Buffalorising has been redesigned.

Steel,

Thanks for helping to shine some light on the Ward House and help us reach a wider audience. Chris Hawley has been invited to present parts of his Midtown plan at the next Coe Place Block Club meeting, at Belmont Shelter!

What's the deal on Artspace? Their website hasn't been updated with news since Fall/Winter 2004. There is a general assumption amongst many people that this project has fallen off the radar screen.

Is all of the funding committed? Has a developer bid on the project? Have the plans been formalized? Has a construction date been set?

I'm asking because you have a pretty remote chance of attracting people to save these homes on Coe if the Artspace project has joined the litany of failed urban renewal projects around Buffalo.

Artspace ..... The signs are up and the construction has started

This is a great victory for Coe Place and Belmont Shelter should be congratulated for finally responding to community concerns. We hope Belmont Shelter will take quick action in making emergency repairs to the building, including a gaping hole that appeared recently in the foundation walls on the west side of the house, exposing it to water damage and break-ins. As people in Buffalo know too well, arson and vandalism are serious concerns for structures like the Hamilton Ward House. The sooner this historic home can be renovated and reoccupied, the sooner the residents of Coe Place and Midtown Buffalo can savor the remarkable turn-around promised by public and private investments underway at projects like Artspace, the Performing Arts school, and the Packard Showroom Building.

Let's never allow such great potential to be imperiled when so many good things are happening in the city.

I would also highlight how the internet has been a wonderful tool in the process of informing and motivating the public to take action. Thank you to everyone who submitted letters and made calls as a result of Buffalo Rising and David Steele's engaged reporting.

geek...

The ground breaking was "silent" no Byron or HRC.... Here's my post:

http://tinyurl.com/oh8e2

Check back for regular construction updates!

New developments at Coe Place and the Hamilton Ward House will likely be posted at the Fix Buffalo blog. David Torke, the author of Fix Buffalo, can be a bit modest and underestimates his impact on highlighting the potential of his neigborhood in Midtown. He should be equally congratulated for making the city aware of how great Midtown is and how much greater it can be. Also, look forward to significant renovation activity as a result of architect Jim Rayburn's recent acquisition of three Coe Place houses. He is putting his money for his mouth is, and his presence on the street gave significant momentum to demonstrating the potential of Coe Place and the Ward House. If such a great team effort could be applied to every neighborhood restoration battle in Buffalo, we'd have many more streets like Coe Place undergoing this kind of transformation.

Thanks David. I had driven by the site about two weeks ago and hadn't noticed any new signage or progress.

Any thoughts on the lack of coverage by the media?

geek....

Don't know. No press coverage of the ground breaking at Performing Arts HS...I see this as a "sister-project" to Artspace. I posted about it and will have regular update about this project as well:

http://tinyurl.com/ebzy5

It was rather sweet waking up yesterday morning to the sound of diesel fired bull-dozers tearing up the 3-4 acre parking lot across the street from my house. Imagine the headline "Buffalo - Reduces Parking Spaces"...

i looked on the city of buffalo website and found that 17, 23 & 29 coe place are listed as city owned properties. Does anyone know if this is still the case?

This would be a great place for urban infill housing...not to mention the neighborhood just behind that is loaded with incredible victorians and doubles! i would like to see this become the first "hot" development oppurtunity in the city...low by-in pricing and some speculative investment could make this neighborhood blossom over night!

there was a great post about Cash Cunningham, the packard building and the former complex (name escapes me) across the street. this could be the next Artspace-esq development!

Also there is a large yellow arrow surrounded by constuction signs on the building at Main & Coe stating the projects funding and design teams...FYI

on more thing,

David,

i worked on a study a few years back for the Bethel CDC housing, and town houses and discovered an incredible street called Ada Pl. I have driven down the street a couple of times since and more and more of these small houses seem to be disappearing in-lue of crapy suburban style houses. Maybe some attention needs to be paid to this unique block before it too disappears forever.

do you know of it?

M@
the entire wedge between Main Street and Jefferson needs to be rethought by Buffalo. The area is bouned by Canisius/Sisters Hospital where Jefferson and Main intersect, then as you travel down there is the Trico on Jewitt, then further south St Vincents and the Packard Building, then further south Artspace, Masten Park, City Fields, Masten Armory, City Honors, Humboldt Park and the Science Museum, then further south is the Fruit Belt and the Life Sciences COE, then downtown and ending on Swan (just north of the cobblestone district (aka canal/warehouse district).

This wedge has incredible potential as downtown Buffalo grows east. Infact, this wedge has as many assets as the cultural district off Delaware Park which is what gave me the idea of joining Masten Park, City Fields and Humboldt Park into a a major urban park.

Im think we need to stop thinking of the Main-Richmond Corridor and start thinking about the Niagara-Jefferson Corridor.

L,
these areas need tracks thru them, and i know that you and David have been doing your best to raise awareness of "The Wedge" as you call it (BTW that is a catchy marketing name!) There is finally starting to be some pub here with the Performing Arts, and Artspace projects. What i think is key here, is to entice those in the market for fixers. The buy-in price in this neighborhood is obseenly low, but the Elmwood village is still obtainable (in price) for the same type of housing stock, with a guarentee on the return on your investment.

So, housing and business oporunities here must piggy-back large development such as the aforementioned two projects to create a market.

Coe Place is an excellent place to start! It has such unique character and is centrally located. Could this spin off to the redevleopment of the Woodlawn Rowhouses? or the Packard building? Or investment on Laurel Street, or even Main Street for that matter?

M@

Ada Place is way cool. I've been photographing that neighborhood and will probably start focusing on it, as well. Very unique street, longer than Coe Place, with the same potential.

Also, the City owned empty lots that you mention above are being sought after by Belmont Shelter. While I agree with you about the "totally unique infill" that doesn't appear to be on their agenda. For the time being I would think it would be better to offer this lots to Coe Place homeowners.

If you sift through my "Artspace Archive" you'll notice that I've identified a number of very unique homes - the likes of which, dwarf Allentown (no offense) and the EV....Entry price $1 for most of them...

L....

Again, love the vision....

By the way, the arial view that acompanies this piece will look quite different in less than a year's time. With Artspace under construction the giant parking lot behind the main building will soon be filled with new artist townhouses. The design for these buildings looks very contemporary and exciting and will create a new dense and sophisticated urban vilage in this now bleak area.

Are there any renderings of these townhouses? Can they be posted?

Just an update on Artspace: all the funds are in place, construction has begun (Savarino is the construction manager), completion looking like spring 2007.

Artspace is the developer--they are actually a non-profit real estate developer. They also own the building at the corner of Coe and Main, I don't believe they have a program for it yet but there are lots of ideas.

In terms of press, there has been a lot to date, and I think Artspace wanted to wait til some work was done before they had another event. I am told they want to have a big party for artists/the arts/the neighborhood in early September, so stay tuned for that announcement.

There will likely be a story on BRO shortly with some pictures of Artspace projects in other cities; in the meantime drawings of the Buffalo project - including the new build townhouses - are accessible on the HHL Architects site, www.hhlarchitects.com.

Coe Place is a very exciting possibility, as are many of the streets mentioned in this thread. One of the important effects of Artspace projects is the energy they bring to the neighborhoods around them. I am also excited to hear that other people know Ada Place, it is a favorite of mine and hopefully not far from gettting the attention it deserves. If there are more questions on Artspace, do not hesitate to post them or email me at evah@savarinoconstruction.com. I am in touch with the Artspace folks regularly too so I can pass on if need be.

Best
Eva

What can we do here at Main & Riley/the Squier Mansion to help promote midtown? I read most of Chris' excellent overview and loved the fact that he singled out this corner as key to the whole neighborhood. Let us know how we can help. And--if anyone wants to come and tour our building--CALL ME!
Tracy Diina--876-8991
Literacy Volunteers

David deserves a lot of credit for creating www.fixbuffalo.blogspot.com and documenting things like Coe Place, Artspace & Buffalo Academy of Performing Arts. He has gotten the Preservation Coalition attention to create a bicycle tour of fabulous yet neglected East Buffalo architectural treasures. This post and its threaded responses show how bringing together neighborhood information and putting it in development context can have positive compunding effects.

Keep up the great work!

There are important projects besides the above 3 to put on the Wedge map - such as the housing conversion of the Packard building, the proposed renovation of the Post Office on Main Street, Belmont's new infill houses and renovations,
as well as opportunities for development like the St. Vincent's (sp?) School on Ellicott Street.

Art Coevpa...

Thanks. It's becoming a team effort!

Next PresCo sponsored Tour de Neglect Bicycle Tour is Sunday July 9th Meet-up is 11am in front of the Ward House on Coe Place! Details, on my blog....

Dare I raise the question but the question should be asked:

IS IT TIME FOR THE BELMONT SHELTER LEFT THE WEDGE FOR A LOCATION THAT ISNT GENTRIFYING AND CLOSER TO THE NEEDS OF ITS PATRONS.

IS THE BELMONT SHELTER HOLDING BACK BUYERS IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THEY DONT WANT TO LIVE NEXT TO A SHELTER. THIS MAY BE A PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR PARENTS WITH KIDS.

We have to reallize that people are drawn to certain locations and repulsed by others. Yes we need shelters. They do great work for the community and those in need but they need to be discrete or they risk promoting a higher risk neighborhood or worse a backlash that repusles buyers from locating nearby.

Belmont Shelter does not provide a homeless shelter on Main Street. Their name, services offered and physical appearance do give the distinct impression that there could be transitional, homeless, AIDS, disabled, veterans or other housing there. I would welcome an architectural and functional critique of the facility in order to consider what the next best thing that Belmont can do with their Main Street building.

Perhaps the highest and best use for the site could now be combined retail and housing, perhaps a for-profiit tax paying entity that can strengthen the Main Street corrider, help bridge the East Side - West Side rift, while taking advantage of the $18 Million+ combined investment from Buffalo Public Schools, ArtSpace (also publically financed), Delta Sonic, Cash Cunningham's Packard Building and Squire Mansion, Kepa 3 Gallery, Mid-City Office.

Proceeds from Belmont's sale would further help them deliver their core housing mission and in turn allow them to develop decent housing. A win-win for all!

Dear Names Create Perceptions,
Considering all the abandoned and foreclosed buildings in Buffalo, they could easily take ownership of one of the citys properties for $1 - $1000 and leasing the current location of the Belmont Shelter which would provide a monthy revenue for their services.

Main Street has gentrified enough where they could get a good price on either a sale or lease and that could provide powerful revenue. Its the same mission regardless of the location and it only makes sense that the less expensive the location....the closer they will be to people who need their services.

Its a thought worth considering.