Wiping Away Trico - Part IV

Tonight's public hearing about land marking the historic Trico Plant #1 is set for 6pm in Council Chambers on the 13th floor of City Hall.  You'll want to read Geoff Kelly's Artvoice cover story Wiped Away about Trico and the City's preservation battle of the year before you attend.  

From Wiped Away: 

Let’s assume for a moment that two years from now, the Trico building will be gone. Maybe just part of it will be demolished, with some remaining structure left standing or a design echo paying homage to what was once there. Maybe all of it will come down—a blank slate. How will this have come to pass? If one were compelled to identify one moment, one action, which pushed the iconic, sprawling Trico Plant #1 onto the road to demolition, it might be this one: read the rest

After tonight's public hearing Preservation Buffalo Niagara is holding their teach-in on Trico.  That begins at 8pm.  BNMC Executive Director Matt Enstice will discuss BNMC's future interest in the site. Here's PBN's announcement. 

See also: Wiping Away Trico - Part I,  Part II and Part III

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Seeing Buffalo - Week #11

Here's a look back at some of the places I've seen this past week.   If you're not familiar with the locations you can see them on the flickr map next to each photo. In some cases I've provided a description of the place or links to additional information.

To see the individual photos and related maps, follow this link or you can view the series as a slide show.  The weekly series is archived at Seeing Buffalo.  The weekly series is archived at Seeing Buffalo.

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Wiping Away Trico - Part III

Two public meetings to save Trico Plant #1 have been scheduled.  The first is Thursday March 22 at 6pm in Council Chambers at City Hall.  This is public hearing to discuss the local landmark application which was submitted by the Campaign for Greater Buffalo. 

Trico Plant #1 - early 1970's

The second public meeting, organized by the Campaign for Greater Buffalo, takes place on Tuesday March 27 from 6:00-7:30pm at the historic Promised Land Baptist Church at the corner of Mulberry and High in the Fruitbelt. From the Campaign: 

Speakers include Ellicott District Councilmember Darius Pridgen, architect and Campaign for Greater Buffalo President Paul McDonnell, “Trico Baby,” preservationist, and small business expert Susan McCartney, real estate development expert Eric Lander, and Campaign Executive Director Tim Tielman. Learn how and why Trico Plant No. 1 must be saved, and how it can meet the needs of the Fruitbelt, Allentown and downtown, as well as the medical campus. 

Stay connected and current with Trico Plant #1 news via the Campaign's facebook page.

See also: Wiping Away Trico - Part I and Part II

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Farming the City in Cold Spring

I caught up with Daniel Ash the other day on Riley Street.  He'd just started preparing the land and turning over the soil for the City's newest urban farm.  In cooperation with a number of local homesteaders, neighbors and supporters, Daniel has assembled a number of vacant lots in the City's Cold Spring neighborhood.

Here's a post from the Farmers & Builders site that will help you locate their work.  This exciting new urban experiment is also on facebook - Farmers & Builders.  The City's newest urban farm is located a few blocks away from the Cold Spring Cooperative Farm.   

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574 Michigan: What Remains

One of the last remaining pre-Civil War era residential buildings along Michigan Avenue was trucked to the landfill earlier this week.   This was a house that President-elect Abraham Lincoln would have seen while visiting Buffalo in 1861.   

574 Michigan - March 2012

Here's what the house looked like four years ago. Two years ago 574 Michigan was on the market for $69,000 according to this Buffalo Rising post.  The owners plans to renovate after the fire in 2010, gradually ground to a halt.   

574 Michigan - March 2008

The street improvements seen in the first image - new sidewalks, curbs, trees and lighting - represent the  Brown Administration's commitment and significant investment in the neighborhood's African American Heritage Corridor.  Some readers may recall the fire thirteen years ago that destroyed another neighborhood landmark and one of Buffalo's designated local landmarks one block away.  Here's that story of Buffalo's fabulous Little Harlem Hotel and nightclub located at 496 Michigan Avenue.   

Additional background information regarding the history of this Federal Style residence can be found here - 574 Michigan: Heading to the Landfill.

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Seeing Buffalo - Week #10

Here's a look back at some of the places I've seen this past week.   If you're not familiar with the locations you can see them on the flickr map next to each photo. In some cases I've provided a description of the place or links to additional information.

To see the individual photos and related maps, follow this link or you can view the series as a slide show.  The weekly series is archived at Seeing Buffalo.

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Wiping Away Trico: Part II

The nomination application for the local landmark designation of Trico Plant #1 was submitted to the City yesterday.  Paul McDonnell, Chair of the Buffalo Preservation Board, has placed this on the Board's agenda as an action item.  Buffalo's Preservation Board meets this afternoon at 3pm in room 901 at City Hall.

No news yet from Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Executive Director Matt Enstice.  As the City's designated developer of Trico Plant #1 he's recently announced plans to begin the demolition on April 15th.

The nomination application to designate Trico Plant #1 a local landmark was submitted by Paul McDonnell who is also President of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo.  To stay current with the fast moving developments and critically important preservation news the Campaign for Greater Buffalo has started a facebook group Save Trico.

See also: Wiping Away Trico - Part I

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Sacred Heart Church: Slated for the Landfill - Part II

The interior of Sacred Heart Church has been stripped. The pews and religious architectural detail are gone. Most of the stained glass went missing years ago when a deadly propane explosion shattered the neighborhood in 1983. 

Dozens of slate roof tiles are missing and water infiltration is taking its toll on plaster and ornamental detail in various places in the Church's sanctuary. The attached rectory appeared to have been occupied by squatters for months. A recent water bill arrived showing that Rev. Ronald Kirk's Witness Cathedral is $23,000 past due - here.  

 

Despite the wear, open windows, running water, and plaster damage the church building appeared to be in sound structural shape. The rectory was in similar condition. The convent next door was sealed shut.

As of this afternoon, a Housing Court warrant for the arrest of Rev. Ronald P. Kirk remains outstanding.  The warrant was issued by Judge Patrick Carney almost a year ago. He allegedly lives in Derby, NY in a 7 bedroom beachfront estate (bing map).  

Judge Carney's demolition order for Sacred Heart Church and the City's asbestos abatement permit is in place. The fate of this neighborhood landmark remains uncertain.  

Information about Sacred Heart's remarkable neighborhood history and details about Rev. Ronald P. Kirk were covered in Slated for the Landfill - Part l.  

Additional images of the church's interior are available in the Sacred Heart image archive.  

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245 East Ferry Street: bound for the landfill

Six weeks ago City crews wrapped yellow caution tape around the building here at 245 East Ferry Street.   I posted Another One Falling.  Late last week 245 East Ferry Street was demolished.  This is what I saw Tuesday afternoon. 

245 East Ferry Street - what remains

Six weeks ago the building was still salvageable.  It's been owned by the same entity for 30 years, the Full Gospel Mission, Inc.  According to Council Member Demone Smith's office, the minister of this congregation could not be located.  

245 East Ferry Street - January 2012

I stopped by and spoke with Leroy, a long time neighborhood resident and brick mason.  He lives close by.  Here's his take about what happened.

This was the last remaining building on the block of East Ferry between Welker and Verplanck.  On a street that's been ravished with demolitions in the past few years this lovely little brick mixed-use commercial building appeared to be in fine shape.  Here's another view from January looking towards the East side of the building. 

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Wiping Away Trico: Part I

Tim Tielman, Executive Director of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo, announced today he will fight plans by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) to demolish the historic Trico Plant #1.

The daylight factory at 791 Washington Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, making available tax credits that could offset up to 40% of the costs of adaptive reuse. In spite of the availability of these incentives, BNMC Executive Director Matt Enstice has indicated his intention to begin demolition on April 15.

Tielman and his organization are drawing a line in the sand. I caught up with him this evening during his interview with WKBW. Here's the video:

Trico Plant #1 is owned by a subsidiary of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC), which acquired the site in 2007 with an agreement from BNMC to maintain the property. BNMC has reportedly skirted its obligation to keep up repairs, a textbook "demolition by neglect" strategy. BUDC has designated the BNMC the preferred developer of the site.

This building is a must save. Daylight factories like Trico Plant #2 and the Larkin Terminal Warehouse are now vital contributors to Buffalo's economic resurgence. Trico #1 can be also be a major ingredient in downtown Buffalo's revitalization, apparently only if BNMC is told to see the light.

Mayor Byron W. Brown chairs the Buffalo Urban Development Corp. The buck stops with the Mayor. Here's hoping he can return sanity and common sense to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, before the bulldozers roll.

Check out Tielman's recent post on Trico Plant #1 - here. Also, check out a screen shot of this morning's Buffalo Rising post that was swiftly deleted shortly after Matt Enstice complained to the blog's management. The full text of that deleted post is available on Views of Buffalo, Mike Puma's blog.

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Seeing Buffalo - Week #9

Here's a look back at some of the places I've seen this past week.   If you're not familiar with the locations you can see them on the flickr map next to each photo. In some cases I've provided a description of the place or links to additional information.

To see the individual photos and related maps, follow this link or you can view the series as a slide show.  The weekly series is archived at Seeing Buffalo.

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Remember the Brecker: Part III

I met this gentleman on Saturday afternoon while he was waiting for the bus at the corner of Genesee and Herman Streets.  He told me his name was Black Knight.  I asked him what he thought of the $320,000 demolition of the Brecker Building less than 100 feet away from where we were standing.  This is what he told me. 

For more information about the Brecker Building and its storied past, please see this recent post Loft Living or Landfill from earlier in the month.   Remember the Brecker Part I and Part II have links to demolition pictures.  

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Buffalo's Vacant Property Crisis: Coming Up Empty?

The latest issue of Buffalo Spree Magazine has a roundtable discussion addressing Buffalo's most pressing urban crisis - vacant property.  I received a scanned copy of the article today. Here's the text - page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, and page 5. 

Six years ago I posted Getting Smarter about Decline. I included links to LISC Buffalo's new groundbreaking analysis and bold policy initiatives: Blueprint Buffalo. LISC and PUSH Buffalo is still at the edge of intelligent analysis and developing coherent action plans for dealing with the City's abandonment and vacancy problems. Aaron Bartley's recent article in the Huffington Post - Rust Belt Cities and the New Urban Agarianism - spells out the problems and some of the smart new solutions that are appearing on both sides of Main Street.

Since 2006 there's been little movement on establishing an intensive level street survey - door to door analysis - of the City's vacancy problem. As more people leave the City, they leave behind empty houses.  Counting the vacant houses will reveal the magnitude of the problem. Short of an intensive level street survey, we're playing guessing games.  

Update 2/27/12 at 12:15pm - Additional resources for understanding the extent and magnitude of Buffalo's vacant property crises are available in this post - Vacant/Undeliverable - from 2010. I linked to the Buffalo Vacancy, a wiki site maintained and currently updated by Anthony Armstrong, Program Manager at LISC Buffalo. In addition, there's a short video in that post that is part of Laura Underhill's graduate work at North Carolina State, showing the extent of vacancy in the City's Cold Springs neighborhood.            

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Seeing Buffalo - Week #8

Here's a look back at some of the places I've seen this past week.   If you're not familiar with the locations you can see them on the flickr map next to each photo. In some cases I've provided a description of the place or links to additional information.

 

To see the individual photos and related maps, follow this link or you can view the series as a slide show.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Remember the Brecker (1911 - 2012): Part II

A dozen people showed up this morning to witness the demolition of a fabulous City-owned building.  YNN, Channel 2 and Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk also stopped by the Brecker building today.  By 2 pm crews were wrapping up for the day.  Here's what remains after the first day of this $320,000 emergency demolition.

Jerry Williams from Niagara Falls, NY based Apollo Demolition informed me that demolishing the Brecker is expected to take ten days.  For additional information about the Brecker Building make sure to check out this recent post - Lofts or Landfill and Remember the Brecker: Part I.

See the Brecker Building demolition flickr archive for additional pics.

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