Buffalorising has been redesigned.

WOW, If only we could get these projects to become real. I like the idea of a 20 story Condo Tower..we need High Rises built all over downtown. Face it, our downtown skyline has'nt changed much in the last 20-30 years, Let's build Higher.
I would love to see more national retailers take space at the Main Place Mall. We have a market that is growning everytime a new loft or office space is rented, let's bring in Retail now and grow even more.

What a concise and wonderful wish list for New Buffalo!
In a season of thanx, THANX to WCP for his thoughtful out of the box vision!

I don't necessarily agree with John's "height" comments. After living in NYC for many years, I kinda like the fact that Buffalo is a "3 story town" with enormous sky views enabling one to watch the weather roll in & out. Yes, some height, but, as everything, in context.

Thanx again, WCP!

Excellent wish list!

great list. although i have to take issue with "new urbanist planner" in the Brown administration. Tim Wannamaker is a true gem to the city and can be credited with numerous successes in his tenure in the OSP. Further, although new urbanism is a good concept that the Buffalo region needs more of it, Buffalo's development and planning needs are complex and cannot be addressed through new urbanism alone.

Mid town Atlanta has a two-floor Borders and Target. Borders would trump a Barnes and Noble IMHO. :)

I'd add:
"the Bob B plan" is chosen for Peace/Signature Bridge Plaza location, traffic patterns and development of Niagara Street business corridor.

"We" sued the PBA to get the 2 issues addressed as one and to have an open process. I would love it if you guys could keep an eye on this one too, as it is a (no, THE) MAJOR arterial from Canada/190 to downtown.

Here's a few more to add to the list:

Ciminelli Development begins conversion of Trico Building to innovative office spaces, as long planned.

Allen Street is extended into the BNMC without the demolition or removal of historic Italianate houses on Ellicott Street.

Studies begin on removal of the Black Rock and Riverside portions of the Niagara Thruway, GBNRTC explores funding for a Black Rock Boulevard along the old rail corridor.

Work begins on the old Genesee block between Ellicott and Oak streets without the demolition of contributing structures for more off-street parking.

The Senecas decide to keep the remaining HO Oats Elevator and Mill.

Instead of the creation of a new massive parking lot for Duke Realty, the old Court Street right-of-way is restored all the way to the site of the former Erie Canal. A pedestrian bridge is constructed over the I-190, completing a long neglected opportunity for pedestrian access to Erie Basin.

Design work commences on one or more bridges to cross the Buffalo River from downtown.

The storefronts at the Main Place Mall are opened up to the street.

Planning begins to resurrect portions of downtown's old alleyway system.

Artspace begins renovation. Coe Place is reconstructed in brick.

A buyer announces plans for the long abandoned St. Vincent's Convent on Ellicott Street.

The first loft project commences east of Michigan Avenue.

Martin Luther King Park begins Phase II of the rewatering of its wading pool.

The old Shea's stained glass windows and original two-story lobby are revealed and restored at the North Park Theatre on Hertel Avenue.

Work begins on the residental conversion of the Bethune Hall on upper Main Street, signaling North Buffalo's first loft project.

A dramatically reduced existing plaza is chosen for the Peace Bridge expansion project, freeing up part of Front Park and sparing a historic neighborhood and commercial strip from plans for demolition.

The fabulously modernist YWCA building is purchased, with plans in the works for an innovative mixed-use renovation.

Ground in broken on a new office building on the BURA-owned parcel on Court Street behind the Liberty Building.

An ourdoor cafe opens in the long abandoned Art Deco gas station in the Theatre District.

The Horsefeathers Building on Connecticut Street is purchased, with plans in the works for a mixed-income residential and retail development.

Whew... any more?

is the barnes and noble thing actually a realistic possibility or is it just a wish because i'm dying for a real nice bookstore downtown.

We need to do what NYC did to it's dying old retail streets like Steinway St (Astoria, Queens) and 125th. (Harlem). These once dying areas have for the last five years turned around dramaticly with promoting to Major Retailers like Old Navy, Starbucks, Express, Gap, and so on. These streets are now hustle and bustle and continue to grow. I believe Main St. and other streets in Downtown Buffalo can learn and do the same.

I will continue to work hard investigating housing scams/illegal flipping in 2006 as will all of the taskforce,We started alerting officials back in early 2003 about the problems with internet sales/flipping and what it was doing to Buffalo neighborhoods, Luckily Sam Hoyt took it seriously enough to get us a State Assembly hearing last December and in May we were an "official" Taskforce. We modeled it after Baltimores taskforce which made over 40 arrests and has been instrumental in getting funding, grants etc to put families into homes. I am proud to report we in 7 months have surpassed the progress it took them over 2 years to make,We have a professor and students working daily at Hilbert College Crime Economics Dept working on our Ibase system for tracking
all internet sales,

We are also working with several law enforcement agencies and of course the BEST Judge in Buffalo, 2006 willl surely be the year that Buffalo makes some incredible progress in the war on flipping!

My one wish... Frank Gehry is hired and agrees to design a building in downtown Buffalo. Possibilities? Blus Cross/Blue Sheild scrap their silly design-or- The long awaited Federal Courthouse -or- The Seneca Nation decides to compliment their Niagara Falls Phillip Johnson designed casino with a Frank Gehry.

Buffalo needs to continue its history of having buildings built by important architects.

I agree with the wise person above who cautions against embracing height downtown. High rises are seductive and we've been conditioned to think that height=success and glamour. But from the eyes of livability and aesthetics, a more uniform and lower skyline means more light and space for city dwellers, as well as more noticeable architectural details. Some height would be welcome, but Main Sreet, Delaware Avenue and Elmwood Avenue need careful thought about height. I don't find Atlanta's or Toronto's skyline to be attractive or dweller-friendly. Buffalo's majestic churche spires could be a guide to height for new city highrises.

I'VE SEEN MANY POSTINGS SLAMMING SLUMLORDS AND WITH GOOD REASON. THEY'RE ONLY PART OF THE REASON WHY SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BECOMING WAR ZONES.BUT THERE ARE MANY RESPONSIBLE ABSENTEE LANDLORDS WHOSE LIVELYHOOD DEPENDS ON OWNING AND MAINTAINING THEIR PROPERTIES AS IF THEY LIVED THERE THEMSELVES. THE BUILDING INSPECTORS KNOW WHO THEY ARE. MY POINT IS THIS..ALL THE EMPHASIS PUT ON LANDLORDS REGISTERING, MAINTAINING THEIR PROPERTIES, BOTH OWNER OCCUPIED AND ABSENTEE, WHAT ABOUT SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM THAT WILL TRACK THE "TENANT FROM HELL" THAT EXISTS IN GREAT NUMBERSIN THE CITY. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT "SCREENING YOUR TENANTS ETC. BUT THAT DOES NOT FREQUENTLY WORK VERY WELL. ASK ANY LANDLORD ABOUT A SOC. SERVICES TENANT THAT THEY MAY HAVE RENTED TO, MORE THAN THAN LIKELY IT'S A HORROR STORY.THERE IS LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY HELD IN MANY OF THE TENANT'S WE HAVE COME ACROSS. IN A CITY WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY OF IT'S CITIZENS AT OR BELOW POVERTY LEVEL, THIS IS THE LEAST OF THEIR CONCERNS. AT LEAST , WITH SECT 8 TENANTS THERE IS SOME DEGREE OF ACCOUNTABILITY MAINTAINED, BUT STILL INADEQUATE .JUST AS THE CITY HAS A LANDLORD REGISTRATION, THERE SHOULD BE A TENANT REGISTRATION, A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE IRRESPONSIBLE TENANT, WHETHER IT'S A DRUG DEALING ISSUE, OR JUST A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE THAT THE PROBLEM TENANT HAS CREATED. WITH SO MANY PROPERTIES TENANT IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY TENANT OCCUPIED, THIS PROBLEM IS NOT GOING TO GO AWAY, IT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE.RATHER THAN ALWAYS SLAMMING THE PROPERTY OWNER, YES HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, BUT ALSO!! HOLD THE TENANT TO THE SAME LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IF WE ARE TO PRESERVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEYRE STARTING TO DO THIS IN THE UNIVERSITY AREA WHERE MANY STUDENTS HAVE BECOME UNRULY AND ABUSIVE TO THEIR NEIGHBORS, MANY OF WHO ARE OWNER OCCUPANTS. THIS TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HELP LANDLORDS MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES WITH QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES.
WHEN AN UNRULY TENANT BECOMES A PROBLEM , THE NEIGHBORS TRY AND CALL THE LANDLORD, TO DEAL WITH THE UNRULY, IRRESPONSIBLE TENANT,WHICH IS THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION, BUT HOW ABOUT WHEN THIS UNRULY "TENANT" BECOMES A "OWNER OCCUPANT PROPERTY OWNER" AND ACTS THIS UNRULY WAY? WHO WILL THE NEIGHBORS CALL THEN? THE MORTGAGE CO.?

First, the neighbors will address the issues with the owner/occupant whether face-to-face in a meeting with the neighbors or in a letter if they are unapproachable. If that doesn't work, then there are other systems available:

Illegal Drug Sales

If you suspect that there is a drug house in your neighborhood, you should first call 911 and the Mayors Complaint Line (851-4890). Be sure to tell them if you do not wish to be identified, and if you do not want an officer to come to your door to investigate the complaint. The next five calls you should make should be to:

(1) The City of Buffalo Save Our Streets Program
- Tiffany Perry (851-5094);

(2) The Buffalo Police Department Tip Line (847-2255);

(3) The nearest C.O.P.S./Citizen Preparedness Center

- University COPS, Gloria J. Parks Community Center,
3242 Main Street, 851-4112;

- Parkside COPS, 2318 Main Street, 851-4324;

- East Side COPS, CRUCIAL, 230 Moselle, 895-1810;

- International Marketplace COPS, 283 Grant Street, 884-7812;

- Medical Campus COPS, 927 Main Street, 883-4104.

(4) Your Housing Court Liaison (see list below)

(5) Your Common Councilmember

Any of these resources may refer you directly to the Narcotics Department at 851-4575, but they likely will process your information themselves, and may even be able to advise you of progress if you contact them again later.

In addition, you should let your local Councilmember know the details of the problem property and the efforts you have made on behalf of the block club, and you should ask that he or she follow up to ensure that the house is investigated.

Finally, you may report the property to be cited for Housing Court (see below) and explain the suspected drug activity as part of your report. If appropriate, the City prosecutor may request an Order to Vacate the property.

Trespassing

If you believe there are squatters in a vacant house or building in your neighborhood, immediately call your Councilmember and the Mayor's Complaint Line (851-4890), and request that the property be cited for Housing Court. You should provide the address, the owner's name (if known) and a description of the individuals seen on the premises.

Also, you should contact the Erie County Health Department at 961-6800 to investigate the property. You may then track the status of both cases through your Housing Court Liaison. Finally, it would be a good idea to contact your local COPS Station (see above) and advise them of the activity.

If there are individuals trespassing on your property, there are two ways you can handle the situation. For both, you need to know who the individuals are or have good descriptions of them.

First, you can attempt to pursue the matter criminally by filing a police report for trespassing after calling 911. Second, you can call your local COPS station (see above) and request that they contact the trespassers (and their parents if they are minors).

Abuse and Other Quality of Life Concerns

If you encounter threats against neighborhood residents, loud noise, rowdy behavior, and/or loitering, call 911 immediately. Do not try to take the matter into your own hands.

After each incident is over, document the details of what occurred, including dates and times, individuals involved, and damages incurred. Your next calls should be to the Mayor's Complaint Line (851-4890) and your local COPS station to report the activity (see above for a listing of the various locations).

Between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., you should be able to reach a Site Coordinator, and after that, you can leave a message and your name and number. The Site Coordinator can be contacted again to track the progress of the case.

Suspected child abuse or maltreatment should also be reported. The law requires that you have reasonable cause to suspect that the child is being abused or neglected in order to file a report. To make a report, call Child Welfare and Protection Services at (716) 858-6437, or toll free at 1-800-342-3720. You may also contact Crisis Services (834-3131) for further assistance.

Abandoned Houses

If one of the houses in your neighborhood is vacant and boarded up, and is a blight on the neighborhood, you should report the property to both your Councilmember and the Mayor’s Complaint Line (851-4890). The Erie County Health Department (961-6800) will also investigate problems relating to accumulated garbage, trash and debris on properties.

It is helpful if you are able to determine the owner of the property (see below for instructions), and find out if there is a Housing Court case already pending against that property owner (again, refer to the section below).

If so, you can ask your Housing Court Liaison to find out the status of the property. If not, be sure to request that the case is written up for Housing Court as soon as possible. You should provide the address, the owner’s name and a description of the problem. If you or another neighbor would be interested in acquiring the property, you can contact the owner directly or through the Housing Court Liaison.

Rodents

The Erie County Health Department provides free rodent baiting. The property owner needs to call 961-6800 and fill out a permission form. You also should call Citizen Services at the City of Buffalo at 851-5307. They will arrange for the setting of traps and other measures to eliminate the rodents.

Abandoned Cars

If the abandoned cars are on city property, call Parking Enforcement at 851-5832 to request that the vehicles be towed. If the abandoned cars are on private property, they can be removed free of charge by Riverside Towing. You will need to contact the property owner and ask him or her to call Riverside Towing at 825-5578. The property owner does not need to have the title to the vehicle, but must sign a permission slip, and the car will then be removed.

If you do not have cooperation from the property owner, have the property written up for Housing Court.

Property Violations

If you believe there are violations of the New York State Building Code or the Buffalo City Code at a property in your neighborhood (such as a damaged roof or gutters, high grass or weeds, debris, foundation problems, etc.), immediately call both your Councilmember and the Mayor’s Complaint Line (851-4890) and request that the property be cited for Housing Court.

You should provide the address, the owner's name (if known) and a description of the violations or problems at the property. The Erie County Health Department (961-6800) will also investigate problems relating to accumulated garbage, trash and debris on properties.

Vacant Lots

If one of the vacant lots in your neighborhood has debris or overgrown grass and weeds, the first thing you need to do is to find out who owns the property. If the property is owned by the City of Buffalo, contact Steve Stepniak at 851-5661 and request that the lot be cut. If you or another neighbor is interested in purchasing the lot from the City of Buffalo, you should contact John Hannon at the City of Buffalo Real Estate Department at 851-5275.

If the lot is privately owned, you should immediately call both your Councilmember and the Mayor’s Complaint Line (851-4890) and request that the property be cited for Housing Court. You should provide the address, the owner’s name and a description of the problem.

The Erie County Health Department (961-6800) will also investigate problems relating to accumulated garbage, trash and debris on properties. You may then track the status of the case through your Housing Court Liaison.

If you are interested in turning a vacant lot into a community garden, you can contact Jim Pavel, President of Keep WNY Beautiful, at 851-4370. Mr. Pavel can direct you to various individuals and departments depending upon the extent of the work.

To convert a vacant lot into a parking lot, several Code provisions would need to be met, such as those concerning paving, lighting and drainage. Call John Hannon at the City of Buffalo Real Estate Department, at 851-5275. He can explain the process to you.

Loose Dogs

If there is a loose dog in your neighborhood and you would like to have it taken away, you should call the City Pound at 851- 5694 during weekdays before 3:00 p.m. If it is after 3:00 p.m. on a weekday or during a weekend, call 911, and the Buffalo Police will address the problem. You may also contact the S.P.C.A. serving Erie County (875-7360) to report other animal problems, such as dog fighting or illegal breeding activities.

Graffiti

If one of the buildings in your neighborhood has graffiti, you should call both your Councilmember and the Mayor’s Complaint Line (851-4890) and request that the property be cited for Housing Court. You also should contact Jim Pavel, Director of Keep WNY Beautiful, at 851-4370.

Snow Removal

For snow removal of private and public sidewalks and streets, call the Mayor’s Complaint Line (851-4890) and ask to speak to someone in snow removal department. You will be transferred to a representative, and you will be asked your exact location such as your street address, city, and zip code. After giving this information to the person, they will ask exactly what you need, so be prepared to give detailed instructions.

HOUSING COURT LIAISON CONTACT INFO:

Housing Court cases are now scheduled by district and each district has one or more Housing Court Liaisons, who are appointed by the City Councilmembers. The Councilmembers and the Housing Court Liaisons receive the Court docket before each of their scheduled days, and appear in Court to offer input and assistance when appropriate.

You should have a good working relationship with your Liaison, and should communicate with him or her regularly to track the status of any cases in your neighborhood. Also, you should let your Liaison know when you report a case to the Mayor’s Complaint Line so that they can look for it once it is called for Court. The current Liaisons are:

Niagara District (Monday-2:00 p.m.) - Harvey Garrett - 603-9762

Masten District (Tuesday-9:30 a.m.) - Daniel Benning - 884-2512
and Candace Moppins - 838-6740, Ext. 305

North District (Tuesday-2:00 p.m.) - Dave Spinda - 877-7534 and Al Killian - 875-6615

Ellicott District (Wednesday-9:30 a.m.) - (Eastside) Veronica Nichols - 803-5096 and (Westside) Kristy Palumbo - 882-7661

Lovejoy District (Wednesday-2:00 p.m.) - Rich Fontana - 851-5151

Fillmore District (Thursday-9:30 a.m.) - Michele Johnson - 894-0097 and Leslie Vishwanath - 893-7222, Ext. 214

South District (Thursday-2:00 p.m.) - We are currently searching for new liaisons in this district

University & Delaware Districts - Friday-9:30 a.m.) - Stephanie Simeon - 832-1010 and Kathleen Peterson - 838-1240

Or call me, Marilyn Rodgers, City of Buffalo Housing Court Program Coordinator at 845-2535

You also should know about a web site where you check the Court docket on line. At this site, you can search by the defendant’s name and by the date of the Court calendar.

Unfortunately, you cannot search by the property address, but we are attempting to modify this site so that you can do so in the near future. The web address is:

portal.courts.state.ny.us/pls/portal30/HSES_DEV.MENU_HOUSING_COURT.show

The easiest way to provide information to the Court about a given property or defendant is through your Housing Court Liaison, especially if you fear retaliation by the property owner (the Liaison refers to all complaints as coming from concerned residents in the neighborhood).

You also may appear in Court yourself on the date the case is called. You can learn the date and time through your Liaison or through the web site.

Another way is to write to the Court directly, to my attention. However, for the Court to consider the information, you must copy the property owner and the City of Buffalo on all correspondence. You can obtain the identity and address of the property owner by following the instructions above.

In order to send a copy of your letter to the City of Buffalo, you may send it to Gregory Heeb, Esq., City of Buffalo Law Department, 1101 City Hall, Buffalo, New York 14202.

Hope this helps a bit.

Marilyn, thanks for the very informative post. It must have taken a great deal of time to compose.

I hope that Newell or George decide to find a permanent home on this website for it. I plan on copying it for myself for future reference.

DITTO the post Marilyn. As for the wish list..I can see the day when most of those wishes will become a reality. The palpable momentum in development circles is undeniable and exciting. I forsee cranes in the skyline for a few years to come.

I would love to see all of these projects become a reality. Are these projects that were actually proposed or are we just wishing for them? I hope that the demolition of the wilson farms on elmwood avenue will become a reality. That buidling is the black hole of that prosperous area. Also, it would be fantastic to have a Barnes and Noble or Borders downtown in the Main Place Mall and to see construction on the old convention center ramp site.

Ditto the thanks to Marilyn. It deserves its own space here or elsewhere on the web.

My devoutly-wished for headlines:

City finds that downtown has more parking spaces per acre than any other part of Erie County; bans new surface parking lots; increases taxes on existing ones

Feds say, "We were just kidding," cancels plans for cylindrical glass monstrosity in Niagara Square; announces New Urbanist mixed-use, street-friendly courthouse instead

Mayor Brown appoints actual preservationists to the Preservation Board

just curious...why would HSBC commit to a new tower? they already have the tallest one in town and even if HSBC expands there is still plenty of room in that building. Did you mean M&T Bank commit to a new tower? I can see them outgrowing their building.

Being an employee here, I would doubt if M&T would opt for a new build downtown, over the leasing of one of many unoccupied buildings. We already occupy large office spaces in the M&T Plaza, M&T Center (Gold Dome) and Lafayette Court buildings downtown, as well as three smaller facilities in the suburbs (not counting hundreds of branch offices throughout WNY).

We are also an active player in the downtown strategic planning and execution. M&T has already demonstrated its commitment to Buffalo, but in my opinion (only), I don't think you'll see a new build downtown for us any time soon.

I'm also not sure what lasting commitment HSBC has made or will make to Buffalo. It's such a large international bank that it could literally transfer it's Buffalo based operations to another city at the drop of a hat, should it become financially lucrative to do so.

True true true, tons of scumbag tenants who dont give a crap

hey, my photo made it. lol

Multinational corps are not about to locate in high-tax Buffalo NY. The educated professionals they might care to retain mostly would prefer staying closer to home, and the clerical and blue collar work is going offshore as fast as possible. Don't look for major corporate investment in Buffalo real estate.

BTW I prefer working downtown, and did even more back when there was shopping. But when so many can't imagine moving more than a block without a car, and parking is a tax on every downtown visitor that's not exacted anywhere else, pedestrian-oriented Buffalo has a gloomy future.

Noticed no "open Main Street to cars" on the list - kudos. If the LRRT was the problem then Main would not be just as desolate beyond the underground portal as it is before it.

Eric S.

I strongly disagree with you on high-rises for downtown Buffalo. In fact you are 100% dead wrong about Toronto, Canada and its exciting, beautiful, ever-changing skyline. Height and glamour does equal success and this is precisely what Downtown Buffalo really needs. Lower buildings, we have more than enough of them and the newer low-rise buildings have failed to attract new investment and economic activity into Downtown Buffalo. You have to change the skyline of the city and allow new skyscraper additions from time to time depending on economic and business needs obviously. As for high-rises being undesirable as living spaces that is baseless, idiotic nonsense. If a high-rise is designed properly and built properly and maintained properly it is equally just as habitable as any low rise townhouse or row house. As for blocking sunlight, you have to carefully position new high rise development in certain locations to prevent streets from getting too dark. Design setbacks for the towers themselves above a particular floor level are also very effective in preventing a street from falling into a continous dark shadow of the tower. As for Delaware Avenue and Main Street, they are both wide thoroughfares and skyscraper development is very appropriate and poses little aesthetic harm to either major street. Elmwood Avenue is a totally differant story, it is narrower and therefore not suitable for anything higher than seven floors upwards to no more than twelve floors at certain limited locations. As for the so called wise person you quoted, he is really more naive because he falsely believes that all high rises are evil and undesirable and that is simply not true. It would be very wise and prudent to embrace height in Downtown Buffalo and to add to our stagnant skyline because our skyline has not enjoyed any major new skyscraper additions for the past 20 to 30 years and that is totally unacceptable because that means our city is either stagnant or dying. That is not the image our great city deserves. We have more than enough low rise townhouses it is time to add some high rise luxury condo towers to our downtown skyline.