Sustainable Neighborhood Maker & Lover of Buffalo, NY.
See you Wednesday!
This is important. Please attend!
| On Wednesday, January 30th from 6-9pm @ the Pan Am Brewery, BYP, PBN and the Save Trico Preservation Round Table are coming together to put on “Cheers for Trico” a community meeting & fundraising event!
The facebook link is here: http://www.facebook.com/events/334396446675290/ The Details: Wednesday, Jan 30th // Hotel Lafayette Pan Am // 6-9pm With Buffalove, |
I can’t even write this without shedding a tear.
The incredible Vanessa Ron is moving to NYC to work at CURE at the end of this month.
Simply put, with Vanessa Ron gone, Buffalo will not be as glamorous. She is a star! She created Clutter, the coolest indie flea market in Buffalo. She has basically owned and operated Second Chic, Buffalo’s best local shop for second hand threads. Vanessa booked shows, concerts, fashion runways, outdoor events… you name it, this girl has done it. Remember when Vanessa made her house into a venue for a summer (2008?) on Ashland Ave and called it the Owl House? Yep, she sure did.. and it rocked. Vanessa shows up to the grain elevator events in fur. She wears high heels when it is icy. She always pushes the limit with fashion in all of her work and endeavors and Buffalo has been made better (and more fashionable) because of her work!
We are loosing her to NYC. While I am sad, I am also hopeful that she will take what she learns there and come back to Buffalo and change a thing or two. Regardless, this move will help her grow, learn, stretch, breathe, smile. stress… everything that she’s done here has helped her land this crazy awesome NYC gig.
Cheers to Vanessa for stretching her wings. She is taking a risk and I know it will be successful for her.Fingers crossed she learns a lot and comes back to make Buffalo an even better (and more fashionable) place.
Vanessa, you have been my best lady friend for 4+ years. I cannot thank you enough for the conversations, shopping trips, dinners, tears, birthdays, fashion advice, late night shows and dance parties… you have really helped me through a lot. You introduced me to When Harry Met Sally. I admire your courage, ability to move forward and your honesty. I am very very thankful for our friendship. I love you!!
My advice to you, V – You can always come back. Buffalo is and will always home.
This Press Release is from the Preservation Roundtable and is for immediate release.
As a group member, Preservation Buffalo Niagara endorses this statement but does not
speak solely for the group or its membership.
‘Cheers’ for Trico, a community meeting and fundraiser regarding the future of the historic Trico Building, will take place on Wednesday, January 30th from 6pm – 9pm at the Lafayette Hotel’s Pan Am Brewery. The event will be an opportunity for the public to contribute to the Preservation Roundtable’s effort to identify an alternative adaptive reuse for the Trico Building. The event is being co-hosted by Buffalo’s Young Preservationists, the Preservation Roundtable and Preservation Buffalo Niagara.
In December of last year the Preservation Roundtable, a community-based member group comprised of real estate industry professionals, concerned citizens and community volunteers, announced that they would be continuing the investigation to find an appropriate adaptive reuse for the historic Trico Building. The volunteer group played a minor advisory role in the production of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus’s (BNMC) ‘Trico Complex Redevelopment Feasibility Study’ which was released late last fall. Preservation Roundtable member Jason Wilson commended the BNMC for their effort but feels that a further investigation is required. “We are extremely appreciative of their study which will provide us with an excellent foundation for our investigation moving forward,” says Wilson. “But BNMC’s current proposed plan is ineligible for historic tax credits which places the future reuse of the entire complex at risk. There is a better alternative out there.”
Another member of the Preservation Roundtable, Real Estate Developer Rocco Termini, echoes Wilson’s comments about the need for a more comprehensive examination of potential uses for Trico. “If I would have listened to every marketing study ever produced without further investigation then I would have never started a project…the entire Trico Building has a future.” The Preservation Roundtable’s investigation will have a larger scope than the previous study by exploring creative design solutions, specific market opportunities and potential economic incentives that were not originally identified.
Next Wednesday’s event will start with a community meeting from 6pm – 7pm. Local
artist and historian Dana L. Saylor-Furman will examine the importance of the Trico
Building to our local history. Rocco Termini and others will be leading the conversation
about the potential for reuse of the National Register-listed daylight factory. The public
will have an opportunity to voice their opinion about what they’d like to see happen at
Trico. Following the community meeting, a fundraiser will be held from 7pm – 9pm to
collect funds to investigate an alternative adaptive reuse proposal. The event is free and open to the public.
About the Preservation Roundtable:
Formed in the Fall of 2011, the Preservation Roundtable is a community-based
member group comprised of real estate industry professionals, concerned citizens and
community volunteers who’s mission is to foster and sustain successful working
relationships within the real estate community of Western New York while actively
seeking to preserve our region’s heritage.
Anyone have any suggestions on places we should heart bomb this year?
The Criteria: it has to be vacant, rehab ready and ready for love.
Email me. berniceradle@gmail.com
Buffalo needs all of us this Saturday.
I hope you have Saturday at 10am blocked off on your calendar. This is the first and probably only meeting that the Elmwood Village Association is holding for the public to get input on the green code. It’s being held at the Lafayette Church. You can get the info here.
Why is attending this meeting important?
If you want to make Elmwood more walkable, bikeable and transit friendly, WE NEED YOU to come and let the City officials know. Unfortunately there are lots of people who still believe every new building needs parking. The new green code can stop mandating off street requirements which means this – no more demolition of our incredible neighborhood corridors. Right now with our current code, you have to have mandatory parking and guess what? In places like Elmwood, the only way to get that is to tear down or fight it with a long, expensive process to obtain the necessary variances to build to the current neighborhood standard we see today. The result? Mandatory off street parking often stops development from happening!
To see what happens when parking is required – check this post out. Read it because it is EYE OPENING. We do not need the suburban model in our city neighborhoods… which is something the green code can fix.
Tell the City that parking woes are a sign of a sucessful city. Let them know that we need more bike parking. Show Buffalo that you don’t have to be a planner to care for the future of your city. LOVE your city by showing up and defending the grumpies who want more parking, bars closed by midnight and less noise. The mixed use buildings, bars, streetlife and neighborhood feel is why Elmwood and other corridors are as successful as they are. Let’s keep them that way.
So my friends, I cannot stress how important this meeting is. COME.
With Buffalove,
Bernice
I had the opportunity to walk through this 1930s converted school (now 24 unique apartments!) today in Henderson, NY.
Usually we find reused chalk boards or doors.. But when I walked into the community space, this pic (below) is what I saw.
Neat, huh? What a great use of historic space. And oddly enough, this was done without historic tax credits!
I posted this site on BRO a few years back but it’s always good to repost for the newbies.
whatwasthere.com is a great website where you can see historic photos in current time. You can add photos, explore cities and even fade between photos to slowly see what has changed. Its cool. Warning: It may make you sad or angry to see how many buildings have been demolished for parking lots.
Check it out!
I wonder what’s happening with 1469 Niagara Street, the 4 story gem located on the corner of Niagara and Potomac.
In recent months, it seemed to have an owner who was doing a little bit of work however, when passing by last week, I noticed the “red mark of death” on the front which indicates a demolition may be in the works.
This 4 story brick building is in rough shape however, it’s beauty stands out regardless of its current condition. With the South Side of the building covered in Billboards, the structure must still be strong enough to support both the large billboards and the building. It does appear that windows have been replaced however, many are missing. They bays and storefront appear to be there, hidden behind plywood. This historic gem has potential.
Of course many may think to demolish this due to its appearance but lets consider asking a few questions first.
1. Can this building be recreated? 2. Where is the City – why have they not held the owners accountable for their violations? 3. If demolished, will something better replace it? 4. Why is it okay to allow this to happen when the rest of the neighbors have to maintain their property? 5. Have we considered the fact that demolition can potentially reduce your property value?Answer: This building cannot be recreated. The craftsman ship, materials and money is not available for a project like this. Investing in this property instead of demolition will add jobs, culture, excitement to the neighborhood. When people see investment happening around them, they begin to pay attention. They paint their shutters and add flowers to their yard. It is not rocket science, it is something we see happen every day. 1249 Niagara is located in an area that is up and coming and it is realistic to think that in 4 or 5 years, this building could be a neighborhood gem. Just because it may not make financial sense right now, doesn’t mean that demolition is the answer. 1249 Niagara can be weatherized and put on hold until it makes sense to do a full rehab. Keep in mind, parking lots and vacant land does not add value to a neighborhood, instead they attract garbage, weeds and potentially trouble.
Looking at the bigger picture, if we really consider all of the work and excitement on the West Side, one would think this building would be in demand, especially as the West Side growth and momentum continues to move towards Niagara Street. If we don’t stabilize and hold onto this building, in a few years, we will wish it was still standing.
If you are interested in this property, you can contact the owner here: HUSR Realty – PO BOX 244 Athol Springs, NY 14010. Or you can call 311 at City Hall to request information. If any one has any information or photos, feel free to email them to me. I would love to give an update.
Things have begun to change for the better in the Dept. of Real Estate in City Hall.
Christie Nelson, the new Director of Real Estate has officially put several City owned residential and commercial properties up for sale to the public. The houses have for sale signs, they have been appraised and are now publicly listed for all to see. Right now there are 20 residential houses and eight commercial city owned properties on sale. Considering the very limited resources to maintain the city owned properties, this is a very promising start.
For a list of all the residential properties, click here.
For a list of all commercial buildings for sale, click here.
If you are interested in learning more about the process of buying, check out the Department of Real Estate Website here. The process of obtaining these is not an easy one however, for $5,000 – $10,000 dollars, you can essentially have your self a house with good bones, some historic character and a blank slate to make it what you want. Below are a couple of photos pulled from the residential listings found online.
This is a great step in the right direction for the Real Estate Department. Every house that is sold is one that is not demolished. The faster we can get these houses out of the hands of the City and into a private, local owner, the better. Let’s hope these opportunities go to local people who are ready, willing and able to rehab these structures and bring them back to life. You can read about a couple who are going buying a City Owned Property here. While the process has been long, the end result will be well worth it.
Bernice Radle 