GreaterBuffaloBlog

City official bringing back "Friday Afternoon Special" demo permits

Paladino eyes site for Rite-Aid, parking

By Tim Tielman

Commissioner James Comerford of the Buffalo Department of Inspections and Licenses is displaying a fondness for issuing potentially controversial demolition permits on Friday afternoons—thereby facilitating demolitions on weekends, when fewer people and media are out and about—that is bringing to mind the days of the Masiello-era  commissioner Ray McGurn. McGurn issued the infamous Friday afternoon demo order on the historic Harbor Inn, owned by developer and speculator Carl Paladino. 

That demo led to a new city law requiring demo applications to be reviewed by the Preservation Board, lest an important, but not yet designated, building “fall through the cracks.” Now another building Paladino had long wanted demolished, the Riverside Men’s Shop has fallen. The Art Moderne gem—the face of Riverside to generations of Buffalonians—was the victim of a hit issued by Comerford despite the knowledge that the Preservation Board, as it is charged to do in the public interest, was working on a landmark nomination form. Add Riverside Man’s Shop to the Wheeler Elevator (its 125-foot-tall marine tower infamously felled into the Buffalo River in December, during a baseless demo) and St. Mary’s on the Hill church (an "emergency," that the city, if anything, was responsible for, through improper mitigation) and it is dissappointingly evident that the Brown Administration, far from taking an enlightened approach to preservation matters, often falls back on the Inspection department's ingrained way of doing things—public, ordinances, spirit-of-the-law be damned.

The building had been bought by Paladino friend Charles Faso (Paladino owns three properties near the corner and it is generally known  wants to develop a Rite -Aid). Faso testified before the Preservation Board in February 2011 that he bought it, sight unseen, at public auction for $30,000. County records indicate a private sale. To his dismay, Faso said,  the basement was flooded and the building so damaged he didn’t want to renovate. Inspection by Preservation Board members revealed no evidence of flooding in any the three buildings that comprised the shop (the Art Moderne section being the newest), with the only damage a roof leak and crumbled parapet in the farthest extremity of the oldest building, without danger to the public. 

Nonetheless, Comerford, in a letter dated Friday May 6th, 2011,  authorized the “immediate release of a demolition permit” for the building, based on a visit he made the day before with a building inspector from his office and the demolition contractor retained by the owner. No attempt was made to contact the Preservation Board to participate in the inspection, no opportunity was given to challenge the assertions made in the authorizations (which included the chestnut about mold present, but did not indicate if the species—there are 400,000, fewer than 80 of which cause any human reaction at all, and only a few of which are considered toxic), nor was the Preservation Board given due notice of an impending demo order, as required. Instead, a copy of the order was sent via interoffice mail and not received by the Preservation Board until the next week, after the demolition of the Art Moderne building was completed.

As is typical with many politicized demos, there was great hurry to inflict irredeemable damage, after which the building and equipment sat idle for weeks. In this case, the iconic, structurally sound part of the complex was destroyed, while the dilapidated building with the damaged parapet was left standing. 

 

Trico Plant No. 1 endangered

Historic “daylight factory” target of city agency, med campus

“Let it rot” is the apparent strategy of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, the two-man city agency that has owned Trico Plant No. 1, downtown Buffalo’s iconic industrial landmark,  since 2007. The plant, visible from Lafayette Square to Allentown and the Fruitbelt, occupies the better part of two city blocks between Washington, Goodell, Ellicott, and Virginia streets. Trico was founded by windshield-wiper visionary John Oishei, who established the company as one of the world’s largest wiper companies.

The cultural impact of Oishei is hard to overstate: Thousands of Buffalonians worked at three local Trico plants over 70 years, and thousands of their children had their college tuitions paid by Trico. The John R. Oishei Foundation has for decades been the Buffalo area’s largest. Trico moved manufacturing to Mexico in stages beginning in the 1990’s. By 1998 it closed Plant No. 1. It was bought the next year by Stephen McGarvey, who hoped to convert it into offices and condos. The plant was placed on the National Register in 2000, clearing the way for significant incentives. Work had begun, including a roof tear-off, when McGarvey’s health and financial problems brought things to a halt.

McGarvey died in 2005, and his estate auctioned his properties. BNMC commissioned a conditions report completed in 2006, prior to the auction.The complex was bought by BNMC for $12.4 million, it was reported. Apparently by prior arrangement, BNMC transferred its rights to BUDC immediately, save for 640 Ellicott St., a 1954 structure that BNMC would use for an “Innovation Center.”

Twice, most recently in January 2010, BUDC came before the City of Buffalo Preservation Board to express the desire to demolish the plant, at a public cost of over $4 million. It admitted that it had spent nothing to address any problems noted in the conditions report, and wanted to demolish the plant for future development. In the meantime, it would be a parking lot. Twice, Preservation Board members offered to do their own site inspection, and twice BUDC did not respond.In late 2010, the Medical Campus issued an updated masterplan showing the Trico plant demolished, the site available for development. Last month the BNMC hosted Senator Charles Schumer, and announced that the Innovation Center was full and looking to expand. An optimist would see a restored Trico No. 1 as option no. 1. The realist would say the rationale is being lined up for a demo.  This one’s worth fighting for.

Open-Air Autobus Stars at National Trust Conference

The Campaign for Greater Buffalo's Open-Air Autobus drew crowds and smiles at the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual conference in Buffalo. 2011 was the Autobus's most successful season ever, topped off by the Trust tours. We received grants for bus improvements including new seats and a roll-down transparent rain fly, and got them installed in time for the conference. Good thing, too. It drizzled on one tour and the weather was chilly on another. Packed preservationists stayed warm and dry. Check it out: While waiting for a tour to start, we spotted a Trust member who matched are new seating and asked her to pose for a shot: 

Susan McCartney Receives 'Preservationist of Century Award.' Esmonde, Franczyk, Healy, Zemsky, Wendt Foundation also honored

 

The Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture, whose members have been at the forefront of historic preservation in Buffalo for 25 years, honored Susan McCartney as the Buffalo “Preservationist of the Century”  at the Buffalo Preservation Awards on October 18, 2011. McCartney was recognized as the founder of the popular preservation movement in Buffalo. She played the leading role in saving the Connecticut St. Armory, the New York Telephone Building, the Genessee Building, St. Mary of Sorrows Church, the Allendale Theater, the Great Northern grain elevator,  the Plymouth Methodist Church, and more. In addition, she led the efforts to designate numerous structures and historic districts as local landmarks. These include the Joseph Ellicott and Hamlin Park historic districts, St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum,  and the Buffalo Savings Bank building.   Left to right, Buffalo Preservation Award honorees for Lifetime Achievement Howard Zemsky, Donn Esmonde, Susan McCartney, Ed Healy, and David Franczyk. The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation also received an award at The Campaign for Greater Buffalo ceremony. Also recognized at the event for impact on historic preservation in Buffalo were columnist Donn Esmonde of the Buffalo News (Lifetime Award for Public Commentary); Fillmore District Council member and Buffalo Common Council President David Franczyk (Grover Cleveland Award for Lifetime Public Service); Edward Healy of Visit Buffalo Niagara (Lifetime Award for National Civic Promotion); the Margaret Wendt Foundation (Lifetime Award for Philanthropy); and Howard Zemsky, president of the Richard-Olmsted Corporation, past president of the Martin House Restoration Corporation, and developer of the Larkin District (William Dorsheimer Award for Civic Leadership). The honorees received framed Maxwell Tielman photographs of the landmarks they helped save save or promote. McCartney received an image of the Connecticut Armory, Esmonde a picture of the Commercial Slip in the Canal District, Healy a print of the Great Northern Grain Elevator, Zemsky a picture of H.H. Richardson's Buffalo State Hospital, Franczyk a photograph of the concourse of the Central Terminal, and the Wendt Foundation a detail of St. Mary of Sorrows church, now the King Urban Life Center. The event was held on the eve of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual meeting in Buffalo. The headquarters hotel of the National Trust, the Hyatt, was saved from demolition by McCartney and company. Developer Paul Snyder had originally wanted to demolish the Genesee Building for a new hotel, but, after a landmarking- and community-organizing campaign led by McCartney, was persuaded to do the largest adaptive reuse project effort yet undertaken in Buffalo. He even named the hotel's steakhouse after the building's architect, E. B. Green. The awards were presented before a packed house at the Western New York Book Arts Center at Washington and Mohawk streets.

 

City to present Draft of New Land Use Plan

On Saturday at ECC City Campus (9am - 3pm) the City of Buffalo is revealing the draft of its new land use plan. Public input is being sought. There is a good framework for enhancement of neighborhoods through historic preservation and infill. But there is always room for improvement! 

This plan hopes to advance a policy of walkable, dense, mixed-use neighborhoods, contrary to the suburban-style, 1953 zoning code the city is operating under. It is hoped that this land use code will influence the effort to rewrite the superannuated zoning code. The new plan will make it easier to maintain and enhance Buffalo's traditional urban fabric when new development occurs

If you miss Saturday's event, you can download the draft plan and send in comments until the end of November.

http://thegoodneighborhood.com/2011/10/26/city-to-unveil-buffalo-green-code-draft-future-development-plan-on-saturday/

www.buffalogreencode.com

 

Tielman tells National Trust Audience 'What it Means to be a Preservationist,' Hawley & Radle do a Duet on Hope

Campaign for Greater Buffalo executive director Tim Tielman told a packed house at the Market Arcade Theater what beign a preservationist means to The Campaign. Tielman introduced a segment of the documentary film Buffalo Unscripted, created for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The movie had its premier on Friday, Oct. 21. Campaign board members Chris Hawley and Bernice Radle closed the show with a meditation on hope. You can check out the movie info here:http://buffalounscripted.tumblr.com/

Tielman said, "Let me tell you what preservation means to us at the Campaign. Preservation implies action. Not merely celebrating those things of the past that have managed to survive, but actively working to make sure worthy buildings, parks, and neighborhoods do survive. 

"Preservation implies a willingness for front-line action when behind-the-scenes discussion isn't working. a willingness for the drudgery of research to uncover the story — that is surely there—that attests to worthiness of our action. 

"Preservation is a willingness to bring forth alternatives to destruction grounded in common sense, cultural respect, and value to our community— to do the public good. 

"Preservation is endurance. To fight vigorously, to tirelessly inform, to endlessly educate, to cajole, and when necessary, confront. Because, serendipity happens. The faded house and foresaken building may be so today, but with compassion, care, and understanding, they can shine tomorrow. In order to shine tomorrow, they must be saved today.

"Preservation is the knowledge that we are all in the same boat. We'd rather that boat be a well crafted sail boat or canal boat. Or an arc, with a place for everyone and everything, a bit cluttered and bearing the marks and character of time, but ever bobbing on the surface, calm or rough, being able to breathe fresh Cheerios-scented air. Not a sleek, cold, climate-controlled nuclear-powered submarine headed to the bottom.

"Lastly, to be a preservationist is to demand a role in creating the rooted, nurturing, sustainable history, architecture, and culture of tomorrow. To insure that our city does not have its humanity sacrificed to the machine, the whims of fashion, and maximum return on minimal investment. To fight to insure that our city reflects the warmth, depth, complexity and contradiction of us, it’s citizens."

 

Recognition for Campaign for Greater Buffalo co-founders

Donn Esmonde of the Buffalo News wrote an informative column on the achievements Campain for Greater Buffalo co-founders Susan Mccartney and Tim Tielman on the occassion of The National Trust for Historic Preservation convention in Buffalo. Worthwhile for the record and to pass on! http://www.buffalonews.com/city/columns/donn-esmonde/article602212.ece

Tuesday Award Ceremony @ WNY Book Arts Center!

Party for the Preservation Generation!

This week is a HUGE week for us. We have two events happening!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 from 7 - 9 pm, we are having an awards recognition ceremony at the WNY Book Arts Center. We will be recognizing several key people that have helped to preserve Buffalo.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 from 9pm - 12am, we are having the Party for the Preservation Generation! The tickets are 10 dollars at the door. We are showing a sneak preview of a few films from John Paget, one is about Seaside, the new urbanist project and features the famous Andres Duany!

The party will be so much fun. We have DJ Apex Hunter lined up, snacks and the movies. It will be a great way to celebrate all of Buffalo's uniqueness.