moment to read what Buffalo News reporter Sharon Linstedt wrote on October 9, 2006...

"This situation goes back quite awhile. Both buildings are seriously deteriorated, and the problems have not been addressed," City Development Commissioner Richard Tobe said. read the rest

Some people have suggested that these two buildings are the worst offenders in Buffalo's emerging retail and residential downtown. While the promise has been made - Jessie Schnell, who claims ownership as a representative of Triangle Development LLC and is also the Board President of Forever Elmwood - to have these buildings secured by Monday January 8th, the future of 85 & 91 Genesee Street is very much in doubt.

Here's my flickr slide show and some additional background - right here.

Here's a copy of the housing court file #1860/2005.

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

BAVPA Reconstruction - End Week 27

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January 6, 2007 - Day 195

Had the opportunity to chat with Drew Kelly former head of the BAVPA Parent Teachers Organization this week. Drew has been coordinating events and doing the heavy lifting here keeping parents and teachers informed about developments at the new school and acting as the primary liaison between City Hall - Ciminelli and the school community.

Rather than play traditional school politics and be able transcend the typical roll of a PTO - and of course leverage the excitement of a move to a brand new state of the art facility - the decision has been made to merge Drew's energy as former head of the PTO with the BAVPA Alumni Organization, run by Chris Byrd. This new organization, Friends of the Arts Academy will reflect the new reality of this dynamic community in a new location. Here's Drew's first post.

Drew and Chris Byrd - same tech guy running Broadway Fillmore Alive - teamed up recently with Paul McDonald from City Hall who is coordinating the construction from the City's side. They shot this short video a few weeks ago...and provide a glimpse of what's going on inside the school.

See BAVPA Reconstruction Archive for additional details and updates.

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

1/05/2007

On Smart City...this weekend

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Smart City is a weekly, hour-long public radio talk show that takes an in-depth look at urban life, the people, places, ideas and trends shaping cities. Host Carol Coletta talks with national and international public policy experts, elected officials, economists, business leaders, artists, developers, planners and others for a penetrating discussion of urban issues.

This weekend...

If losing weight is one of your New Year's resolutions, you may want to consider moving. According to Reid Ewing, a research professor at the National Center for Smart Growth, where you live may have a lot to do with how much you weigh. Reid's study of sprawl and obesity in American youth appeared in the December 2006 issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Also with us is Todd Litman, founder and executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, who challenges all conventional wisdom on how we ought to be getting around our cities. Todd is author of the Online TDM Encyclopedia, a comprehensive Internet resource for identifying and evaluating mobility management strategies.

Listen to host Carol Colletta - list of additional stations/times - 3pm on Saturday and 7pm Sunday on WNED - 970 in Buffalo, NY. Past Shows are archived and the newsletter is published regularly.

Smart City is underwritten by Buffalo, NY's own Hyde Family Foundation...thanks George!

Smile for the Camera...

Visited Control Board headquarters yesterday. Offices are located on the top floor of the Market Arcade building at 617 Main Street.

Asked the security guy down on the first floor where the office was located. At first he wasn't going to let me through. Finally after calling the office I had an opportunity to speak with the receptionist and only then would the security guard let me pass.

In a related matter, I've heard from a number of people that Byron has installed a camera set-up and security outside the Mayor's office, too. I remember visiting the second floor numerous times, totally unannounced during the Masiello years...like just walked in...where the Mayor's team was totally available or would schedule an appointment.

Like what's up with the fear factor today? And yes, I smiled and waved to the camera as I left...

Saturday Tours...

Regular 11am Saturday morning tour of the neighborhood - Backyard at Artspace. Meet-up in the Sonic Café area and plan on walking down Coe Place, around Ellicott, Northampton and Holland Place and Dodge if we have time. Plenty to see and learn about in an hour.

Backyard at Artspace
Tours in the Neighborhood
Saturdays at 11am

Some of the things you'll see include:

click image to enlarge

While talking about various developments and issues here on the City's near East side, we'll be stopping along the way to take pictures of the amazing amounts of architechtural detail. I'm always seeing something new. Make sure the batteries are charged in your digital camera, cup of coffee and we're off for an hour in what is soon to be Buffalo's coolest new neighborhood.

Saturday's at 11am...e-mail me or just show up. Here's the map!

1/04/2007

Righteousness on Genesee Street, again...

A few months back, I met Bradley. He was living here at 85 Genesee Street. The boards were scattered around the sidewalk and years of neglect by Triangle Development LLC - aka Scot and Jessie Fisher, from Righteous Babe Records and Forever Elmwood fame - created a serious public health risk and made the place like total ghetto. 91 Genesee - also owned by Triangle - is featured here in a Charles Burchfield water color.

Well today I had a chance to stop by again after hearing from a number of fixBuffalo readers that the boards were down, again.

Any thoughts on how to proceed? Let me know. Will be finding out tomorrow if Triangle Development LLC has a permit to block the side walk. Seems like they should.

Link here to previous writing and article featured on BRo...

flickr slide show - 85 & 91 Genesee Street

1/03/2007

Transfiguration News...

Just heard from various sources that Commissioner Rich Tobe has placed Transfiguration Church on the Preservation Board's agenda for January 4th...

MEETING NO. 436

BUFFALO PRESERVATION BOARD

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2007, 3:00 P.M., 901 CITY HALL

B. Communications

3. Commissioner Tobe – Request advice/assistance of Preservation Board re: Transfiguration Church @ 929 Sycamore St. (Local Landmark)

This is a recent interior pic from Sarah, in Toronto.

Additional writing can be found here, along with recent interior slide shows, the complete recent legal history and some links to a plan for a low-level greenspace reuse of a future and partially demolished Transfiguration Church. I plan on attending the Preservation Board Meeting and will report back.

Sarah's other Transfiguration Church pics - right here!

St. Vincent's Update...

One of the coolest yet undeveloped spots on the City's near east side is St. Vincent's. I've been monitoring developments here for most of 2006 and had the opportunity earlier this year to tour the complex with representatives from a consortium of colleges looking to put down some roots here in Buffalo and start an urban studies program. I was amazed with the interior. Here's the link to the slide show and a number of interior shots from this past September.

Here's the map showing St. Vincent's proximity to Artspace and Performing Arts High School. This pic is from late last week.

Some of these links from my earlier writing explore the social history of St. Vincent's. Cash Cunningham, the current owner, is still looking for a buyer and has taken great care this year in securing the building from additional damage. Something that the CAO still has to learn from their three year stint owning the German Roman Catholic Orphan Home down on Dodge Street.

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

1/02/2007

Open Houses and City Schools...

First wrote about this City owned little place in September - right here. Checked back the other day as it's located directly across the street from Buffalo Public School #53. Still wide open. Here's the backside.

What's really amazing is that three additional residential properties, adjacent to this little spot and also directly across the street from school #53, are wide open, too. Here's the map!

Guess when Byron gave himself an "A" last week, right here - more about that later, as no one in the local Buffalo Blogosphere has commented on this - he probably didn't check to see if these places were secure. More about Open Houses and City Schools, very soon...should be interesting!

ReNewing Buffalo?

Had an opportunity while visiting Vermont friends recently to stop by and check out ReNew.

ReNew flickr slide show

I've been interested in reusing building materials for some time. Had an opportunity last year to chat with housing activist Michele Johnson about these sorts of issues last summer. Wrote about that in June 2005 - Deconstructing Buffalo and here in September 2006 Deconstructing Buffalo Part II. Here locally Michael Gainer and his crew have been busy deconstructing a house on Lombard Street near the Broadway Market - right here.

One of the coolest products that Eric sells in Brattleboro, Vt is cotton fiber insulation that Jim Parker over on Grote Street told me about as an amazingly efficient material and excellent alternative to the more traditional fiberglass. Bonded Logic sells the stuff by the tractor trailer load and Eric re-sells it by the bale...only place to get this stuff in smaller quantities.

While talking with Eric Kruger about his business he wanted to make sure people here in Buffalo, NY understood that re-using building materials is part of a larger national movement. The Building Materials Reuse Association is the national organization that many of the outlets all over New England belong to. Make sure to visit the links section in Eric's site, too.

Friend I visited built most of her house - right here - from used materials. Structure was used too as she built the house inside of an existing barn.

You can reach Eric Kruger at 802.246.2400 or visit www.renewsalvage.org on-line. Here's the map!

BAVPA Reconstruction - End week 26

December 31, 2006 - Day 189

Grabbed some recent shots the other day of some of the changes taking place here on the City's near East side. The largest of the three new additions to the building that used to be Buffalo Traditional HS is of course the new Art wing which is well underway. Early mornings here continue to be noisy with crews banging away at the steel structure and rearranging the scaffolding on what seems to be a daily basis.

click image to enlarge

With Artspace opening a few blocks away this summer and Performing Arts opening up with the beginning of the 2007 school year what an amazing example for Buffalo students to see and experience the opportunity to live and work as artists...here in Buffalo, NY!

Here's the complete set of flickr photos of this reconstruction project from day #1.

See BAVPA Reconstruction Archive for additional details and updates.

note to fixBuffalo readers...

I've received significant support and encouragement from a number of fixBuffalo readers, friends and neighbors asking me to re-consider my decision to shut things down after my failure to help close a deal regarding the City of Buffalo owned Woodlawn Row Houses last month. There is now another deal that may be worth considering...we'll see.

I had the good fortune of being able to visit some long time friends recently in a rather vibrant community in southern Vermont and am returning to Buffalo with a deeper appreciation for the City's near east side, my keyboard and some rudimentary photographic skills that I'd like to hone. Batteries are charged. Still, narrowly focused on the City's near east side yet I will continue writing about developments and issues that I think pertain to the long term growth of this community.

In the next few weeks, I'm determined to focus on a number of properties surrounding the future home of Performing Arts High School that are controlled by Bethel Community Development Corporation - which of course is controlled by Rev. Richard Stenhouse who just happens to be the treasurer and secretary of Buffalo's Fiscal Stability Authority - Buffalo's control board. Five totally messed up houses, directly across the street from the 30m re-construction project of Performing Arts High School. So, so not cool...

Other projects include finding a re-use - at some level - for Transfiguration Church on Sycamore knowing full well that additional architecturally significant church buildings will be dumped by the diocese very soon. And the Community Action Organization's complete disregard for the safety of neighbors living near the German Roman Catholic Orphan Home down on Dodge Street will continue to be documented, too. Will ratchet things up a bit. That architectural wonder is still literally falling apart and sits wide open still after three years of the CAO's ownership. Ellicott District Councilman Brian Davis is President of the CAO's Board.

Living in a neighborhood that is experiencing decline on so many levels is at times exhausting. And then the writing and documenting of this decline had just simply sapped my strength. Yet it's where I live and as I've shared with some readers recently, I live in part to communicate and express what I experience...and despite the fact that two tennis courts are planned fifty feet away from my front door in the Spring - part of Performing Arts HS - the decline in my neighborhood, what could be characterized perhaps as forgotten Buffalo is where I live and what I experience on a daily basis will continue to be documented. So, please accept my apology for exiting briefly before the job got done.

Happy New Year - and now, back to the blogging...

Year End at Artspace...

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Had the chance to walk around Artspace Saturday afternoon and update my construction photo archive of this phenomenally intelligent development here on the City's near East side...just a few short blocks away from the future home of Performing Arts High School. See - construction photos since June 2006...

click image to enlarge

The good folks in Minneapolis have made some significant updates to the Artspace Buffalo web-site reflecting a growing interest in this neighborhood and across the region about this project.

More in Artspace Construction Updates...

1/01/2007

Woodlawn Row Houses - January 2007 Update

Frequent readers of fixBuffalo know that the reason I started this little neighborhood blog was to call attention to the plight of the Woodlawn Row Houses, an architectural gem that's also been designated a local-landmark by the City's Preservation Board. This complex sits directly across the street from the future home of Performing Arts High School.

The Woodlawn Row houses were originally four individually owned single family houses, attached in row house fashion. They were converted to "doubles" in the mid 1980's and the entire complex is still designated as four separate properties. Perhaps with this understanding they might be more appealing to someone as a rehab project - you know purchasing the entire complex - mothballing three and moving slowly through the four properties one at a time.

If you are local, Buffalo or have reached this posting through a Craigslist posting and would like additional information about the purchase of this property, contact me at fixbuffalo@gmail.com - glad to help as I can negotiating the maze of getting this property into some good hands. Additional information is available in the faq portion of this blog pertaining to the recent social and legal history of this property.

Here's the archive - Woodlawn Row Houses - to see Buffalo's best example of 'demolition by neglect' of a local-landmark. After 27 months of calling this to the City's attention, the place is still wide open. Suggestions? Let me know.

Partners December 2006 Newsletter

Just received the latest e-newsletter from George Grasser and Partner's for a Liveable WNY. December 2006. George is adding hyperlinks to some of his commentary and notes for further exploration of what's happening here and around the country. Check it out.

I've archived past Partner's Newsletters, over here.