fixBuffalo

5/16/2010

Creighton Randall - Homesteading the City

Creighton Randall purchased this single-family home at 268 Dodge Street (google map) from the City of Buffalo for $1. On weekends he's been working on renovations with friends and family. I caught up with Creighton late Saturday afternoon.

Creighton Randall - 268 Dodge Street

Despite the blemishes and missing plumbing, the house was in good structural shape when Creighton bought the house. He is devoting additional time to completing renovations this summer and plans to move in this Fall.

268 Dodge Street is directly across from Masten Park, Johnny B. Wiley and the concrete remains of the City's WPA crown jewel, Civic Stadium, also known as the Rock Pile. (See Somewhere in Masten (12/18/08) for additional pics/maps.) Creighton was quick to point out the proximity of City Honors High School as we climbed the concrete steps and walked around Masten Park on Saturday.

286 Dodge - from Masten Park

Creighton told me that he's taking a long-view on his new home and cautions against seeing the City's homestead eligible properties as quick way to 'flip' a property and see a short-term return.

click image to enlarge

Creighton took a short break on Saturday and talked with me about his project. Here's a short thirteen minute podcast with Creighton after the jump.

Creighton describes the neighborhood

Creighton moved to Buffalo in 2002 from rural upstate New York near Albany and has recently completed a graduate program in urban planning at UB's School of Architecture and Planning. Creighton incubated and runs Buffalo Car Share, a local non-profit rooted in social entrepreneurship.

If you'd like to know more about Creighton's new home and homesteading and possibly participating in a house-painting workday/party, drop Creighton an email - creightonr@gmail.com - to learn more and get the updates.

73 Dodge Street - Homesteading the City (5/13/10)
86 City-Owned Properties - $1 (5/1/10)

__________________________________________________________________________
building index • fixBuffalo flickr • creative class • shrinking cities • americansuburbX
spacing toronto • infrastructurist • inhabitat

5/15/2010

Richard Tobe - Fixing the Kensington Part VI

I sat down with Richard Tobe yesterday afternoon at the EM Tea Coffee Cup Cafe in Hamlin Park. We talked about the Kensington.

Rich moved to Buffalo in 1967 from Long Island. After graduating from UB with a degree in political science and completing his legal education at UB in 1974 he became Chief of Staff for Assemblyman William Hoyt. He served as Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning and Commissioner of Economic Development and Permit/Inspections for the City of Buffalo. He currently does economic consulting and teaches economic development seminars at UB Law School. Rich is a Richardson Center Corporation and Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper board member.

Our six-minute Kensington podcast is followed by a longer segment where Rich describes a number of battles with NYSDOT and highway construction in the City during the 1970's, including the controversial West Side Arterial.

Here's the podcast.

Stephanie Barber - Fixing the Kensington Part V (5/13/10)
Terry Robinson - Fixing the Kensington Part IV (5/6/10)
The Boulevard Option - Fixing the Kensington Part III (5/5/10)
Bury this Big Mistake - Fixing the Kensington Part II (3/4/10)
Fixing the Kensington - Part I (2/23/10)
fixBuffalo Kensington photos

5/13/2010

73 Dodge Street - Homestead in the City

73 Dodge Street is City-owned and available to any qualified prospective home owner for $1. It's located one block from Main Street and around the corner from the Summer Street subway station (google map). Artspace and the Coe Place are right next door. This two-family house appears to be in structurally good condition.

73 Dodge Street - $1

The asphalt shingle siding is no doubt covering - and probably preserving - some clapboard and architectural detail that hasn't seen the light of day since the '60's. Such was the case just around the corner at 1042 Ellicott which was featured in this post, two years ago.

Here's a 73 Dodge Street slide show.

This house, along with 85 other city-owned houses were recently added to the City's inventory of 'homestead eligible' properties. The post and map about that development is available right here.

Interested in making this house your home? John Hannon, Director of Real Estate, is waiting to hear from you. The City's Division of Real Estate can be reached at (716) 851-5261.

Stephanie Barber - Fixing the Kensington Part V

Stephanie Barber is the president of the Hamlin Park Taxpayers & Community Association. I sat down with Stephanie at the Merriweather Library on Jefferson Avenue to talk about the Kensington Expressway.

Through her advocacy work as president of the Hamlin Park Taxpayers & Community Association, Stephanie persuaded New York State Senator Antoine Thompson to direct funding towards a feasibility study to fix the Kensington.

Here's the podcast.

Richard Tobe - Fixing the Kensingston Part VI (5/15/10)
Terry Robinson - Fixing the Kensington Part IV (5/6/10)
The Boulevard Option - Fixing the Kensington Part III (5/5/10)
Bury this Big Mistake - Fixing the Kensington Part II (3/4/10)
Fixing the Kensington - Part I (2/23/10)
fixBuffalo Kensington photos

5/11/2010

Land Banks & Urban Farms - Greening Buffalo

A number of fixBuffalo readers sent this in today - WGRZ's Special Report: Abandoned Housing Crisis in Buffalo. It's notable that Mayor Brown and his staff now understand the extent of problem and how intelligent planning and new policy will help.

"There are some neighborhoods that look like the Third World," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown

Here's the story. Here's the video:

Buffalo, NY - The (new) Green Zone (4/23/10)
Vacant/Undeliverable - 2010 (4/23/10)
Dan Kildee - Flint, MI (4/22/09)

Cottage in Black Rock - Two on the East Side

UB architecture students purchased this brick cottage at 139 Howell Street (google map) at the City's tax-sale a few years ago. The redesigned minimalist space is clean and the space, totally liveable. 139 Howell - the "Quad House" - is featured in ExinteriorDesign and there's a slide show with interior images in this recent Wallpaper review.

Here's a before pic and a construction series that I snapped during last Fall's open house.

click image to enlarge

With UB architecture students showing what's possible with a brick cottage in Black Rock, it's even easier to imagine breathing life into a number of other City-owned brick cottages. 41 Milnor in Downtown Buffalo and 16 Harwood Place, right around the corner from Mayor Byron Brown's residence, come to mind. Both are available for $1.

5/08/2010

Vacant/Undeliverable 2010 - Part II

Anthony Armstrong from LISC-Buffalo has been analyzing and mapping abandonment and vacancy issues in Buffalo for the past four years. He's compiled Buffalo Vacancy, a wiki designed to share the unique data sets he's synthesized involving HUD and United States Postal Service undeliverable addresses in Buffalo, NY.

Buffalo - undeliverble percent 12/31/2009

click image to enlarge

I caught up with the Anthony the other day and he told about the most recent series of maps that he's compiled. They provide a strong visual statement about abandonment and vacancy the City is (not)confronting. This map is a snapshot, as of 12/31/09. The other maps involve trend data covering the four year period 2005/2009.

Vacant/Undeliverable 2010 - Part I (4/23/10)

Central Park Plaza - Part II

Central Park Plaza activists and neighbors gathered and rallied this morning urging City officials to take immediate action. If stores aren't closed, the shattered store front windows are the norm and contribute to making Central Park Plaza (bing map) one of the City's most desolate and dangerous landscapes. The Brooklyn based entity that owns the Central Park Plaza seems to be immune from Housing Court's reach.

Beverly Davis - Central Park Plaza activist

I met Dawnette Leftwich, Beverly Davis and Daria Pratcher this morning. They are organizing neighbors and city residents to help transform the severely blighted Central Park Plaza. You can connect via facebook - Help Revitalize Central Park Plaza - and learn more about what's happening and what's needed to help bring about immediate and necessary change in this part of the City.

The Buffalo News covered this morning's story.

Here's a short slide show to further acquaint you to Central Park Plaza.

Central Park Plaza - Part I (4/25/10)

5/06/2010

Terry Robinson - Fixing the Kensington - Part IV

Terry Robinson grew up in the Humboldt Parkway neighborhood. He graduated from Calasanctius High School in 1972 and studied political economy at Princeton and Harvard. He lives with his wife on Humboldt Parkway. Terry's many activities in the community include being a trustee of Preservation Buffalo Niagara.

I sat down with Terry in the backyard of his Humboldt Avenue home that's directly across the street from the Kensington. The podcast's first seven minutes of q&a are followed by Terry's favorite childhood reflection about growing up on Humboldt Parkway.

Here's the podcast.

Richard Tobe - Fixing the Kensingston Part VI (5/15/10)
Stephanie Barber - Fixing the Kensington Part V (5/13/10)
The Boulevard Option - Fixing the Kensington Part III (5/5/10)
Bury this Big Mistake - Fixing the Kensington Part II (3/4/10)
Fixing the Kensington - Part I (2/23/10)
fixBuffalo Kensington photos

5/05/2010

The Boulevard Option - Fixing the Kensington - Part III

Demone Smith, Masten District Councilmember, introduced a resolution (.pdf) yesterday urging NYSDOT to study a third option - the Boulevard Option - as New York State prepares a $2 million feasibility study to fix the Kensington. Currently two options are on the table, each involving placing a "cap" over the Kensington over a one-mile stretch between East Delavan and Best streets. These two options would cost between $350-$500 million. The Boulevard Option, which would fill the entire highway and restore Humboldt Parkway as a multiway boulevard, would likely cost much less.

Demone Smith's resolution calls on NYSDOT to put all feasible options on the table in its "Study to Cover Portions of Rt. 33," including the Boulevard Option. WKBW is running with the story.

This afternoon I caught up with Demone and discussed the importance of his resolution and the new Boulevard Option. Here's the podcast.

Richard Tobe - Fixing the Kensingston Part VI (5/15/10)
Stephanie Barber - Fixing the Kensington Part V (5/13/10)
Terry Robinson - Fixing the Kensington Part IV (5/6/10)
Bury this Big Mistake - Fixing the Kensington Part II (3/4/10)
Fixing the Kensington - Part I (2/23/10)
fixBuffalo Kensington photos

5/03/2010

ReThinking the City - Buffalo, NY

Today the Buffalo News carried a spot-on editorial about Buffalo's (new) Green Code - ReThinking the City.

Making redevelopment easier is a critical factor in reviving Buffalo, and must remain a key City Hall goal. Good zoning codes are a part of that process, and long have troubled developers trying to wend their way through the system— so the mayor’s recent announcement, in the historic Larkin District, of a three-year $2.1 million overhaul of zoning regulations can be put in the category of good news.
Even better, there’s a state reimbursement of $750,000 toward that effort.
The latest redevelopment vision for this Rust Belt city would trend more toward “green urbanism” and, for the first time in decades, include a “walkability” aspect. Let’s get started...read the rest.

Related post: Buffalo, NY - The (new) Green Zone (4/23/10)

5/01/2010

86 City-Owned Properties - $1

86 City-owned properties were recently added to the City's list of 'homestead eligible' properties. This list includes 94 Northampton. These properties (.pdf ) are now available for purchase to qualified prospective owner-occupants for $1.

View Buffalo Homestead in a larger map

Interested? - John Hannon, Director of Real Estate, is waiting to hear from you. The City's Division of Real Estate can be reached at (716) 851-5261.

Update - 5/3/10 - here's the official catalog of City-owned residential property (.pdf) that's currently available for sale.

4/30/2010

Spruce Street Church - Landfill or Loft?

Demolition approval for 41 and 43 Spruce Street (bing map) was on the Preservation Board's agenda yesterday. The board unanimously denied the request.

41 & 43 Spruce Street - click image to enlarge

The First German Baptist Church was built in 1869. The structure appears to be in good condition. Some bricks on the bell tower need to be re-pointed, a rear brick shed needs attention. Roof damage behind the bell tower became a hole at some point during the winter. Next door, the parsonage sits straight and appears to be in good structural condition. Here's a side view.

It's been reported that the current owner - Trinity Baptist Church located at 2930 Bailey Avenue in Buffalo, NY - has no plan for the church and adjacent parsonage as they no longer have the funds to maintain the property. In July 2008 they plead guilty to a number of Housing Court Violations involving two concurrent cases (#'s 635/2008 & 1319/2008). Part of the plea deal involves paying for a private demolition of 41 & 43 Spruce Street, the church religious structures they left behind.

Declining neighborhood churches such as the Spruce Street Church exist all over the City, especially on the East Side. While larger religious structures such as Transfiguration Church crumble and strikingly significant parts of the City's cultural and religious life such as St. Gerard's are prepped for dismemberment and shipment South - support for the Spruce Street Church, a totally scalable project, remains silent.

So, what should be done? Is it too late? Spruce Street is steps from an emerging downtown housing market. Should this church be sent off in pieces to the landfill or re-purposed and become one of the City's coolest new loft conversion projects?

Death or Resurrection (6/17/08) - interior pics
Sealed Up on Spruce Street (6/26/08)

Update - 5/3/10 - Buffalo Rising posted about the Spruce Street Church.

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building index • fixBuffalo flickr • creative class • shrinking cities • americansuburbX
spacing toronto • infrastructurist • inhabitat

4/28/2010

Learning about Shrinking - Buffalo (Studio), NY

Students from the MIT School of Architecture + Planning have been visiting Buffalo, NY this semester. Working with Brent Ryan, whose work focuses on urban revitalization of older cities, students have created the following site - Shrinking City @MIT - Buffalo Studio. The site is dynamic and full of amazing illustrations.

image courtesy of Shrinking City @MIT

From the introduction:

The Spring 2010 Shrinking Cities Buffalo studio is the first of a series of urban design studios that will propose comprehensive spatial strategies for shrinking cities. The studio examines the paradigmatic shrinking city of Buffalo, NY (1950 population 580,000, current population 270,000.) The city is well known as a historic innovator in architectural and urban design, with extensive work from Olmsted, Wright, Sullivan, Richardson, Burnham, and SOM as well as the concrete grain elevators made famous in Corbusier’s Vers Une Architecture of 1924. Buffalo has always been dependent on marine infrastructure: the Erie Canal of 1825 effectively started the city’s growth, and the St. Lawrence Seaway of 1959 categorically ended it.
Buffalo today is faced with a myriad of crises. The current housing bust is only the latest in a series of events that seem to have conspired against the city. Among these are long-term economic decline stemming from economic-infrastructural shifts such as the Seaway; the suburbanization of the middle class; the nationwide shift toward the warmer Sunbelt cities; racial polarization and segregation; and globalization. The negative effects of these forces are clear to any visitor. The city’s population has fallen dramatically and housing abandonment is a serious problem in the most distressed areas of the city.
Despite these problems, Buffalonians have retained a sense of optimism toward the future. The city has inherited an impressive legacy of institutions from its past, and its design heritage is particularly strong. Buffalo’s amenities are spectacular for its size, and costs of living are low. Residents are friendly, approachable, and eager to discuss new ideas. The city’s industrial character is gritty and appealing, giving it a unique local flavor in an increasingly homogenized, chain-dominated, auto-dependent nation. The city’s political and social leadership is dedicated to making Buffalo livable under difficult circumstances that will not ease up any time soon.
What is the role for urban design given this situation? The studio attempts to answer this question.

Thinking about these issues and attracting some of the sharpest young minds to help manage and shape urban policy is critically important. The material generated from the SA+P studio will no doubt become an important part of the dialog here.

Learning from Youngstown - Part III (1/21/10)
Learning from Others (11/20/06)
Why not, Buffalo? 6/24/07
Emerging Patterns 2/01/07
Requiem for Detroit

4/25/2010

Central Park Plaza - Part I

I read Buffalo Rising's piece about the Central Park Plaza the other day. I haven't been there for 15 years. I went there yesterday. I took some pics. I was devastated.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Wide open and shattered store front windows were everywhere to be found. The landscape here is beyond bleak, almost apocalyptic.

Here's the same pics in a short Central Park Plaza slide show and a bing map for wayfinding.