Mayor Brown Publicly Opposes Busti Avenue Demolitions

And Cuomo's response: uproarious laughter followed by the middle finger and a polite F-off Mayor phone call. I'm actually surprise the Mayor even knew this was all going on

Yah we need that duty free store and oversized truck plaza for world trade! Shame on Brown for jumping in at the 11rh hour to block the neighborhood wreckers!

Give credit where credit is due--way to go Byron. It's curious that the UBLIC (not "Peace") Bridge Authority came forth with the following statement as a result: ""There is no relation between the houses being demolished on Busti and plaza expansion whatsoever. We don't have a plaza expansion project at the current time. The city owns Busti Avenue."

If that is the case, then Byron can halt the demo.

Interesting. After demolishing half of the East side he says this.

Kudos to the Mayor!
The PBA has ignored the Buffalo Preservation Board. By City Charter all demolitions are to come before the board for review to determine whether they may be eligible for the National Register of Historic. More importantly the Wilkeson House is already a local landmark and and any alteration including demolition is required to be reviewed. A letter was sent to the PBA reminding them of this. The PBA has ignored the requests.
Arrogance!

Very clever, politically.

Without at all opposing the concept of an expanded truck plaza or a future second bridge here - both of which the mayor has said many times that he strongly favors - he can gain some praise from preservation advocates by weighing in on this side issue of the process for how 8 houses are dealt with by the PBA which is a NY state govt agency.

Icing on the cake is this makes his longtime rival Sam Hoyt by comparison look like even more of a bad guy to factions who supported Hoyt so much in the past. Funny!

A bit of downside political risk is irritating Cuomo, but my guess is as YesSir said the response from up top will be amusement - maybe even some admiration if any of Cuomo's people thinks of the irony regarding Hoyt.

This is nothing more than political grandstanding. Brown could care less about these buildings.

ANYONE..who cant see this as a potical ploy has to be a moron...this empty suit has been asleep at the wheel for years....and grasps a few headlines at the 11th hour,knowing how short voters' memories are here in Buffalo...looks to add another mark to his political playlist...and citizens here in Bufalo have proven to be gullible enough to swallow it all.....it would be comical...if it werent so sad! ...and who says history dont repeat itself ....especially in Buffalo!

Its probable that the actual straw Mayor Brown is trying to grasp by suddenly taking an interest in this demo project is the city ownership of the NFTA harbor.

I tend to agree. Brown isnt going to do anything about the demolitions and knows Cuomo wont either. Brown is just looking for:
-a deal to shut him up with the Bridge Authority / NFTA
-a public image that he can point to with the voters

Get Brown out of office. He is a male version of Muriel Howard and take Rev Pigeon with him.

There are no churches more political and worthy of having their tax exempt status removed than African American churches. They have been a pure political and business foundation for 50 years masquerading as a church.

Thank you, Mayor Brown, for taking a stand!

But as for Senator Grisanti, who was quoted in the Buffalo News today (link below) calling the properties "a blight on the community," and saying that they need to be taken down...if that's his attitude toward the community he's supposed to represent, pehaps he's the one who needs to be taken down -- this November. Senator Grisanti, you're supposed to fight for the community...not just fight!

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/west-side/article894026.ece

Please. Brown has had years to deal with this. Now its in the press he is publicly saying something. He is Buffalo's biggest embarrassment. So surprised this was not followed up with a picture of him writing his letter at that stupid ass podium of his.

These homes have been shuttered up for over a decade. I worked at the Episcopal home for a bit in my youth, and the domicilliary building is a beautiful example of Buffalo's rich architechtural past. However, no one had expressed interest in purchasing these buildings before the PBA snatched them up and it would take a TON of money to restore any of those homes to their former glory. Too little, too late. Build a new plaza PBA. Brown is just covering his butt at the eleventh hour after YEARS of silence. There has got to be some sort of sly motive to this. Only time will tell......

I'll say this much about Mayor Brown: he puts the "fashion" in "fashionably late."

Darius Pridgen needs to detach himself from that religiously based rent-to-own housing project he is working on. After that, he very recently appears to be approaching a wider audience than only those following his religious ministries.

Then again, Pridgen might still intend to follow in the footprints of Rev. Stenhouse(sp)--a long-time religious minister and housing developer, and also Arthur O. Eve and James Pitts, all who did quite well for themselves without leading their followers to home ownership vs renting minus putting down roots.

And, again, Mayor Brown's truly most current interst has to be his trying to put a stranglehold on the waterfront while he is still mayor.

How many more terms can Byron Brown be mayor?

I have worked in engineering/design for almost my entire career mostly making other people look good except on the occasions where I have screwed-up...but I digress.

A common denominator I have noticed in upper engineering management is that there is seldom any thought or attempt at any form of compromise or meeting the public half way.

If I were involved in this project, my first approach would have been on restoring the Wilkeson-Storms Mansion or 771 Busti Avenue back into its former glory; not so much because I am such a nice guy who is geared towards preservation but in order to alleviate the debacle that has developed over the demolition of this whole collection of homes.

Yes, a simple act of diplomacy or, no-brainer, would have kept the public’s attention focused on the main attraction while we systematically demolished the surrounding structures with a nary a gasp of protest.

But, using common sense and a slight tactic in diplomacy would never even enter the heads of the individuals in charge as arrogance seems to be the true motivating factor on both sides of this equation.

The PBA doesn't own the Episcopal Church Home yet! It has only been for sale to the PBA, as D'Youville College was interested in purchasing it. Your tax dollars will be bailing the Episcopal Church Home out from their blighted by neglect properties. New York State is going to give the PBA $15 million dollars to purchase the property-funny how it was only valued at $11 million before they vacated it!
Let's change the conversation to talk about how the PBA illegally purchased the 7 properties on Busti Ave. There is one more that the deal will most likely close on very soon. (Also-they may purchase another one on RhodeIsland St.) Why did the city allow the PBA to purchase these homes to begin with. Yes, they are now blighted, but weren't when they purchased them almost 17 years ago.
So Grisanti says they must go so the PBA can expand the plaza, but the PBA says they will just be green space (for 2 minutes).
I think Senator Grisanti forgot his family member lives not so far away from the bridge to be in danger of health problems from the diesel emissions! He should read the asthma research done by Dr. Mukasa!