UB Shows Plans for Downtown Gateway Project

Where is URS moving to?

I hate to dis HOLT, but in a week when the Wall Street Journal became the latest national publication to sing Buffalo's architectural praises it's sad to note that UB couldn't find it in itself to commission a design that could have any serious chance of mention in any future reporting on Buffalo's built environment.

It wasn't just an accident that Wright, Richardson, Saarinen, and Sullivan built buildings in Buffalo. The civic leaders and institutions of that hired these men had the vision to hire the best. Sadly that sort of foresight doesn't seem to be around so much anymore.

With the possible exception of the Hauptman-Woodward, I don't think anything built in Buffalo in the last decade has the potential to be considered note-worthy to future generations. KPF's Court House isn't done yet, but they're hardly a cutting edge firm. The GSA has hired much more imaginative firms for other court houses around the country.

Does anyone know how this commission was awarded? A local firm like HHL or Architectural Resources would have done at least as good a job on this as HOLT.

Nice video of the rendering. This should really liven up those UB 2020 plans, moving it closer to becoming a reality!

If this is the "gateway" I'd hate to see the back door.
Shouldn't a "gateway" building look like a gateway? Some big welcoming gesture to the community, etc. A dramatic new landmark would have been nice.

I was expecting something more interesting, something more public and beautiful.

I just hope that the building with its programs fulfills its educational function successfully. Are the other EOC Programs successful?

This project is indeed exciting but... ugly. Sorry. Way too boxy. What is this, 1972? We deserve better. We had to go to Ithaca to find architects to draw this? Even the Hilton Garden Inn in Ithaca is more visually stunning/metropolitan than this.

http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=ITHIGGI

With that said, it's nice to see ANY new construction downtown. But does anyone else think it's too bad that UB couldn't expand more in the central business district? I'd love to see a new building go up in that huge, ugly surface parking lot across from the Hyatt, or on that desolate piece of land across from New Era on Delaware. These are prime pieces of property in our downtown core desperate for development.

It's just awful.

Any suburban or small-town professional building off any interstate interchange anywhere is about the same level of design.

This rendering is pretty disappointing, UB (and our state tax dollars) could definitely do better. Compared to the engineering building designed for north campus, this really is junk.

ANd can we get rid of the silly lawn? Downtown buildings should not have lawns.

It's nice. very businesslike, clear and sharp. I agree with all the others that it lacks architectural flair, but it will segue nicely with the surrounds. As to "silly lawns", they are the lingua franca of gentrification circa 1980 which undoubtably is where the mindset of the principals is located...

The project is infuriating. UB demolishes a fine Italianate house that could have been incorporated into the project, pounces on Buffalo Rising for calling them out, and the proposed new complex is 75% surface parking.

A few more things...

UB talks alot about community involvement and process for their move into downtown.
But how was the community involved in this? There's an unveiling and that's it? Don't people in the neighborhood or others have any input?

If this is going to be a "gateway", how about putting in some public amenities that could bridge the town/gown gap? Make the first floor more public by putting in a cafe or bookstore, etc, that could be built up to the street and entered from the sidewalk.

I also noticed what others have said. This building should be more urban, and set the tone for future UB buildings. But the current design has a "drop-off" in the front for cars, and a big parking lot. Isn't one suburban campus enough?

If this is the "gateway" it should serve as a great entrance to UB Downtown. It looks dull.

Finally, UB should tell us what they are planning to do with the existing building.

The first floor is going to be a public space with information, cafes, bookstores and other public amenities.

I agree that the red building was a real shame to lose but unfortunately the biggest concern above anything else from UB employees is parking. It is amazing how a conversation about academic challenges or renovations to a building always find a detour to talk about parking... it is so dumbfoundingly imbedded in the UB psyche.

The 'lawn' is a Buffalo Niagara Campus required setback. Their most recent master plan calls for making Ellicott Street the 'Main' Street for the medical campus and is expanding the ROW to add in future pedestrian amenities, pocket parks and other things like that.

UB is here and not more central to the DT core because of the Medical Campus. Simple as that, UB needs to create a world class clinical and research curriculum so it can compete with other institutions. The rest of UB's presence will then center on this core mission. It also makes sense for the University to all be in one place here so it can consolidate service requirements.

I tend to agree that the design is ok, nothing grand. Certainly not like what institutions used to build around the city. But unfortunately most people don't care about design anymore and it is increasingly hard to justify a more cutting edge design to people would rather see a square box. If you pulled in a world famous architect, they would come at a higher price and then you would have every joe six pack and his fiscal conservatives calling this nothing more than useless pork. I agree that a better design doesn't even have to cost you more money... and it could very well save money. Unfortunately as soon as something flashy hits the papers there would be a backlash of people who just assume it is excessively costly, and for a public institution, in a state like NY were politicians follow vote more than ideals, that could literally kill a project from happening.

Dear UB:

1971 called. They want their architecture back.

Sincerely,

Lorem

I can't comprehend most of your thought processes when it comes to city planning. I read BRO everyday and everyone complains about the lack of progress in this region. Here we have a new complex being built over surface parking that you all love so much and yet you still find ways to complain about how terrible it is. It is that defeatist "never good enough" attitude that keeps us from progressing around here. It's like when you give a homeless person a $1 and then complains he wants more. Don't be so greedy. Why can't you applaude UB for building in the city and not ***** about the fact there's is a little grass area? Next week you'll complain there is not enough green space in the city. All this armchair architecture, are any of you qualified to make such judgments? Did you consider the purpose of the project and building before you complained about the facade? Or that it does tie in well to the Roswell complex? No wonder people don't want to move here, all this negativity brings everyone down.

brownteeth- you have it backwards.

It is not negative to "expect more". That is what people that care passionately about this city should be doing. That is how great projects get done - by "expecting more" and better.

It is negativity and cynacism that accepts anything that comes along, as "better than nothing".

UB promised a lot with this building, and so far, they're not delivering.

It's great that they are building a downtown campus. But this is being built with public money, and like it or not, the public should be involved.

I don't believe in building anything for the sake of it either, all I'm saying is that it seems the majority is very quick to criticize this and all we really know of the plan is a black and white rendering. With all the failed projects out there currently lets weigh the value of one actually progressing and take it in steps. What if this one building starts a trend of other new builds around it? Remember just a few years ago the Roswell Campus was not as large as it is now. My whole point was to not be as negative with your criticism, be more constructive with your feedback.

I'm not sure how to respond on this one, so I'll consult my handy Buffalo-Rising-Online-Response-Template (BRORT) to make sure I don't repeat what's already been written:

_ Criticize owner (check)
_ Claim design is dated (check)
_ Criticize the landscaping (check)
_ Criticize historical loss (check)
_ Criticize non-involvement of neighbors (check)
_ Sarcastic comments on bad design (check)
_ General references to Buffalo's glorious past (check)
_ Token positive comment to counter the negativity (check)
_ Unfounded claim of wildlife endangerment (still avail)

*phew* ... there still one left!

"OMG... This design is going to murder untold thousands, even millions of migratory birds that use the Ellicott corridor on their historic journey from lake Erie to Delaware Park! Goodell is going to be covered in bird carcasses. This building must be redesigned in Concrete and aluminum immediately!"

(check)

nick- UB has planned for a multimodal parking structure with transportation for the downtown campus. It is possible that the remaining parking space at the EOC site can be utilized for future development over time.

300 Miles, Nice work. The reality is UB/Roswell/Kaleida are causing big changes to this area. On Franklin the past few days I gave more directions to out-of-towners than all of 1995-2003....well..you get the idea.
--
UB students, even those going to UB-Amherst, are looking more often downtown (for housing). "I know it's a commute, but I want to be downtown." I heard this more than once showing apartments today. (Yes...some people still drive cars.)
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This building shows a commitment beyond medical. For the economic good it's doing, I really wouldn't care if it were cinder block. New is new, and it's improving our city.

The new investment in the medical coridor, and now this new building, is introducing many individuals to Allentown, and other 'old' neighborhoods. The increased activity and interest in the area drives up rents, which makes previously marginal projects now doable. You'd think there would be more appreciation for the bigger picture by people posting on this site. Every new building like this probably saves or creates new investment in ten city blocks. Then again, it's just easier to whine, isn't it?

Well, 15 blocks west is Niagara Street, 15 blocks east is Humboldt Park and 15 blocks north is Delaware Park

(Roughly that is)

There are just three thoughts:
1) This is little more than a job training center for the unskilled so its not going to create jobs..
2) UB needs to create another 1-2-3-4 Centers for Excellence because these off-campus research and development centers and business incubators are proving to be job creators.
3) It would be better if the Center for Excellence in Life Sciences invested their development further east to the Kensington along North, High and Carlton rather than north/south along Main, Washington, Elm and Oak.

(Whether is UBs downtown Campus or ECC downtown, there is a risk that developing along a north/south corridor would act as a barrier to downtown growing east and to the benefits of development occuring on the struggling eastside...the last thing the eastside needs is for the invisable barrier to be perpetuated....and the only positive being that the invisable barrier gets moved from Main to Michigan)

Regarding UB's role in the competition for people and jobs, their growth hopes are heavily focused on life sciences. Hundreds of other cities worldwide have publicized aspirations for becoming centers of life sciences R&D as well. What will determine how well UB (and Buffalo) succeeds in that competition will depend by far mostly on the quality of scientific research, academics, and commercialization that happens here compared to elsewhere.

In other words, what happens inside building walls is where UB should focus as much of its attention and finances as possible. For external appearance, "good enough" really should be good enough. I doubt excellent life science researchers and entrepreneurs will be affected much at all by which city has superior external architecture.

Keeping successful life science startups here after they become established will eventually also depend on many of the same business factors that matter to other kinds businesses. That's not a comforting thought for Buffalo.

looks great, nice bright window lite building, to help bring a massive empty industrial space back to life. If it's that bad tell them to move to another city with the renovations and jobs or keep it in Amherst.

I'm not sure where your data come from that indicate "good enough" is a strength.
But you might want to check out Richard Florida's work that suggests places like Buffalo are indeed competing with Boston and New York.

People want to live in nice environments. Yes, plenty of great things have happened in lifeless places. But that's so last century. Get with the program folks. "Good enough" isn't good enough anymore.

hamp> "you might want to check out Richard Florida's work that suggests places like Buffalo are indeed competing with Boston and New York"

Oh boy. I didn't say no competition whatsoever. I said "My take is that Buffalo isn't much in competition with megacities like Boston and NYC, but in more general competition with all other cities/states - and architecture quality has very little role, if any, in that competition."

Are there any recent examples of companies moving from Buffalo to NYC or Boston and citing architecture as a reason? Perhaps there are, but I haven't noticed any. Yet I've noticed many examples of companies moving jobs from WNY to relatively ordinary places.

I believe you've mentioned you sometimes skim. May I suggest that my comments aren't well suited to skimming? If people them too fast and skip over words, they'll often interpret them wrongly. You may have skimmed over the word "much".

(Btw, I'm sure I can find quotes from Richard Florida with which you'd strongly disagree.)

The companies that have recently closed or moved away are old time manufacturing businesses. They do not represent the new economy, nor do they employ the type of people that are going to move to a place because of its urban qualiities.

Young, educated workers want to live in interesting places. Places with art, culture and architecture. This is a fact supported by data.

In a global economy, I'm afraid "good enough" won't cut it.

The design is appropriate for the BNMC. I love how all of you wanna be architects/designers assign arbitrary dates to designs like "1971 called and wants their architecture back" What is "1971" about this building? If Frank LLoyd Wright were around you would be complaining about his ideas too. Regardless of design or designer you cry babies will complain about it. The building is fine. It is concrete and glass. It is progress and development. It doesn't need to be a cathedral.

dude, i'm reading city on the edge by mark goldman. when i read the part about the decision in the 60's to build UB's new campus in Amherst, i literally got sick. i was infuriated.

i wouldn't care if looked like Canisius' student center; if they would have made that campus in the city like the alternate plan, it would have made such a difference.

nice to see the effort to be DT. but it's too little.

I have been residing in Buffalo for close to a decade and constantly hearing the negative feedback by the so-called "locals" reminds me that the change in the City of Buffalo will never develop unless the change comes from within. Residents need to start having a more positive attitude and stop living in the "lights of past".
How can anyone in Buffalo expect that a resurgence in Buffalo interest will ever come if it's residents are not willing to move forward. If UB would like to expand to the City (BETTER LATE THAN NEVER), then we should support with constructive criticism and not just complaining and delaying progress. Wake Up People