City November 8, 2009 7:34 AM

Extremely Happy Buffalo Family Gets a Home Makeover

Elena Cala Buscarino 28

West Side Buffalo resident Delores Powell and her four children are enjoying a stay at Disney World in Florida while their home at 228 Massachusetts Avenue gets a much needed redo. In truth, it's the plot of land the single mother's house sits on that is being redone because the house - slated for demolition before Powell bought it - is coming down, with all of its problems, and a new house will go up in its stead.

All of this, courtesy of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Powell is a native of Jamaica, has been here 20 years, has children who attend Buffalo Public Schools, and is a community activist with People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH). How appropriate then that she who helps others, gets help herself.

The house that stands at 228 is being dismantled by Buffalo ReUse (as we write this) - with only 20 hours to spare before the building team, David Homes, arrives.

According to our sources, Mayor Byron Brown was instrumental in seeing that the new home being built would be a prototype for a sort of "new Buffalo urban house" in that designers and architects were asked to create a model that can be applied to citywide in-fill housing. It will be a green, narrow lot house - only 20' wide for its 30' lot, and will combine traditional and modern elements.

Once ReUse is done working their magic, PUSH Buffalo, AmeriCorps, the City of Buffalo and David Homes will be doing extensive work, with about 5,000 volunteers that will include dozens of adjacent properties. More information on those upgrades will be available as the project continues.

The Powells' new home is expected to be completed in one week.

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Comments

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jolopy

November 8, 2009 9:17 AM

Great news. With Mayor Brown be there a lot? The first this I thought of was Brown Riding on of these. Just fast forward to 50 seconds. I'm sure he has one ordered and on its way so he can patrol the scene.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/107465/the-tonight-show-with-conan-obrien-andys-motorized-podium

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okcheckitout

November 8, 2009 1:19 PM

That video is too funny. Even funnier is you're right, jolopy!

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MrGreenJeans

November 8, 2009 10:31 AM

I was hopng the City would donate the lot at 230, seeing as they now own it and it's worthless. A 60ft lot would be more practical than a crummy 30.

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sin|ill

November 8, 2009 10:57 AM

why? this isn't the suburbs.
if there is any success in turning this neighborhood around, that lot can be filled in too.

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MrGreenJeans

November 8, 2009 1:11 PM

Um, duh. I know it isn't "the suburbs". What would that have to do with having a decent-sized lot? It's foolish to squeeze a house onto a tiny lot when it isn't necessary. Most people wouldn't touch a city house with a ten-foot pole because of the inadequate lot widths. Now that Buffalo has only 250k people, we have the chance to correct past errors. My lot is only 30ft, and if I had a chance to grab more room, I'd do it instantly. As it is, it holds property value down to a joke.

Anyway, 230 Mass will likely be on the next tax auction; maybe Ms.Powell will buy it, though it'll be too late to put the house a decent distance from the neighboring places.

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O'Brien

November 8, 2009 10:44 AM

This was awesome! I was talking with a few other volunteers and we all agreed that it would be great if we could get this kind of turnout for other volunteer events that have a greater impact to the community. Would you imagine if Riverkeepers had this army of volunteers at their disposal? What if ReUse had this army to deconstruct houses in a particular neighborhood. What if we aligned all of the various community minded non-profits for one day of volunteering, imagine the tremendous change that they could accomplish.

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JSmith

November 8, 2009 1:19 PM

O'Brien, I was thinking the same thing when I saw the photo of the enormous crowd of volunteers in the other article. I don't know what it says about our society that it takes a celebrity TV show to mobilize an army of volunteers like this. I felt the same way about the huge crowds that showed up at Central Terminal tours after the Ghost Hunters show, too.

But whatever it takes to get people involved, I'm happy for it, and I hope these volunteers will have a good experience and volunteer with ReUse or PUSH Buffalo again.

I'm also glad this will be a reasonable urban house and not a giant mansion that becomes a white elephant to the recipients, like many other Extreme Makeover houses have been.

The only time I watched this show, they exploded a perfectly good house and built another house that was half-underground like a rabbit warren. It was an interested concept, but I thought it would be very hard to resell. I'm glad this project seems like a good fit for the neighborhood and less about sensational TV stunts.

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Blackrocklifer

November 9, 2009 2:55 PM

I think what is says about our society is that we celebrate celebrity and sensationalism. How many of these volunteers would be there if not for the camera crew and publicity?
I have a lot more respect for the many anonymous volunteers quietly working in their communities and not looking for fame or recognition. These real volunteers do far more for the good of us all and for the right reasons.

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Christine

November 8, 2009 1:35 PM

Buffalo backyards are either extremely small or very large, depending on how that house got built with access to the land in the middle of the city block.

Buffalonians dont have to live restricted to those backyards. Its the fences that make it difficult. If every property owner signed a legal document allowing community access to their property by waiving all rights of legal action and formed a neighborhood association, then those backyards could have a community swimming pool, playground, tennis court, etc.

Plus imagine how nice it would be for mothers and fathers to play with their children in a playground with other children that is in their own backyard.

Plus imagine how nice it would be for mothers and fathers to only have to pay 10% for a playground, for a built in swimming pool, etc. How 10%? Because it would be purchased as a group by the neighborhood association.

Simple ideas like this can change the face of Buffalo city neighborhoods.

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Allentwnguy

November 8, 2009 4:36 PM

Yes this would be nice in an ideal setting, but who will maintain it? I had thought about that once thinking how nice it would be to open up just four of our yards and have one large green space. Then a neighbor had a rather large party...I saw the mess the next day. One lets her dogs run free in her yard...she cleans up on occasion. Another lets their dog out all day barking.

There is also security in having a yard fenced

I for one will keep my rather nice sized yard private and under my control.

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LovinLivinintheBuff

November 9, 2009 2:03 PM

Good fences make good neighbors. - Robert Frost

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Christine

November 8, 2009 1:36 PM

PS. The neighborhood association can also purchase an empty lot and use it for neighborhood off-street parking.

Yet its amazing how Buffalonians could have such a powerful tool and not consider it.

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KarlMalone

November 8, 2009 1:39 PM

Why do they need to tear down this house. It seems like it could be restored in its current state. Is it too late to file a lawuit to stop this?

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MrGreenJeans

November 8, 2009 1:48 PM

haha.

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Christine

November 8, 2009 4:05 PM

your absolutely correct, isnt there an empty lot right next door? Why not build the new house on the empty lot and restore the current house?

Why dont they think of these things?

On the positive side, Buffalo could get a version of urban 1-2 family residential (Im assuming with some sort of garage)that is somewhat unique to Buffalo.

Ive seen them in other cities where they have a one, 1.5 or 2 car garage where the porch would be and a stoop beside the garage that leads to the first floor entrance. Their usually row houses or town houses done in a brick or stucco georgian/colonial style but could easily be shingle, clapboard and queen anne.

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Sean Brodfuehrer

November 8, 2009 2:15 PM

great news. I look seeing the design we need a good model for infill housing in this city. 30' lots are plenty big as long as you have a yard. That is the biggest detriment to buying a house.

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MJW

November 8, 2009 5:36 PM

It's nice to see Brown made time to get his mug on national TV but was "too busy" to meet with the HUD secretary.

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majove

November 8, 2009 5:51 PM

Why didn't the mayor just let this family move into one of those new houses in Sickamore Village?

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Armchair MBA

November 8, 2009 8:29 PM

ECB>"According to our sources, Mayor Byron Brown was instrumental in seeing that the new home being built would be a prototype for a sort of "new Buffalo urban house" in that designers and architects were asked to create a model that can be applied to citywide in-fill housing"

BB adopting a progressve housing strategy? Maybe I was wrong about him.

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Platt4

November 8, 2009 9:33 PM

Hope the new home is truly low maintenance and low taxes. The News says the homeowner makes $100/week, either that is a typo or this homeowner is going to be in way over her head with this new house.

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clockhill

November 9, 2009 8:56 AM

The article reports the new house will be 20' wide, and the old house was about 50' deep on this 100' lot. With 2.5 finished stories, that's a 2,500sf house!! With enough yard left over to have a green space to yourself (especially if 400 - 800sf of new garage get tucked in the basement).

Taking the lot to the right and getting a 60' x 100' lot solves a problem they don't have; there is already enough space for 5 people in 2,500sf over three floors!

Buffalo needs to work with what they have instead of being forced to be Amherst. A cleverly laid out, sustainable, efficiently heated 20' x 40' house with classic "Buffalo-vernacular" lines but modern materials would be a solution for this family, this neighborhood, and neighborhoods like it.

The city already subsidizes newbuilds that are at least this expensive, but far less sustainable, with zero focus on being cheap to operate. Can't we give it a try?

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MrGreenJeans

November 11, 2009 4:47 AM

http://www.honkifyoulovejustice.com/2009/11/11/extreme-makeover-home-edition-buffalo

A basic 2-floor box with a bumped-out vestibule and small porch. Flatter roof than the old house, so no attic windows. No fancy garage-in-the-cellar, either. Framed with 2x6 and stuffed with insulation, it should be cozy enough. I'm guessing it'll be vinyl sided.

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Crisa

November 9, 2009 11:07 AM

Questions. We have questions. We have tons and tons and tons of questions...for EXTREME MAKEOVER, Shaun Donovan and the locally disinchanting newspaper:
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***Were all the other makeover possibilities also on the west side--as a major westside-only exclusive?
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In the local newspaper's City & Region section, there was a huge article titled *Reality show plans West Side story--by Rey and Jones. That article mentions that work will be done to improve the residences of "homeowners" and "renters" in that area.
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Does EXTREME MAKEOVER understand the difference between live-in HOMEowners versus elusive live-elsewhere HOUSEowners?
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Why does EXTREME MAKEOVER intend to help renters/transient tenants? Renters rent; renters do not own.
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So then, is EXTREME MAKEOVER going to help absentee-owning real estate "investors" by doing repairs for them that they have no intentions of ever doing themselves as they rake in the rents? HOUSEowners are masters at the art of Skeedaddle.
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Over the past few years, it has been observed that much of the local news in the local **Buffalo News newspaper consistantly and prominantly features all things ***west side over all the other sides and the outer sides of the City of Buffalo. (The limit used to be ***only All Thing Elmwood.)
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When the Federal government representative, Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan, said that 14 blocks on the west side were on his *Federal agenda, did Donovan mean the same area as where *EXTREME MAKEOVER is working at right now?
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*Is Donovan aware that other parts of Buffalo and its outer areas have been predetermined to become urban prairie until...?
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Garrett was featured in *that particular article, not Gainer. Will *Garrett be attempting to pull Michael Gainer's BUFFALO REUSE away from the east side on over to the west side?
..........
This is not a question: Renovating the existing house, which suits that neighborhood, and incorporating what looks like an empty lot next door; that would have been a better idea for the benefit of all of that area.
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Putting up another standard "suburban style" house won't do anything to change that area.
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Constructing something extravagant will be even worse for the live-in HOMEowners in that area. The REITTs and REIGs, though, will be happy.
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*Many citizens feel there is no game plan. 'Course there is!
**How to create circulation disinvestment.
***Wow!
.
My references are not in order. The stars are...

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Crisa

November 9, 2009 11:27 AM

Is EXTREME MAKEOVER held responsible in any way for volunteers, especially so unusually many, and, especially involving the other houses EXTREME MAKEOVER is supposed to also be working on? Scary...

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MrGreenJeans

November 9, 2009 6:30 PM

"Taking the lot to the right and getting a 60' x 100' lot solves a problem they don't have"

Yeah, well, Michele Johnson says they ARE including the extra lot. So there.

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Heather

November 9, 2009 7:24 PM

I often wonder why it takes a prime time show to finally get less advantaged families the basics that they deserve. It is a shame of our society that she lived in this house for so long without anyone to turn to for help. How embarrassing for the wealthiest nation on Earth to have people living in such squalor and destitution.

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bflorox

November 9, 2009 8:16 PM

So I guess what you're saying is that right up until EHM stepped in you had been giving every available resource you had to this family...

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2roadsdiverged

November 10, 2009 12:08 AM

There are tons of stories about this whole thing, in a variety of different media, but I really haven't yet come across all the details of Ms. Powell's situation. I wonder why she didn't opt to live in some sort of subsidized housing, or if she ever tried to work with HUD or Habitat for Humanity, or if all those avenues were not available for some reason.

I mention that, because as I see it, she is likely getting much more than basics at this point, and that is all well and good, she deserves to finally have something nice. A lot of people, especially those outside the city assume that the poor are handed everything, and more than they need. Yes, some people get more than they should, scam the system, but then others, like Ms. Powell seem to be stuck somehow. I wonder if she was trying to do it on her own, or if our services were outside her reach.

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