Redevelopment plans for a Scott Street building are becoming clearer.  Ellicott Development is moving forward with plans to put a mix of uses into the Fairmont Creamery at 199 Scott Street.  The eight-story building occupies a prominent site along the I-190 in the Cobblestone District.  Ellicott Development has owned the 120,000 sq.ft. property since 2001 and is one of the larger completely vacant buildings downtown. 

By Dean Evaniak (DeanerPPX):
Buffalo's waterfront is buzzing with development and brimming with possibilities... CanalSide, Ship Canal Commons, Elevator Alley, the Outer Harbor. But the entire area has long suffered from a lack of access. Whether the Skyway stays or goes, it will never be an optimal solution for connecting all these sites that have so much potential. Many are even convinced that Route 5 and the Skyway do more to separate Buffalo from its waterfront than it does to provide access. Automobiles have to follow odd routes, while pedestrians and

By Jessica Edwards:
Who knows your parting wish?
If you died at this very moment, are you certain that your loved ones could confidently follow through with your preferred arrangements?
Death can be uncomfortable to think about, and even more uncomfortable to talk about. But if you're not making that final decision, then you're leaving it at the feet of those around you. Whether sudden or expected, familiar or foreign, dealing with death is something we all will face.
Those "last"

By Kelsey Hanks:
The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is challenging employers to grow our regional economy by buying local in 2013.
Buffalo Niagara is home to countless employers that provide first-rate products and services, offering a shorter supply chain and proximity to after-purchase services. In 2011, our region spent more than $68 billion on imports. If we had shifted just 1% of spending to locally-sourced products and services, nearly $700 million could have been reinvested into our economy. 
Area

Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) is recognizing outstanding individuals and projects furthering historic preservation efforts in the region.  This year's Preservation Awards Luncheon will be held Friday, May 31st, at the Kleinhans Music Hall.  Buffalo has been publicizing individual winners over the past few weeks. 

Larry Fuchs, Roger Korsh, Andy Adams, Henry Forman, and Robert Stetzko, five retired craftsmen from Buffalo Sheet Metal Workers Local 71, are being honored for their contribution to the on-going restoration of the Buffalo Central Terminal by the Central Terminal

Twilight Zone. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Batman TV show. Godfather. Wayne Newton' s Danke Schoen. Enter the Dragon. Cincinnati Kid. Recognize any of those tunes? Then you have heard the work of Niagara Falls, NY born Tommy Tedesco with the Wrecking Crew.
When I first heard that the movie "Wrecking Crew" was coming to the Market Arcade in downtown Buffalo, I thought of quarterback Paul

Statler City will be hopping mid-day Sunday with a special Mother's Day brunch.  The historic downtown banquet facility invites moms to be treated to an elaborate spread. Statler City will offer cold salads, classic brunch buffet items and specialty stations, ensuring mom gets whatever she likes on her day. 

Sometimes it's the little things that really count. Like the addition of a ping pong and pool table to The Ruins at Canalside. These types of games are especially popular in parks across the country, and can draw lots of action table-side. Especially when you don't have time to take a kayak paddle, or you don't feel like sitting in a lawn chair, a game of pool or ping pong can be a lot of fun and don't take a great deal of effort. 
According to Chris Catanzaro at the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, "The full debut for both game tables will be at

Submitted by One Region Forward:
Since 1970, the Buffalo-Niagara region has lost more than 1,250 working farms, and nearly 160 square miles of farmland - an area four times the size of the City of Buffalo and down by roughly a third from what we had 40 years ago.
Why is the loss of farms and farmland a concern for regional sustainability? Because local farms make fresh and healthy foods more securely accessible to family tables in our cities and suburbs. Because locally produced food can have a dramatically smaller "carbon footprint"

While at The Peddler flea market on Elmwood last Saturday I ran into the compost team from Farmer Pirates, Mike and Terra. I couldn't help but notice that Terra was wearing a Farmer Pirates t-shirt and complimented her on her fashion statement choice. Terra told me that they were on a mission to spread the good word of the organization's composting program. I was surprised to hear that they were offering composting for residences as well as commercial entities - there has been interest from a number of businesses such as Wegmans, Merge and Nardin High School. The more that I learned about

Chelsea Green, owner of Pole Play Dance Studio and Eye Candy Burlesque (FB) in North Buffalo is inviting anyone with a love for pit bulls to attend an upcoming fundraiser at the Dnipro Ukrainian Center. All of the proceeds from the event will go towards the rescue group The Silver Lining for Pit Bulls. As for additional reasons to attend the event, Chelsea tells me that "There will be guest appearances from "Flick" from a Christmas Story and MMA fighter Gordon Shotgun Shell; a Chinese auction;

There is an effort underway to establish a street soccer (football) tournament in Buffalo. According to promoter Michael Jackson, unlike traditional field soccer games, the street play incorporates an urban sporting dynamic that ties into cultural significance. "More international refugees are resettled in Buffalo than in any other city in New York state," Michel told me. "Between 40-50 different languages are now spoken in the city, largely concentrated on the West Side. There is one language that we all understand - the language of "the beautiful game" of soccer.
/var/www/vhosts/buffalorising.com/httpdocs/index.html

The Canadian government has been selling seven local residences after deciding to close the local Canadian Consulate office last August.  The largest, on Soldiers Circle, has a new owner.  Stephen and Elizabeth Hays purchased a century-old, 5,000 sq.ft., two-story residence at 196 Soldiers Place for $750,000 today. 

The new owners got quite a deal.  The Canadian government paid $1.39 million for the property in 2009 and reportedly spent an additional $200,000 to upgrade the residence. 

At long last, renovations to one of the city's most underutilized parks is underway (see history). The $1.5 million phase-one construction plan will see a number of new and updated amenities roll out in the park, including new shelter and grills, south parking area and roadway improvements, an amphitheater, new entrance plaza, canal side railings, a great lawn, utilities and lighting. 
For anyone who is familiar with the park, over the years the grounds have fallen into complete

This Saturday you are invited to pay a visit to Mirror Lake and the glorious cherry trees that are blossoming at this time. It's an informal picnic event, and everyone is welcome to come and bring a blanket and a basket of food and drink. The spot is right next to the Japanese Garden, and on the hill adjacent to the Buffalo History Museum. Organizers are hoping to make this a yearly event, drawing visitors to experience the scenic beauty of the gardens and the blooming blossoms. The day will start with a sunrise meditation...
Trudy Stern at Friends of

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC) will move forward with the reconstruction and reconfiguration of a one mile stretch of the Robert Moses Parkway, south of Niagara Falls.
 
For many years, the expressway has been seen as an obstacle between city neighborhoods and the waterfront. This project will fully restore visual and physical access to the various natural and cultural features along the Niagara River and the Niagara Gorge.
 
"The Robert Moses Parkway is an outdated impediment to the

On Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 7:00pm, there is a group of people meeting at Burning Books on Connecticut Street to discuss the grassroots start of a "Worker Owned Cooperative that will produce fruit, veggies, fish, beer, edible mushrooms, kombutcha, bakery goods, and many other food stuffs INDOORS & YEAR ROUND." These is the type of initiative that, with the right amount of support from a diverse group with well-rounded interests and assets, can make a giant impact on the way that we produce and think about food. According to the Worker-Owned Vertical Farm Cooperative Facebook

The 21st Annual AIDS Walk Buffalo will be held on Saturday, May 18th, 2013* at Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park, and organizers are hoping to spread the word about this worthy event. The 5K (3.1 mile) fundraising walk aims to raise money for Evergreen Health Services, an organization with a goal to help HIV+ people and their families in Western New York. 
The walk is also a means to raise awareness about the impact that HIV/AIDS has on the community, past, present and future. From prevention education for teens (and other at-risk groups), to medical

Back in November it was announced that a Senior Global Team of IBM Executives would be coming to Buffalo to analyze what this city could be doing to create more job opportunities for young people (learn more here) . The five member team is now in Buffalo for three weeks - the pro bono consulting visit was made possible through an IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant. "I am delighted

The Atlantic Cities has picked up on the latest news regarding the plan to light the grain elevators at the waterfront. With renewed imagination and a series of tests last summer (see here) that gave the public a glimpse of the dynamic nature of the project, the $5,000,000 project could soon become a reality with Phase 1 scheduled for funding clearance as early as this week. Check out The Atlantic Cities for more images from the Erie