A New Adventure Begins For The EVCS
Last evening at the Elmwood hotel discussion, Sam Savarino announced that a deal was in the works for the old telephone building across from Cozumel on Elmwood. The deal? This building is going to be the future home of the new Elmwood Village Charter School. I can't tell you how great this is for Elmwood and Allentown. First of all, the building is a stone's throw from the Allendale Theater where the Theater of Youth perform. Second, the location has always acted as a division point between Elmwood and Allen. Now it will draw the two streets together. Last but not least, the design of this place is awesome.
I have had the pleasure of touring this building and all I can say is that the place is mammoth. There is a huge skylight that floods the inside floors with light as well as the basement level where the Adventure Club used to be. Even the roof of the building is open to possibilities as there is a vista clear to Lake Erie.
At one point there had been discussions of art studios occupying the building, then there were talks of a boutique hotel, and finally a steak house was planned to open. All of these ideas eventually fell by the wayside and the vision of a charter school was born.
Over the years the space has been subjected to broken windows, graffiti and water damage. Many people (R&S in particular) have been very skeptical as to anything ever happening at the location. Every time the neighbors got their hopes up nothing ever came of the space.
Well the deal has been signed and the neighbors should be thrilled as to the new addition to the street. The building is located a few doors north from Allen.
Great. Maybe now Savarino will shovel the sidewalk, something he has failed to do since buying the building.
Very cool queensyes, but do you think they can add a few more stories to it, and what about the traffic slowdown on elmwood when buses and cars drop off students? The delivery trucks already create a nightmare and snarl traffic. In fact, don't you think we should leave it as it is so we don't ruin the tapesty of Elmood/Allen? I rather like the run-down look and prefer to tell people I moved to a regressive city
actually, all joking aside, I am thrilled to see that building being put to a positive use for the kids of the city who deserve a safe and secure school and neigborhood....well done
Martin, You had me going for a while. I was ready to slap you upside the head.
LOL STEEL i think I'm pretty much on the same page as you, just havin a giggle over the hotel thing...
That is exciting, but the question is when can we expect movement at this site? I live down the street at the Nickel City Housing Coop, and would love to see a school go in there. Also wouldn't it be great if during the Summer Time we could have some enforcement of noise violations by the passing motorcycles on Elmwood?
The prospect of a school is really good news.
Schools are a major reason people with families decide on suburban living. This will be one more reason on a ever growing list of reason for people of all types to consider ddowntown living.
Great news! A nice neighborhood school is an integral component in a successful urban neighborhood.
More school choice is a generally a good thing IMO. However, I have several questions/comments about this site. (1) Traffic is a concern that the school administration should be prepared for. I don't know how they are going to address it (with or without busing). The area around Tapestry C.S. gets very congested in the morning and afternoon. The new Elmwood Village C.S. location, unlike Tapestry, is on a highly trafficked commercial street. I don't see how they are going to address this one. (2) Another location issue is its proximity to other schools. It is a little less than 1/2 mi. from Tapestry C.S. and a little more than a 1/2 mi. from Oracle C.S. Most of the northern streets off Elmwood (at least down to Lexington) are within 1.5 mi. "neighborhood school" range of F.L. Olmsted School #64 (itself an excellent school). Seems a bit of oversaturation. I wish they could've found a location further west or a further south that is underserved (serving West Village/Allentown/lower West Side residents). EV residents have a disproportionately greater public school choice than the rest of the city. (3) Is there sufficient space for indoor/outdoor recreation? It seems like such a tight little space.
Last, to be a bit picky, isn't this location in Allentown so shouldn't it be the Allentown C.S.? Once you're south of North Street I think you're in Allentown.
here's an idea: put the HOTEL in the telephone building and the school on the Mobius block. hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
dang! I hate when moveable type "eats" my well-crafted post!!!
here's another attempt, as follow-up to (mine, above):
"better yet, put the hotel in the phone bldg, the school on Forest opposite the psych center (that section needs something!!!! schools busses would be easier to manage than on Elmwood, and with access from Richmond, too.) THEN, put 2-3 story retail/living combos on the Mobius block, which would be more in character with lower Elmwood blocks (like the well-packed Auburn-to-Ferry section). Here's the clincher… make the new-builds on the Mobius block available for purchase by shopowners. Just as there is a lack of loft space to buy (not rent) downtown, there is also a lack of properties that a business-owner can own (possibly live upstairs) and maybe rent out a second unit on Elmwood. This is the equivalent of owner-occupied doubles on residential blocks — GOOD for the community! If "Main Street" grant money is involved on this block, it be a way to make new-builds such as these available to "the litttle guys" — people with businesses right in the neighborhood they live in! Maybe a proviso could be written into the ownership that they must remain owner-occupied for a good long time and no more than 1 can be owned by any one person/entity.
Terrible idea!
A use for the sight is great news, the fact that it's a charter school is terrible news. Charter schools simply contribute to decline of the Buffalo Public Schools by syphoning off funds sorely needed. They also syphon off affluent, politically connected, and involved parents from the Buffalo Public Schools which the public schools need as badly as money.
I love living in the Elmwood Village, but its residents should be ashamed at their complicity in the decline of our public school system. Under the nebulous banner "school choice" we're really creating a separate school system for the children of the affluent and, most shameful of all, using taxpayer dollars to do it.
Selfish elites already have a choice - send your children to private schools or support the wonderful work of the Olmstead schools. Tapestry, Pinnacle, EV Charter, etc should be cut off from taxpayer funds which should be solely reserved to help a very needy, but deserving public school district.
Shame on Elmwood Village residents!
I really don't know about a school at this site. The building seems much better suited to restaurants, retail, studios, even a hotel. Heavy traffic here. And what about the school they are thinking of closing in Days Park? Will that become a vacant building as a school opens nearly around the corner?
Ray,
If "selfish elites" can choose which school they want their children to attend why shouldn't "Shaniqua's mom" have the same choice and opt out of the failing public system in favor of a higher performing Charter School. Which btw is still a Buffalo Public School.
I believe Tapestry and now this new "Allentown Charter School" will have a lottery for admission.
Besides if you were honest you'd recognize that Board of Ed still keeps a portion of the money state ed. provides/pupil. Most people don't know that...I wonder what they do with all that $$$, any idea?
Remember, vote Chris Jacobs - NY State Senator next week!
eliz. raises an excellent point. The Days Park school will likely close. That has playgrounds and is right on Days Park with very little traffic and a great open space.
By contrast, and I'm sorry to go against popular sentiment on this, the Savarino site would be much better for some retail or even commercial activity that would support the existing businesses on that street. A school is very insular and while some service businesses, like the coffee shop (excellent, by the way) or the dry cleaner (if they every actually open) may benefit from parents/faculty business, most of the antique, clothing, fixture, etc. stores won't see any impact except more pressure on parking (though Savarino does own two or three lots with that building).
I would urge the originators of the EVCS to consider the Days Park site. Much less money to invest up front and a win-win for everyone (except Savarino of course).
Eliz. - Outstanding idea about placing the new charter school in the soon to be closed Days' Park. What a great re-use and a better location for the reasons I mentioned above.
Ray - The arguments you make have been repeatedly exposed as being false. You and other anti-education advocates to harp on the same two things; (1) charter schools are all about serving rich kids and (2) that charter schools are harming traditional public schools since they syphoning off money from the rest of the public school system. First, there are a number of charter schools, Westminister, Stepping Stone, Pinnacle, Maritime serving kids from families on the East Side who are hardly affluent and who are simply trying to get the best public education for their kids. Second, it has been well reported about the astronomical sums of money that come into the BPS (in excess of $600 million annually I believe). The annual per pupil expenditures are enormous in the BPS. Also conveniently neglected by these anti-education advocates is the city's $1 billion (yes that's "b" as in billion) public school improvement plan that only assists traditional public schools.
First, vote NO for Chris Jacobs next week.
Believing that a business model can simply be foisted upon an educational framework is too simplistic and has proven to be a failure. Accountability is a must, but the means and goals of these models are not necessarily compatible.
Now to FL Left & BuffaloRoxs' arguments. You each propogate a myth I thought made the rounds solely in the suburbs, that BPS's spending per pupil is high. When simply looking at the gross numbers this appears true, however, when factoring in the amount allocated for the high population of special education children in city schools, BPS spends a good deal less per regular ed pupil than every other school district in WNY. Yes, funds are sorely needed.
FL Left, you also propogate the myth that these schools are open to everyone, yet through subtle means this proves untrue. Take Tapestry, for example. It doesn't provide bussing which hinders those not affluent enough to own a car. Secondly, siblings get first dibs on a slot in the school. With few slots available, few new students are actually admitted to these schools. Thirdly, as I am told repeatedly while talking with charter moms on the playground, charters can boot out trouble students which are rarely the top performing students. A side effect is the boosting of charter test scores which have nevertheless been abysmal overall.
As for BuffaloRox, it's easy to throw around adjectives like "anti-education". The fact is charter schools have NOT performed as well as public schools. When they do, as is the case with Tapestry alone (Westminster was a top performing public school when they made it a charter), it can directly be attributed to parental involvement. As a teacher myself (not in BPS), it is obvious that parental involvement is the key factor in a child's learning and consequently a school's success. You could take the Williamsville teachers and place them in East Side schools and it's not going to make a bit of difference though people like you have made scapegoats out of the Buffalo teachers. Buffalo schools will not succeed until we address issues of poverty, parental involvement, and safe neighborhoods. To foist the failings onto Buffalo teachers is to attack the symptoms and leave the disease intact.
I have yet to see a study, let alone a sane person, prove that taking money away from a struggling school district will actually help that school district improve.
Charters are a right wing answer to undermining teacher unions, period. Just look at how the Buffalo teachers are vilified when in reality their contract is no better than any suburban districts'. That is if you consider their contract valid in the first place what with their wages being frozen and their being forced into the same health plan despite contractrual language to the contrary.
Charter Schools' pedogogical methods differ little from public schools, but we're all sold the propoganda that they offer a new vision of education. What they're really offering is to undermine the public school system and its unions while providing separate and unequal education for the elites of the Elmwood Village.
So much for Elmwood Village's supposed liberal population!
For mroe information and some facts, check out a series that ran on the Buffalo Report's website a few years ago:
http://buffaloreport.com/2004/041108.medige.agenda.html
I like charter schools in practice, but I do think there are reasonable questions about them in theory. Ray's critique is a bit angry and broad, but there are many people who wonder what the growth of charter schools will do to the hapless kids who may never be lucky enough to attend one.
Is every child going to go to a purportedly better functioning charter? No. Some, many, probably most, will never be able to go to one.
Where does that leave them? Is that a truly public education system? I don't know. The more one looks at this huge problem, the more it seems that charters are a valiant effort but not a solution. In the short term charters are hard to argue against, but in the long term, I think they are far from a solution to the ailing public education systerm in this country.
My heart is with advocates of charters, but it's getting almost impossible to discuss or analyze the charter school issue with them; if you even mildly raise some questions about charters, my experience is that you get dismissed. "You're either for us or against us." That attitude will not help the charter movement.
Ray,
Before you villify me for calling you anti-education, maybe you should stop labelling everyone who supports charters as right-wing conspirators or elitest from Elmwood Village. It's so ridiculous given that parents across the socio-economic spectrum and from around the city are choosing to send their kids to charter schools.
As far as scores, again everyone looks at Tapestry despite the fact that all Buffalo charter schools other than Stepping Stone outperformed the average BPS score. F.L. Olmsted School #64 and City Honors are great public schools, but each shares many if not all of the elements used to criticize charters.
I agree that parental involvement is hugely important in both the child's education as well as the success of the school. I wish all kids had the same home support but they don't.
I'm not saying that charter schools are the answer to urban public school education. However, it seems that many traditional public schools have been in a downward spiral for a long time and charter schools, which are free of many of the institutional constraints of traditional public schools, are easier to deal with from an individual level.
it's great to see all the reuse going on... but wrong location for a school. first of all it is right across the street from a liquor store and a very busy bar. and as others said, that block is extremely busy and the school is practically right to the curb. we all know how kids like to push each other around. the curb would need to be cut for buses etc, but there is no room. it just doesnt seem right. it's ripe for retail or studios or lofts. imagine the Neighborhood Collective on steroids in this building!! is there even room for a playground outside?
If a school does go in this location the main clean up for that to become a safe reality would be to address the issues that the rooming house directly across the street may have on the kids attending the school. Does anyone ever really look into these issues before they come up with their "great plan?"
When a school is started, or when the school revitalization plans occur, these issues must be addressed for the safety of the students.
THIS is where the HOTEL belongs!!!!!! mid-way from downtown/theatre and Gallery/Buff State. Shuttlebusses running from Historical Museum to Tupper (since no one likes to use the busses we already have!)
Put 2-3 story seperate (if not seperate-looking) retail/house combos on the Mobius block!!! Use grant money to encourage owner-occupied retail, make the living spaces above not cookie-cutter so the owners might want to LIVE above their business, possibly a rental on 3rd floor? Who'd want to live that close to a gas station and across from a bunch of fast-food places? On the other hand, what a lovely view from the BACK patio and gorgeous parkways just steps away! And, the folks on Grainger and Forest would gain new live-in, invested neighbors. The more I think about this as a use for that corner, the more it makes sense for the COMMUNITY. (I should take the rest of this to another post, though… where it doesn't get lost in with the charter school issue. Which, by the way is NOT a good use for the phone building — PUT THE HOTEL THERE!!!!!!!
Ray,
Charter school admission is by lottery in which the poor and affluent, the powerless and politically connected, all have the smae chance.
And as others pointed out, the affluent and politically connected already have their kids in private or suburban schools for the most part.
Finally, charter schools do not harm public schools, the ARE public schools! They threaten only the centralized administration and the work rule-loving union leadership.
opps sorry for typos - "the same chance." "they ARE public schools".
This is AWESOME now the kids can go right to Cozumel from Grade School instead of High School and get their driking careers started early!!!!!
School prob wont happen here...due to Liquor laws...cant have a school or Church within a certain amount of feet from a liquor license holder (Cozumel) and vise versa...NYS SLA law.
I don't know momo, these kids have tendency to be bright, why would they go to cozumel?
What happens to the kids who don't get to go to Charters?