Central Terminal Releases Master Plan

It is good to see that they have a plan for the future. I am not too impressed with their desire to be landlords for the lofts. I would rather see the tower turned into condos with more impressive options for parking and access. The urban habitat classroom seems like a way to preserve green space and to rehabilitate polluted land around the terminal. It is a trendy and popular cause so I am not at all surprised it made it in to the plan.

Any idea what the City of Buffalo is going to do with their properties around the terminal? What are the plans for the surrounding neighborhoods?

It is a good start though and definitely better than what the restoration corp has been working towards in the past.

This is certainly good news, although I was disocuraged to hear them explain that nothing is set in stone here and that it is still very much a conceptual plan.

That being said, if they can connect to the high-speed rail (in one way or another) I think it would be a great step forward. Even if there is a new terminal built for the high-speed line closer to DT and the CT can be connected to that via an expanded Metro line, it would be a great way to connect the landmark to the city and the rest of the state. It would certainly be useful to make sure the CT is connected to DT by light rail just to give the people living in the tower a secondary way to commute.

Looks like a fairly sound plan, although I cant see much demand for the apartments unless you want to live next to heavily trafficked train lines and light industry surrounded by a less-than-stellar neighborhood. And on top of a public multi-use space.

If the plans are to make the terminal an actual intermodal transit hub, I would think that reusing the tower into office space would make sense, particularly for companies which operated in NYC, Boston, Chicago etc and have small to medium scale operations here in Buffalo.

How's about opening up the top floor as an observation deck?

Last month I spent some time in Buffalo and went to visit the Central Terminal; it's an incredible art deco structure but in a really bad part of town. I believe, like many other cities( I'm from Toronto) once it's renovated into artist lofts, it will serve as an impetus for further gentrification of the area which could show some promise.

"Urban Habit Classroom"

I shudder to think what kinds of urban habit's they'll be focusing on.

The clock is set at five minutes to midnight. Is the artist trying to tell us something?

" artist lofts" bring artist who are always the first rung in the ladder leading to gentrification of an area; such will eventually lead to stabalization of that very downward spirialing neighbourhood. nest'ce pas?

BobbyCat is right artist lofts would do absolutely nothing for this area. What they really need to do is bulldoze a part/the whole neighborhood around the terminal, and gate it up. Thats the only way anyone in their right mind would ever relocate to this area. I was taking this girl that I was seeing to the Central Terminal on a Sat just to check it out, because she had never seen it before. And one of the gentlemen working on the restoration let us inside, and said that if any developer ever bought the terminal that they would bulldoze the entire area. So this isnt me just spouting off and saying "the neighborhood sucks tear it down". That being said this is the perfect spot for a light rail connector. There is more than enough land, ample parking, existing rail lines, and a standing structure. I think it would be really cool to develop the site from scratch. Once the the Terminal is fully occupied it would create a need for housing in the surrounding gated area. Then we could actually funnel some young professionals from the suburbs into the city. Which would increase tax revenue and bring more prominant familys into the Buffalo school system, and the Buffalo area in a whole.

This is the best news I've heard all week!

Please!!! Artist's lofts! Artists in Buffalo had found a small enclave of their own in the Larkin Bldg. Quite a few artists had spaces there....UNTIL the area became developed and trendy! The artists were the first to be thrown out when Kalieda took over the building. Where do you think you are? Toronto or NYC? Most of the artists I know here in town are living at or below the poverty level. I have been looking for a reasonably priced loft or condo here in the city for a year now. Paderewski Drive or anywhere near the Broadway/Fillmore area would NOT be an option.

The plan looks nice but I really think the focus should be and the key is light rail. If that were to happen, this project would have no problem with financing IYAM.

Anything pertaining to the restoration of the Central Terminal, by default, invokes a wide range of emotions inside of me, and this story is no different.

As a lifelong resident of WNY, and a fanatic about Buffalo's grand history, you really can't help but conjure up visions of an monumental rebirth of this treasured building and associated grounds. I think I'm not alone when I say that the part that makes me cringe at these stories is the condition of the surrounding neighborhood, which positively kills me even moreso considering I am 100% Polish American. The engineer side of me knows the value of the master planning process. You certainly can't jump into a major infrastructure project such as this without one. All of these moves are a step in the right direction, and I get that part.

However, without SOLID, CONFIRMED coordination with AT LEAST city government, to link the Master Plan to a commensurate investment in the surrounding community...a REAL investment in the community, my conscience tells me that the best that can be achieved here is to create an oasis in the middle of a parched desert. I LOVE every second I'm in the Terminal whenever I get the chance to attend an event in it's grand presence, but I cry, and/or fear for my life, walking to my car afterwards. My exit drive out of the neighborhood is accomplished about as quick as technically possible. I just believe any uncoordinated investment would not be enough unfortunately.

Knowing that this is not an easy problem to solve, and also knowing that smarter people than I have failed at executing a solution, I don't have the golden egg solution.

All I can do is dream...

...perhaps about a coupling of the terminal restoration effort with a commitment of federal ARRA funding to link high-speed rail through the BUF airport, through the Terminal site, and ultimately connecting to the currently uni-dimenisonal metro rail system (and harbor project(s), whatever DECADE they are actually completed). I know it's a dream, but it provides that VITAL linkage between what seems like an ever-growing portfolio of isolated, individual projects in this region. It would provide a means of direct ingress and egress through the site to lessen the initial shock and contrast of the devastation of the surrounding neighborhood, to at least provide the world with a chance for a few initial visits. After that, I truly believe the beauty of this place will sell itself and greater things will subsequently happen. It would allow this site a fighting chance to define its own identity as a viable, sought-after locale for tourism, community, and region-wide events, conventions, etc. With a logistically-correct foundation established, perhaps a series of focused, tangible measures, backed by local and state investment, to improve the surrounding neighborhood would be the "uppercut" to follow the "right-cross". In my view, this next series of coordinated moves have to be focused almost exclusively on economic development. Transform those initial, awe-struck visits into a legit move towards a scenario where people get OFF of the train and go to work in the surrounding area. Perhaps turn some of the vacant properties into a light industrial/commerical zone with tax incentives, attracting true revitalization to the adjacent area based on PRIVATE MONEY and job creation. Ancillary and support entities will follow suit.

Pouring uncoordinated money at this project makes me very nervous. In my mind, it needs to be coupled with something else to assuage my nervousness, or I feel it shouldn't be attempted. I want to see resounding success not more of the usual "peeing in the wind" profile. The true architectural uniqueness of the site, and at least halfway-decent location (it's not in the middle of nowhere, after all) at least makes it feasible in my mind that it COULD happen if a bunch of things are tied together.

Ok...my alarm just buzzed, effectively ripping me out of this pillowy white dream of mine, but I'm trying to hit the snooze bar as many times as I can...

Well, breaking this beast into bite size chunks that can get funded separately with their own individual incentives and grants might be the best way to finally get the BCT done. The important first step is VISUAL PROGRESS. New roof, new windows and full stabilization can go a long way in getting the reluctant to see the possibilities. A decade of continuous work in this regard would be a good thing if the BCT comes out an entirely new creature on the other side. And I would do live/work in the tower. You can get an amazing diversity of creative capital going that can translate into a vast array of things which could lift the city as a whole.

marvelous to see a thoughtful plan put out there. good work, ctrc. critics shouldn't underestimate how hard it is to accomplish this kind of work with an all-volunteer crew and no paid staff.

The Central Terminal would be a great site for the ECC expansion. It is much better than the suburb site.

The most important thing with the central terminal here would be investing in revenue generating measures...event space, concerts, high speed rail..etc. Ala statler and harbor front you would need to get what would make $$$ of the ground the quickest.

One would assume the city and state would be on this with some sort of accompanying neighborhood development plans..street improvements, demolition blitz, etc. If this is ever gonna go anywhere you have to link up whats going around St. Stans (Investments in the church, St. Stans gardens), Broadway market (a big if). The terminal should be an anchor of East Buffalo..it'll be pointless if theres no effort to clean up the neighborhood.

Residental seems like a huge stretch..there are NO amenities in this part of town. Artists and 20 somethings aren't gonna go for a walk in MLK park and grab ribs at Lee's Lounge. It would be a better bet to aim for something Larkinesque vs. Statler.

There have been many comments about the rail aspect of the plan. While extending light rail, or high speed rail to the Terminal would obviously be a huge boon to development, it's also the aspect that we have the least control over. Clearly, the Terminal is purpose built to handle rail infrastructure, so there's no worries about it not being able to do the job, but we can't wait for the many pieces of the rail puzzle to fall into place before working on the other phases of the project.

Those surrounding areas can be a great asset to the terminal and visa versa if the area gets a swift kick in the... The east side needs some "shock and awe"...lol. Decades go by and the condition of the neighborhoods gets poorer and poorer until there is no built environment left. Its about income (lack of), education (selling drugs are somehow more lucrative and teachers are viewed as just a nuisance somehow- sorry I just cant blame the teachers, its the damn streets and ridiculous home lifes), being lewd and rude, crime (and the proliferation of it), "urban culture" (which appears to value lifestyles that actualy degrade society and the built environment), quality of life (and lack of investment), and an overall disrespect for common decency.

Without good paying jobs and huge government funding..........this is just another dream on paper.(Statler,waterfront, Richardson complex,Lafayette hotel etc. etc. etc.)

Here we go again. Everyone gets excited about another plan put together by the architects and planners and in the end....nothing. If Buffalo had a dime for every great plan that was put together, we'd be rich. Pipe dreams.

I agree, this is a beautiful dream, but a dream. The city of Buffalo will never really "take off" until we fix the fundamental basics, starting with education. Young families flee to the suburbs because our city's education is so incredibly poor, no one wants to send their child to our public schools and not everyone can afford the hefty price of private educations. We will never attract the "family" within the city limits of Buffalo until we figure out how to make them want to stay. Single people and young executives will always want to invest into the city, but there is nothing really to invest in. All lofts are rentals, there are pockets of condos here and there, but nothing exciting. There are so many $$ incentives for developers to turn vacant buildings into loft-style apartments that these ventures stay rentals. They are full, they produce income for the developer, why would they ever convert over to private ownership. Buffalo is one of the only cities that does not offer lofts for sale. I was recently in Rochester and from the 490 going through downtown, there was advertisements for loft sales. Buffalo has a future and I for one work diligently on promoting that, but our government has to step to the plate and fix the main problems before we can proceed with any multi-million dollar projects such as this one.