Earlier today, Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) released a statement regarding the Trico Plant #1 Building. The Trico building, as most Buffalo Rising readers are aware, sits on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). The BNMC is the designated developer for the building. 
In the statement, Preservation Buffalo Niagara noted that they were appreciative of the opportunity to have met with the BNMC director regarding the building. The statement continues: 
Our

By Joshua Bauer:
Just a few months after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the QB of the Bills through 2017, Buffalo announced Monday that his talented (and sometimes troubled) favorite target will now be there for the next five years. The Bills signed Johnson to a deal worth $36.25 million through 2016, with $19 million guaranteed, and have effectively thrown down the gauntlet in the AFC East, announcing to Miami, New York, and New England (as well as the NFL as a whole) that Buffalo will now be looking to contend once more.
The chemistry

Back in 2010 I wrote a story on the great potential of Trinity Place, which runs west of Elmwood on the south edge of Allentown. I compared its potential to that of Buffalo's Little Summer Street on the West Side off Richmond, which is at the heart of a neighborhood resurgence in that part of the city. I followed up that story with a story focused on the wedding

Although I'm one week late in posting this, there are plenty more films coming up, and as far as films go, these are some of the best you'll ever see. Not only will you get a chance to add some 'all time great' flicks to you cinema roster, you'll be able to view them on the big screen - how often does that happen? Movie aficionados be warned... you are now required to block out a couple hours of time each Tuesday evening (starting tonight) to enjoy some of the finest films ever made. Not only that, you also get to listen to a couple of our local experts who will share some valuable insight

A reuse project at a key downtown midtown corner is getting closer to opening.  Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) is restoring the long-vacant, architecturally significant building on the northwest corner of Main and Ferry streets.  A three-story addition is being constructed on the west side of the building.  The  expanded building will house the offices of the civil rights organization as well as ten units of affordable housing.

The first floor will provide 3,000 square feet of accessible office space for

Buffalo's home cooks (especially those in the Sicilian community) will have a new favorite cookbook to add to their collection just in time for preparing their Saint Joseph's Day feast. Buffalo Heritage will be hosting a launch party on Tuesday, March 6 for the release of "The Saint Joseph's Day Table Cookbook" by Mary Ann Giordano, executive chef of Creekview Restaurant in Williamsville, and her father, Dr. Paul Giordano. 
"Saint Joseph's day is a favorite holiday of my family, not because we are devout Catholics as one might think, but rather because we are

It might be early in the game, but the Buffalo Lazy Randonneur Club already has 50 cyclists signed up for the Third Annual BLRC Tweed Bicycle Ride. If you're not familiar with this ride, one of the more unique rides that this group organizes, then all you really have to know is this:
In order to be a part of the ride you need at least two of the following:
1) A bike - preferably a Penny Farthing2) Like of cheese and cured meats - olives oils for the trendy types3) Wear

Many people doubted it would happen. But the Bills proved the doubters wrong (this time). 
Today, the Bills announced they have signed Stevie Johnson to a 5 year contract, keeping the controversial wide out in a Bills uniform through 2017. Reportedly, Johnson will earn $7.25M per year in his new deal; not bad for a 7th round draft pick. 
Johnson, of course, is the Bills most prolific receiver with 170 receptions for 2,077 yards and 17 touchdowns over the past 2 years. Losing Johnson would have created yet another hole on the roster. Now,

The Shambhala Meditation Group of Buffalo is diving into a two-month celebration of the arts with its annual Shambhala Arts Festival. The festival, which kicked off on Friday, March 2 with a First Friday Opening at the CG Jung Center Gallery, included a series of events centered on the appreciation of "Dharma Art." 
The meditation group is part of the international students of the late Chugyam Trungpa, the Tibetan meditation master and artist-poet multi-cultural provocateur. Trudy Stern, an organizer

THE BASICS: This three character domestic drama by Gillian Grattan was a finalist in the ICTC's Maguire Playwriting Competition (for new works by Irish citizens). Directed by Fortunato Pezzimenti, and starring Christian Brandjes, Beth Donohue and Diane Curley, this world premiere production runs weekends at the Andrews Theatre through March 25th. A short full-length play, it runs a little under 90 minutes. There is no intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: A rural village in the southeast of Ireland, present day. When Lydia, a beautiful, unhappy "flower child"

Close your eyes and try to picture the corner of Elmwood and Tupper. I bet that you're having a hard time thinking of what is there... or more importantly what is not there. For a long, long time, this corner has seen businesses come and go, and it's hard to remember what any of them were exactly. It always appeared as if the windows were filled with all sort of everything and nothing, from draped ripped bed sheets to personal belongings. Each time a business opened, it looked as if it had kept the leftovers from the previous business. I've never had much hope for this corner, primarily

Buffalo is lucky to have so many talented artists. The city is full of amazing painters, actors, musicians, etc. that produce work in both main stream and underground realms, all of whom help to contribute a vibrant cultural landscape for all of us to enjoy. Some of these artists excel in more than one medium - a painter may also be a musician for example. Rarely do we find an artist with so many different talents that it's hard to pinpoint exactly what sort of artist he or she is. That happens to be the case with John Harris. 
When I first met John, about four

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Carol Ann Strahl:
Lone Survivor is a remarkable true story of perseverance and valor.  The author is the sole survivor of "Operation Redwing" in Afghanistan.  The book explores what it takes to be a member of the elite Navy Seals.  They have a shared patriotism, courage and mutual trust.  Their promise to each other is never to leave a man behind, dead or alive.  
The tenacity of the Seals is reflected in their final sacrifice and in the

By Joanna Panasiewicz

As Western New Yorkers, we are lucky to be situated on the Great Lakes where we can take advantage of this amazing freshwater resource for our drinking water, recreational activities, transportation, tourism, energy generation, and more! According to the U.S. Geological Survey, only 1% of all of the water on Earth is usable by humans. We need to protect this resource for generations to come.

The Western New York Stormwater Coalition would like to remind people that there are many activities in our daily lives that can affect the water quality of our

Are you fascinated by boats? I mean the incredibly handsome wooden boats of days gone by. We are lucky to have an organization here in Buffalo that is dedicated to recreating those beauties that are normally seen in exotic boat books and magazines. You may recall that the Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC) recently set up permanent shop in Black Rock. Well, not that spring is here and boating season is right around the corner, the Buffalo Maritime Center would like to invite you to come and check out its operation. From the BMC:
BMC volunteers have been working

By Nicholas Miller

You may have heard, Buffalo lost a bid to host the annual conference of the National Association of Sports Commissions due to the dated condition of the current convention center and the not-so-vibrant condition of Main Street.   You can almost hear it now, can't you?  Soon there will be cries from every direction that Buffalo ought to replace its convention center with a bigger and better model.  To not do so would be leaving money on the table, right?  How is Buffalo

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn't very popular in Buffalo.  
He presided over the "No Goal' travesty that cost the Sabres a chance at the Stanley Cup. And he wasn't just the league commissioner when this went down. He was in the building. Bettman was sitting in a box in the former HSBC Arena when Brett Hull scored an overtime goal to win Game 6 - and the Stanley Cup - for the Dallas Stars in the 1999 Finals. 
Of course, 1999 was the year the NHL routinely called back goals for the newly enforced "skate in the crease" rule.

If you had shown me this photo and asked me what it was and where it was, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. That's because last fall Mutual Riverfront Park (see background) was nothing more than a vacant plot of land along the Buffalo River. Yes, there was a plan, but how often do we see a plan materialize virtually overnight? In this case (photo) we now see a building on the left that pays tribute to the Historic Mutual Rowing Club. The recreated building will 'once again' house kayaks, canoes, rowboats, etc. The

Submission by Chris Taylor:
On Wednesday, March 7th, 2012, The Roaming Buffalo mobile food truck will kick off its first guest chef event.  This special event will be held in front of Sweet_ness 7 at 220 Grant St. for a dinner service from 5:00PM until 8:00PM.  Chef Kevin O'Connell Jr, owner of O'Connells American Bistro, will be serving up three tasty menu items for the truck.  Baja style mahogany mahi mahi fish tacos on fresh made tortillas (yes, I said homemade fresh tortillas), grilled homemade "bistro" sausage with hot peppers, grilled onions

A condominium sale that closed yesterday is a record-breaker.  Eugene and Carole Vukelic purchased a corner unit on the 16th floor of Uniland Development's Avant yesterday for $1,597,500.  The two-level unit has over 3,000 sq.ft. of living space.  Vukelic is CEO of Try-It Distributing.

It is the most expensive condominium sold in Erie County and is the second highest sale price for a residence in Buffalo.  That honor belongs to the Miller Mansion at 175 Nottingham that traded