Buffalorising has been redesigned.

This is spectacular! ! ! ! ! !

Looks interesting, Who is the architect?

Beyond stunning, it's inspired design ...and adaptive. Perfect fit. Kudos to Cornerstone for yet another valuable project---it is really making a positive difference in the community. Can't wait to see this site flying (sorry) again.

I would love to see more renerings and/or plans, but WOW! Sharp design! i like the transparency.

Isn't the Curtiss Wright factory a protected landmark? I thought I read once that it was.

Congratulations Buffalo on 150+ new laundry jobs being brought to Buffalo and another re-use for our industrial buildings.

This is really going to help out the eastside which deserves more attention, more jobs, more respect, more businesses and more new development!

Now if we can only attract companies that create high paying white collar knowledge based jobs to our city so that the kids going to college can find jobs here too

Any news on what sort of financing is involved in this project? Federal, state or private?

amazing. this adaptive re-use is really ideal. taking an old building on the east side, reusing old factory space, and making a statement with the design has to be what buffalo likes.

the east side deserves this and the neighborhood warrants as much attention if not more than the elmwood strip. elmwood needs less help and if people really wanted to get their hands dirty and work a little the east side would be more than welcoming. the east side is in essence half the city, more should be done to improve the area.

moreover i like the past post on old negected east side buildings. and the new posts on this structure and new apartments on broadway. maybe these are signs of a better future.

I'm not so sure about the design fitting in. Isn't the building protected? Should we have the preservationists scope this out? I know this neighborhood and the other structures around the area call for something a little more traditional in my estimation. Is ther going to be a public hearing?

As far as I can tell, the Curtiss-Wright factory is not a designated landmark. For a list of Buffalo buildings, sites, and districts that ARE designated, see:

http://ah.bfn.org/a/landmks/landmks6.html

Bman -

Let it go... we get it, you're upset about the Elmwood Ave fiasco from BPAC and the hotel. I agree that the people who made it difficult on the hotel proposal were NIMBY's and we need to move past such simplistic outcry.

BUT, BRO also has to move on. There is a very unhealthy post culture growing here... and I admit, I've posted a few things I've regretted upon rereading, but we need to move ahead. The sarcasm and rehashing over the Elmwood issues only causes confusion to people who can't read the sarcasm or leads to he said she said posting which gets all of us nowhere.

Amen on the unhealthy post culture growing at Buffalo Rising. I've been inches away from giving up on this site because of it. There's nothing much that can be done about it, but it is interesting that it only seems to happen on the City page. Why don't readers get into disputes over differing opinions on the Yum! page?

As for the building, it's great to see more glass entering city limits. We really need more light airy design like this to balance all that concrete and masonry. In particular, New Era's plans for the old Federal Reserve building give me hope that something might be done with the windowless courthouse someday.

Tim -

I don't know, but its the reason I left Buffalo Issue Alerts back in 2003... Cynthia Van Ness is a great person and is so dedicated to this city, this isn't meant to be against her, but I left after the same old same old arguments and flare ups happened over and over again.

Maybe posters to BRO should be required to sign in?

'Wright Place' ? Hmm....I like it a lot. But a BRO post that THE Larkin Bldg will rise again would be orgasmic. See:
http://www.buffalorising.com/arts/archives/2006/03/its_a_lego_larkin.php

This is a genuine question:

What motivates this calliber of architectural investment in an area much maligned, near RR, etc? (Why spend $$ on a building that looks this good, doing light industrial outside of downtown core?)

Please do not flame, call me a suburbanist, or claim I am Mobius' funboy. Knowledgable responses encouraged, where know-it-alls may move along...

I think we need to see the entire city as an area for ripe development. Put it this way, why would a company invest this much in a neighborhood as described above without knowing or at least having confidence that the area will come back?

The stirring of the job pot isn't bad either. In my neck of the woods, we're looking to expand developing businesses minds to hiring from the surrounding neighborhoods, even if it is a guarenteed percentage to be considered.

But, with each possibility like this, is a renewed interest by the homeowners and residents in their neighborhood. The partnering beween businesses and neighborhoods can lead to so much more than another new business, another new development or building.

Remember, a business is only as good as the neighbors that suround it. A smart business gets involved with the neighborhood and it's revitalization, if need be.

Its great. Dont get me wrong but its a giant laundry facility.

I wouldnt turn down any job or company moving to Buffalo but this isnt going to have a huge spin off for our economy. No business is going to say....hey...its strategically important for me to locate my business close to my launderer. Its not going to have alot of spin off to other supporting industries and companys.

There are plenty of kids that arent going to college and believe me I am glad that there are opportunities and jobs opening up....but we also need to be creating knowledge based jobs to keep our college kids here too.

I like the eastside and it definitely deserves more economic growth and more respect from the rest of the city. Congratulations. Now lets fill the next empty factory with more jobs!

Unhealthy post culture? Not really.

From where I sit, the City's East side, I welcome divergent points of view that don't conform to my views. Most people are using an alias when they post and real identities are only known to a few I suppose.

After years of having only one newspaper in town, I welcome the conversation, cross posting from other blogs, and the conversation that gets pretty ripe sometimes, too. I mean do you really want to be in lock-step with everyone else?

Just keep it sort of on topic, pithy is preferred but keep the personal, private. People who are new to the blogosphere catch on pretty quick and if they are not interested in the conversation that's developing or don't want to participate, they'll come back.

As far as the instenstiy of the "city" conversation here on BRO...I think this has to do with the intersection of two developments. The ease of accessing this medium and the simple fact that here in Buffalo we now have dozens of projects on the radar screen...finally.

My two cents...

Thanks for your attention to my post Edward Street. I do find it interesting that you assume I am being sarcastic or that I harbor residual anger over the Elmwood-Forest Hotel issue. I didn't realize you were keeping track of my posts: do you have a bman file? I guess since its only the east side, however, we do not need to worry about such things as preservationist overseers and appropriate architectural integration for new or rehabbed facilities. My post is not sarcastic. To me it merely points out that we need to exercise the same standards for all areas of the city. Specifically I was reacting to an earlier post by jaycoz: "...and if people really wanted to get their hands dirty and work a little the east side would be more than welcoming." I find this kind of commentary rather offensive, elitist, actually. That somehow because its the east side (or only a laundry facility) we can let the project get through without casting a discerning eye. Generally I am finding, increasingly, that the BR site has become a haven for malcontents and that the "webmasters" enjoy the privilege of editing and commenting on posts long after the topic has exhausted itself as an issue of immediate concern or interest. And your suggestion to Tim that we be "required" to sign in? Count me out.

Bman,

While I don't agree with a lot of your hyper-sensitive preservationist views, I do agree that the BR site should promote all points of view, and oftentimes I like seeing posts of opposite ideals, or different points of view, because it allows me to narrow down my own opinion and strengthen my arguments. How interesting is a blog like this if everyone agrees on everything?

The Curtiss-Wright Corp is a landmark of Buffalo, but this is a re-use project, not a demolition. The City of Buffalo has for years allowed beautiful architectural landmarks to be demolished or fall into such disrepair that they couldn't be saved. I join preservationists in their anger for these mistakes, and I'd like to stop any further destruction. However, I separate myself from many of what I consider "hyper-sensitive" preservationists when it comes to re-use projects or new development. My point of view is the beggars can't be choosers. The city desperately needs jobs and development to build back a viable tax base, and we simply can't afford to have big debates any time a project is proposed.

We cost ourselves the luxury of being picky when the city rotted away for so many years. Now, we all have to make concessions - I don't like the design of some of the new buildings downtown or the projects proposed. For example, I hate the use of the stone facade in the new Blue Cross headquaters being built - as Don Esmonde said, it looks like a horse & buggy connected to a space shuttle. But the city needs projects like that to move in the direction of prosperity, so I'll suck it up.

We can still watch developers and intervene when demolishion, fraud, cheap builds, etc... are apparent - but I don't agree with every development project being met with law suits, debates and meetings. Inevitably, people will always have a problem with practically any project - and while they have a right to express their views and promote consessions or the re-working of designs (like with the Elmwood Hotel)...if their views are addressed but not joined by the majority, they can't protest, go to court, and be sore losers. Cities around us start 20 new development projects every day while we argue about one.

I think what you say makes sense Matt B but I don't know any city around us that is starting 20 new projects a day which would equal 560 a month. But, I do get your point. I am going to have to become keener at weeding out the serious commentary from the explosive affective discharge often accompanying the announcement of development projects. Some day when Buffalo has so many projects underway we won't have to worry about such tiedious proceedings.

Bman,

I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic with that response or serious. People do that on this site sometimes, and its tough to read. I hope serious though.

20 projects per day was not accurate, just to make a point. I drive around Toronto, Cleveland, NY, etc... and I see cranes everywhere, land cleared, signs of new projects. In Buffalo, seeing one is like spotting BigFoot in the woods.

The most important thing is for both sides of the spectrum - preservationists and contruction-mongers - to work together. Its too early to tell, but the Elmwood Hotel appeared to be a rare example.

Its hard to believe that there is enough laundry in this region that it would require a facility the size of an aircraft plant.

I think its great that we are getting almost 200 new jobs...but why cant Buffalo attract high paying knowledge and skilled based jobs.

Im glad that we have these jobs coming to the eastside...but I hope that more effort is going to be put into jobs of all industries, education and skill levels.

L

Buffalo's largest employers are hospitals, universities and banks and government. Buffalo is not as blue collar as people think

steel,
Im not saying or implying Buffalo is blue collar

By the way you forgot transportation and communications, as well as, our material intensive industries from chemicals to metals to ceramics, etc.

In fact I wish it was more blue collar! We are becoming a country that doesnt make anything! I dont want to compare Buffalo to our neighbor one hour east because I feel that Buffalo & Buffalonians are superior in so many ways (GO Buffalo!).

Believe me Im glad we are creating 200 jobs for a laundry facility! I think Buffalo has a wonderfully diverse economy. Until recently I didnt know Kraft made Milk Bone Dog Biscuits in Buffalo and Cheerios.

I just wish the Buffalo had a Paychex or a Paetec or a Bausch & Lomb or a vibrant and active community of growing startup companies across a diverse group of industries.....a diverse economy from small to large companies.

Im really happy about all the new building activity in Buffalo and I applaud the jobs at Geico and this new Laundry Facility..but Buffalo is doing a poor job at supporting the creation of new companies! We have no Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Buffalo either.

As a city, we need to be putting as much energy into saving and growing our business community as we are putting into our real estate development.

It kills me that we (Buffalo - Niagara) lost the creation 1200 jobs that Wacker Chemical could have brought to our region because of incompetence and our business environement! So while we are applauding the creation of 200 remember that we could have gotten 1200!

Sodexho Marriott not only has the hotel chain's laundry, but a large catering operation here at M&T locations and elsewhere. I'm sure they'll have no problems finding a way to fill the plant.

I think it's a major step in the right direction for the east side!

its about time people pulled there heads out of their ass's and were just happy something is being proposed in the city. What do we want an old building to sit empty for the next 20 years untill it falls down.

You people are kidding yourselves. These are not new jobs. Someone is doing the laundry now at the hospitals aren't they? Yes, and they are going to be replaced by lower paid workers with fewer benefits. That is why this project is moving forward, to save the hospitals money.

Dennis-

The article in the Snooze said that some hospitals send their laundry out of town to places like Erie and Syracuse. ECMC, IIRC had a fire in their laundry facilities recently and presumably was sending their laundry out of town while waiting on this to come through, so that they wouldn't have to invest in new laundry equipment.

Jon:

It also said that they were going to get rid of the staff they currently had doing those jobs and 'hoped' that they could work for Sodhexo. Bottom line reduce wage and benefits for the people doing the work.

guys, we live in a free market economy^^.
if sodexho can do the job more efficiently and grab a potion of the market than so be it. the fact is that a facility like that can also market itself to companies in rochester and erie and the southern teir,etc and possibly grab a portion of their market as well.
i realize these are low paying jobs and will hurt some people, even low paying service jobs are plentiful in a strong and diverse economy.

I love the design, and the fact that this building is being rehabbed is great. But Sodexho does have a long and sometimes violent history of labor strife. They have a history of treating their workers like crap. These are wallmart type jobs, minimum wage. Im sure there are 160 openings at burger king and tim hortan's in this city as well, so what is the point. This is not going to keep one family from moving out of the region.
They also have strong ties to the for-profit prison industry.