Buffalorising has been redesigned.

I think St Vincents and the German RC Orphanage need to be highlighted as being in serious danger and Im glad that you brought this up once again.

The Preservation Society needs a top 25 list so we can focus the publics attention. Right now is critical because the Statler, AM&As and the Richardson have all found developers or in the case of the Richardson the $75 million was finally released and a state committee appointed. Plus the Courthouse funds were released to which is move it or loose it for the Balcomb Chandler House.

3+ huge wins and 1 small loss...is pretty good but now we have to continue adjusting to the recent changes and bring more buildings to the forefront of the public consciousness. Saint Vincents and the German RC Orphanages are great examples of significant pieces of architecture to which we have utterly ignored.

What about St Joes which announced it was selling its existing building to Canisius...this would make a perfect school building for them? Apartments and/or offices would be great too!

And the German Roman Catholic Building, wouldnt that make great apartments withing walking distance of Humboldt Park. I havent been in the area recently but it might even have wonderful views. A developer should be rewarded not just for redeveloping what remains but for rebuilding it as an apartment building.

I implore the preservation society to publish a Top 25 list and update it quarterly so as properties get developed and removed we can add new ones.

The Lackawanna headquarters off Route 5 is another one.

Let me add one last thing if I may, the preservation society should be involved in the rebuilding of the western terminus of the Erie Canal Wharf...its a wonderful opportunity to bring back a turn of the century district and that is an opportunity being ignored too!

Lastly, we must face some facts here in my opinion. Large swaths of the lower eastside and southside (first ward) were demolished for Urban renewal while large sections between Niagara and Main are designated as historical districts. Lets try to bring back more of old Buffalo buildings and its street grids in the historical areas...and let new Buffalo arise in the areas leveled and fallow from urban renewal. We have the land for both...

Oh one last thing while Im thinking of it. For all those people who complain about old buildings and the cost of updating or renovating.

There are plenty of cities that keep the old facades or even rebuild the old facades and then put a modern building behind it. In larger cities like Boston or Philly they put a high rise behind the old facade so the urban density, the store front retail and pedestrian friendly streetscape doesnt change but the city can still rise up.

Saving old facades or rebuilding old facades in front of new structures would be an incredible way to knit old Buffalo and new Buffalo together, then reserve those large new tower like floorplans for those large swaths left empty by urban renewal.

Some clarification...I toured the exterior of this complex the other day. I have not been inside and no 'offer' was made. It was made very clear to me that the price tag would be less than - let's say a new volvo. I'll place any qualified individual or group in contact with the broker who contacted me.

The German Roman Catholic Orphan Home on Dodge St @ Parade is in better condition, structurally. In prep for the Tour de Neglect, I had an opportunity to tour the interior of five of the buildings in that complex. The Community Action Organization of Erie County - CAO - is the owner. According to the Building Inspector handling that property there is no open Housing Court file.

L...you raise a number of excellent points.

This place needs to be placed in good hands...very soon!

I had assumed that this building belonged to Cash Cunningham, owner of the Squires Mansion and the adjacent St Vincent’s gymnasium which has a “For Rent” sign hanging on its exterior.

How and why did this building become separated from these two other buildings since they were all, originally, part of the same complex?

And, yes, another magnificent building mostly ignored by the general public because it sits away from Main Street and is more noticeable from the residential side street that runs parallel to Main Street.

Considering its close proximity to Coe Place, this building should be in the spot light as another great building in need of resurrection

L,

There is no "preservation society" in Buffalo. There are these separate entities: the Preservation Board of the City of Buffalo, the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier, the Preservation Coalition of Erie County, and the Campaign for Buffalo History, Architecture and Culture.

Of these, only the Board has the authority to designate landmarks, recommend against issuing demo permits, and oversee the City's preservation districts.

Establishing an annual Most Threatened list would be an excellent pro-active project for the Preservation Board of the City of Buffalo.

Cynthia,

Maybe that is the problem with our preservation efforts. A lack of shared vision and unity in these matters.

I agree that a most threatened list would be most useful, perhaps a second list of 'at-risk' buildings would also help. I would be willing to donate a couple thousand, maybe even 10 or 20 thousand to assist in the restoration of buildings that had a chance. Unfortunately, we are 20 years too late to save these buildings as a community. We are now in a position where we must rely on developers or speculators to apply their vision and finances to bring these buildings back to life.

Let's not wait for the death throes before calling for help. There are a lot of historically significant buildings that are quickly heading down the same path that these orphanages are heading.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I applaud your individual efforts and I reference your website often. It is apparent that you truly have the best interest of the city in mind in what you do. I just want to find a way to help sooner, before it is too late.

David,

Same goes for you, I have been reading your site for quite some time, you have given much needed visibility to the decaying east side. Do you have a list of the "east side gems" that could should be saved? Unfortunately, awareness of the Transfiguration Church and Woodlawn Row Houses came a few years too late.

The City needs a designated source of funds in order to step in and take charge of decaying buildings like this. Perhaps a very nominal .05 % of City building permit income could be put into a "Preservation Fund" to secure buildings deemed to be worthy of saving - perhaps those 25 identified by the Buffalo Preservation Board.

Can anyone come up with wording for a "Preservation Fund" bill to be introduced by a City Councillor?

The building is beautiful - I've driven by it several times since the last post...but if you know the neighborhood, it's not like that area is going to clean itself up in a couple years. Artspace and other projects are only a few blocks down Main...but most of the major Main St. development is closer to the city, near the medical campus. I don't think Main St. north of Artspace is on the same time table as south... Main Street from Riley to Delevan is scary...a couple fast food joints, churches, NFTA police headquarters...a big neon church sign...but not much else. I think most of imminent potential lies to the south.

That being said - the building should not be destroyed. But - with the roof now partially down and no immediate return in sight for an investor...where is the money going to come from to at least give the building the ability to withstand the elements until the right opportunity presents itself?

The low income housing projects on Best and Ellicott will ensure that this area stays separated from the medical corridor. Given the current state of the BMHA, I doubt that there will be much improvement to this area in the short-run.

This area along Main Street has tremendous potential, there is a beautiful old Victorian style nursing home that sits right across the street from the new Budget rental car office, and there are amazing houses along Linwood Ave, just a few blocks from the orphanage. It would be nice to see if we could use these residents and businesses as the roots of the area, build off the history and use Artspace to enhance the argument for additional development in the area. Something other than a Delta Sonic.

How about a co-op preservation?

Also,
Wouldnt it be great to move the Chandler house on Niagara Square over to the new development of the inner harbor canal project. It would fit right in!

it's not like that area is going to clean itself up in a couple years. Artspace and other projects are only a few blocks down Main...but most of the major Main St. development is closer to the city, near the medical campus. I don't think Main St. north of Artspace is on the same time table as south... Main Street from Riley to Delevan is scary...a couple fast food joints, churches, NFTA police headquarters...a big neon church sign...but not much else. I think most of imminent potential lies to the south.

Right. I think the focus should be on one small neighborhood at a time. There are too many beggars and not enough bread to go around. Too bad, this is such a gorgeous building. :[

I fear St. Vinces may end up seeing the wrecking ball if it becomes way too much of a hazard to the surrounding neighborhood. It's mainly a victim of its location. The area's desirability factor is way too low for any private investor to pour the millions into this building it will take to restore. I'd personally like to see it very securely mothballed. Or perhaps dismantled down to the facade. Is there an inexpensive way to gut it and leave just the facade intact?

Sad to say but for now the building remains a hazardous white elephant in a neighborhood that can no longer support its existence. If it were a few blocks west of Main, this would be a completely different story.

Again, stunningly beautiful building, but a victim of its location.

there is someone who was trying to purchase a hud home in the general area of the orphanage. because he invested the down payment while waiting to close, into an account he shared with his wife, when it came around to closing he wasn't able to purchase the home on a name technicality. he lost thousands in the deal and lost the home. as i understand it, cash cunningham is the clearing house for all hud properties in the area. where did this guys money go? did the government take it? and or did cash make a profit for not selling on a technicality? the situation is f-'d up from every vantage point. oh, and also this guy just got back from iraq. pretty crappy way to treat someone who just faught for our country. i am told that this exact scenerio happens frequently. how can we hope to rebuild this city when injustices like this are going on? there's people out there, trying to make a difference and they are being had. so sad.

You all need to walk around this area before you condemn this building. It has tremendous potential. I will do a post in the near future which shows that potential. Don't let your fears and prejudices sway you from the potential that this building holds. The Squier Mansion which sits directly in front of this beauty actually had a hole punched in it by the wrecker before people came to their sneses and saved it. That building is now a productive part of the city. Every building lost in Buffalo at one time had those who believed that its salvation was impossible. The Larkin Administaration building is the poster child of buildings in the wrong part of town. It is gone but the neighborhood is now the hottest office market in the city. " If only" we had that one now! Old Buffalo could not see beyond its own self loathing. Here is hoping that "New Buffalo" can start to set a new standard.

For 'L' and Baloney and all others who think an endangered list is a good idea. The most recent edition of Buffalo Spree magazine did just that. Yyou might want to check it out. Also, the Preservation League of NyS puts together a 'Seven to Save' list every year for the entire state. Just type in 'Preservation League of New York State' in your search space and check it out. They also have a link to grant sources.

Yes, Spree did do a list—thanks for mentioning it—but it's just one list from one viewpoint and we can't force the owners of these properties to maintain them.

As Cynthia points out, a list with clout should be put out by an official entity such as the Pres Board, which can ask for funds and legislation to help save the buildings. Nonprofits such as the Pres Coalition, Campaign, and Landmark can work with the Board to raise awareness.

It is a good idea and should happen.

Steel, as you are in the know about a lot of things:
Is Canisius going to tear down the old brick Mt St Joe's building that they've fashioned their new builds on, or just the two "modern" attachments. And, please don't yell at me for being a simpleton, but wouldn't the front building of the Psych Center with all of its frontage be a good spot for a Hotel?

Sorry but I disagree. If we as a community decide which buildings are our priority then we can pressure our local representatives, local institutions and the housing court to enforce the full extent of the law.

To often they get overwhelmed and they treat all buildings equally letting them fall into disrepair and demolition but if a building or a group of buildings is a major anchor for a community, then raising the public consciousness of its value will both pressure enforcement and entice developers.

The lack of a list simply leads to business as usual and we have all seen how that works...ignorance to disrepair to lack of enforcement to demolition. However, in case you hadnt the preservation coalition and BRs postings have an enormous effect of enforcement and interesting developers.

And no Im not talking about some list out of Albany this needs to be local and this needs to be updated as buildings get developed. Havent we got burned by the ossification in albany enough times to hang our future on them. Their not Buffalonians! WE ARE!

Charter School?

A charter school would be an incredible program for this building...considering it was a school at one time.

The sad fact remains that we have an inept city code enforcement office that does not enforce building code violations and does not market properties that it assumes, rather letting them fall into disrepair. Also if someone wants to do something, they make the process so bureaucratic that it frustrates potential owners and developers from even thinking about doing business with them. This is the issue which needs attention. And this is the issue that we must petition our mayor and councilmen to correct.

The code enforcement office must have at least as much power and assertiveness as the bureau of taxes and assessment.

Furthermore it is not too late for this building, it must be marketed. If someone can start a website or advertising campaign with the ten most endangered historic properties in the city I would love to volunteer and help in anyway that I can!

Eliz. Licata, Molly and others...

A list would be a great addtion to raising awareness and interest levels in such an effort. My limited experience in these matters is that many of the various groups that represent the 'preservation society' here in Buffalo often have differing agendas and are protecting their turf for various projects. Such a list co-sponsored by a number of groups, with pics - website, history and contact information would work to Buffalo's advantage in attracting $$$ and people for the rehab.

Point is there is no such effort. For example with the Woodlawn Row Houses - primary objective of my blog - is to attract a solution to the City's malfaesance and ownership of this "local-landmark"...walking or driving by you wouldn't even know it's available for-sale. A huge dose of private sector marketing would go along way in placing many of these collapsing structures on the market.

Gabe...I disagree. This neighborhood is ripe. List to sell time is very short as evidenced by the 2-family on Northampton that just sold for asking price in less than 60 days. Unheard of in this neighborhood. It will only get better with Cash's deal to turn the neighboring Packard Bldg Showroom into apts.

Dismayed...I know Cash to be a decent guy to do biz with. Your re attorney should be advising you.

Buffaloney...

Thanks for the kudos...I believe the home you are referring to is the Bristol Home. I met an officer of that corporation last Spring. They were having funding problems. Their website is no longer up...

Buffaloney & others,

There may be disagreements among us preservationists (show me any movement without conflict!), but they don't divert us from our missions.

Lots of people have suggested consolidation of preservation organizations in Buffalo and on the surface it has merits.

We also have multiple theater groups--Studio Arena, Irish Classical, Ujima--aren't they duplicating efforts? What about the Albright-Knox, Burchfield-Penney, and Hallwalls--doesn't that dilute the arts? Do we "need" three museums? We have five Frank Lloyd Wright houses when we really "need" only one. I think you can see where I am going with this. Civic and cultural variety is good and more civic and cultural variety is better. I want more preservationists on the ground, not fewer, and if that means that another group hangs out a shingle, so be it.

If I was one of our Worst Offender Developers (we all know why they are), I'd breathe a sigh of relief if preservation groups merged. With three watchful groups out there, our Worst Offenders don't know who might do what. What would you rather fight off: one bumblebee or 50 mosquitos?

Oops, sorry for the typo. In the last paragraph I meant to say "We all know WHO they are."

Cynthia,

Surely you understand the difference between having a variety of theaters and museums and a variety of watchdog groups like a preservation board. In some fields, there are important economics of scale, and in others there are not. In policing (which is one important aspect of a preservationist group), scale helps.

So if I were a rogue developer, I'd much rather have the current mishmash of preservationist groups than deal with one, formidable, recognized authority that could use its imprimatur to move or stop key projects.

A bunch of mosquitos accomplish nothing - a unified recognized authority can accomplish a lot (see the Red Cross or other similar non-profits for an example of the importance of scale and a unified brand).

Steven,

Don't know about Canisius' plans. The News article did not call out any particular building and seemed to lump them all together for demo. That will be the subject of an up coming post. You hit the nail on the head with your reference to the cheap knock off buildings that were recently erected next to the Mt St Joes building

Cynthia,

The lateral hostility between preservationist organizations in Buffalo is a problem. We could have 30 different preservationist organisations in the City if they could work together. It seems that the preservation groups spend more time undermining each other and discrediting the other groups than they do on actual preservation of the built environment. When I say unify, I am speaking only in vision and mission, not in platform. It would be a shame if the various theater and art museums openly fought against each other. Imagine if the Albright-Knox board openly stated that the B-P board were a bunch of hacks who knew little about the conservation of art and art history...

Perhaps a list and corresponding campaign to identify and save commercial and residential properties that are 'at-risk' of decay or being lost to demolition is just the thing that the preservation movement needs to unify and gain credibility with the public.

BH,

We have only one Preservation Board in the city of Buffalo. It alone has oversight over preservation districts. It alone has the right to vote against issuing a demolition permit. There are many cases of duplication in local government but this is not one of them. Perhaps you are confusing advocacy organizations created by activists with regulatory agencies created by statute. They are not identical or interchangeable.

Buffaloney,

As the president of the Preservation Coalition, I enjoy excellent relations with Dennis Galucki, executive director of the Landmark Society, and Tim Tielman, founder of Campaign for Buffalo. (Surprise!) Dennis and I talk frequently; Tim and I less frequently, but I admire and respect both men and have consulted both when I want a second opinion. I am in frequent contact with one of Tim's most active associates, Chris Hawley.

Don't forget that the Preservation Coalition and the Landmark Society merged our summer tours this year under the banner BuffaloTours.org, which is proof of a high level of cooperation. If we spent all our time sniping at each other, we'd have no tour program this summer.

I not sure what quotes you're referring to--perhaps Clint Brown's criticism of the Buffalo Preservation Board last year? That wasn't lateral hostility between peers, it was a knowledgeable, concerned citizen holding a public body accountable, which is good and necessary in a democracy.

If that wasn't the case you were thinking of, please enlighten me with the proof of open warfare. From where I sit, I enjoy a warm, cooperative ceasefire.

You're right - strike the word 'board' from my post and replace it with 'groups,' and the sentiment stands. A group of small fractured organizations isn't in anyone's best interests.

So Cynthia,
What are your feelings about posting a Top25 list for most endangered buildings and/or neighborhoods on the Preservation website?

It would raise the profile and public consciousness of endangered areas on the eastside, southside, westside and downtown for us to rally around, pressure code enforcement and attract developers.

Look at the positive interest that the BR postings have created whenever they highlight an endangered building.

As for a list... wasn't Clint Brown et al. funded to do an inventory of historic structures in at least part of the city? Wouldn't that be the basis for any "top 25 list"?

Also, regarding the merits of one or many preservation groups, I, as is my habit, will give the Rochester perspective. We have one, large, old (dates to the 1930s I believe, one of the oldest in the nation), and apparently well staffed and well funded. The Landmark Society of Western New York (don't ask me about the name, I never thought of Rochester as being in Western New York). It seems to work pretty well and owns several historic properties, does great tours, and a lot of outreach. But maybe because its so large and "established" it seems a little reluctant to wade into actual preservation battles (Olmsted's Seneca Park notwithstanding). Or maybe its just too dominated by Rochester's WASPY old money conservatives who find controversy unseemly.

So I don't think that having 3 preservation groups in Buffalo are a problem per se, especially if communication and coordination is occuring.

I've been present at very cordial and productive gatherings of reps from all of our preservation groups. I don't think hostility is a problem. And I have heard that a list of endangered properties is in the process of being compiled by the city-operated Preservation Board.

The only ingredient to this I would push for is that the citizen groups (such as PresCo, Campaign) should have input on this list—and that may be happening or scheduled to happen, because there is also plenty of communication between the city board and the citizen groups.

So Cynthia,

What are the groups doing about this building?

No one has cared about this building in over 30 years, why should we worry about it now that it is about to collapse. Let it go already!

We should care about it because it is worth caring about and because all the others that we did not care about will never come back.

Here's what this preservationist is doing: using Buffalo Rising to marshall public support for saving St. Vincent's, which is owned by Bailey Robinson Inc. For starters, I urge people to:

* Contact the Mayor's office and demand that the owners of St. Vincent's be written up for Housing Court. My colleague David of FixBuffalo tells me, incredibly, that this building has never been to court. See:

http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/CityServices/MayorsCallAndResolutionCenter

* Send complaints about the owner's neglect to their attorneys at:

BAILEY ROBISNON, INC.
C/O LEONARD G. LONDON
5780 MAIN STREET
WILLIAMSVILLE, NEW YORK, 14221

This address comes from the database of the NYS Department of State Division of Corporations, which is searchable online at:

http://appsext5.dos.state.ny.us/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_SEARCH_ENTRY

If the voting public doesn't give a %#@$ about a building, neither will the City.

I am sorry, but we came to the table too late and missed the meal.

I can't complain because this is the normal path for action in Buffalo. Wait until a building is so far gone, then try to convince the city to fine the owner for not taking action 30 years ago. Do you honestly believe that the City isn't aware of the condition of this building? There is still a City of Buffalo sign posted on the side of the building, they know it is there, they are aware of who owns it, they don't care.

You didn't care until it was too late. Now you can say that you tried! Right! Sure! You didn't try at all. You have paid your respects and offered your remorse and regret.

Please let this building go, it is an eyesore for our neighborhood, and an accident waiting to happen. My kids played in St. Vincent's over 20 years ago, and the condition of the building has only gotten worse.

Put pressure on the city to demolish this building and put up something useful and worthwhile. Your efforts are commendable, but you came too late.

Not Again

Your tired refrain is what has gotten this city to the position it is currently in. Why not just get rid of everything of any cultural value just because it happens to be on the wrong side of town and its ownership has decided not to invest in basic maintenance. Your argument has been used successfully against many great Buffalo buildings including world renowned structures such as the Larkin Administration building. This lazy attitude is responsible for the loss many great buildings in Buffalo. The last thing Buffalo needs is another weed filled empty lot in place of a valuable and useful piece of urban fabric such as this. Take a look around at the buildings that have recently been brought back to life including the Squier House which is just a stones throw from this building. Would you have the Squier Mansion destroyed now?

I say NOT AGAIN ! ! This building must not be destroyed!

Steel,

I disagree, I am all for preservation of our built environment, especially on the East Side (where I have lived for 30 years). The issue that I do have is that most people have come late to this party, they were not concerned with the lack of city involvement in the late 80s and early 90s, our please for assistance fell on deaf ears. We waited too long to save the Larkin building, we waited until the proposal of a casino to even put the H-O elevator on the preservation map, etc, etc, etc. I firmly believe that we should work to preserve the built environment, but unfortunately the resources are limited and the efforts are so disjointed that they often fail to mobilize until the bull dozers are revving their engines.

I am all for saving the orphanage if you can assure the neighborhood that someone is going to move in and offer value to the community. A hulking death trap of a building does nothing for the integrity of the neighborhood and actually serves as a reminder to how blighted it has become. In this case, yes I would prefer a manageable lot that could become a community garden or park to a death trap of a building.

I am not against preservation, please don't paint things in black and white, just because I disagree with your opinion doesn't mean that I am against you, it only means that I disagree with you in this instance. Help Buffalo to establish economic viability through growth, don't waste our resources moth-balling this structure. This building has about as much use as the Buffalo Forge plant, and I don't see you fighting for the preservation of that behemoth.

For the record, I assisted with the Squier house renovation, and I am all for rebuilding the orpanage, if you can make it happen in the short-term. You are selling us a promise based on someone else's dream, that just doesn't fly in my eyes anymore.

cynthia,
Thats great that your using BR to rally support and for those few people that read all the postings....some read just the latest and will miss your posts.....YOU HAVENT RESPONDED TO WHETHER YOU WILL ADD A HOTLIST OF ENDANGERED BUILDINGS IN BUFFALO WITH THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS OF WHO TO CONTACT.

This is serious and a single posting telling people what to do isnt going to be enough....your post will soon be burried by other posts or move off the days page....and you lost your audience....you need to work together with your website and BR

Your logic is very twisted. It is the very same logic that had a wrecker's ball smash into the Squier before it was saved.

I don't care about the past actions or inaction at this site or any other. I am calling attention to a very valuable building that can be saved and should be saved. If it is renovated it will serve the city and its neighborhood well. If instead it is properly mothballed it will do no harm to the surroundings and will at least be available in the future when a use can be found.

In the present we should push to make the city do what it should have been doing by enforcing its own laws including the building code. There is no reason for this building to remain in this condition and there is no reason to demolish it .

I reiterate.....There are scores of buildings that have been renovated that are now playing a major role in the city's rejuvenation. All of those buildings had your same argument waged against them. Shall I list:

ECC City Campus (some irony there)

Martin House

Squier Mansion

The Mansion Hotel

This Place http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/2006/07/then_and_now_proof_of_lif.php

Guarantee Building

Bergers Department Store

University Club Building

Allendale Theater

The Church

5 of the grandest mansions on Delaware Avenue

etc etc etc

"Too late," "let them go," no one will develop them."

Boy, does that sound familiar. It's what we heard about 844-64 Main.

We ignored it and fought for the buildngs, and look at them now. Things happen, and historic buildings get neglected—in every city—but that doesn't mean you can't save them.

Of course, it takes concerted and persistent action.

L,

Re: a most endangered list. There's no need to shout.

It's always easier and faster and more fun to post an idea online than it is to implement it in the real world. I am organizing a meeting of key people in local preservation circles as we speak, since it was unanimous (and I agree) that such a list needs to be a collaborative project. I don't presume to commit other people without their permission. That *would* be taken as a hostile act and I have no intention of alienating people I respect and admire.

This is how activism works in the real world. There isn't nearly as much instant gratification as there is online.

Are you volunteering to work on this project?

Your turn to be truthful.

Cynthia, right now my time is committed to pre-existing projects and believe me there is a list of Buffalo projects that I want to put my name on as some of those projects come to a close.

If you have a need of my services....I'll consider becoming involved when that time is available.

The preservationist coming on the scene 10 years too late rings a familiar tone in Buffalo too. Things happen to buildings because people are willing to develop them, not because of a contrived historical significance that is suddenly deemed upon the realization that years of neglect has doomed the building to demolition. Do you want to do something for this building, then find a developer for it. Head out on a nationwide search to find investors interested in investing in the Buffalo area. Oh wait, we can't do that because we discourage non-resident investment in city properties due to speculation and flipping. Perhaps we could find a local developer who is just sitting on a pile of cash and can't wait to invest in this specimen of urban decay. Either way, I guess bitching to the city goes a long way in your eyes, at least you can feel like you did something.

What is your next focus, the burned out building on Main near Harvard / Michigan? Perhaps Scott Fisher's building on Main and Ferry? These buildings are pretty close to the brink of collapse and decay, why not do something about these structures, or are they on your 2011 plan for action.

I hate to be bitter, but to use the previous analogy, developers and land owners are far more concerned with the one bee than the 20 preservationist gnats that can easily be brushed away. To many people, the preservationist movement lost all credibility when they used the preservationist banner as a means of protesting the casino project (and yes, I am against the casino). Everyone knew your hidden agenda and it did a lot of damage to your cause.

not again,
lighten up...on the preservationists. Yes they chose the wrong battle in fighting to save concrete silos. Now if it was the Great Northern and ADM complex that would be different there is historical significance there.

But where the preservationists are ignorant not obstructionists. Preservationists are more partners with potential developers than obstructionists. Where are they ignorant?

Well they are ignorant lets say in the silos that line the Buffalo River because there has been no effort by them to pressure increased traffic to the Port of Buffalo which would reutilize those silos or contacting the North American Grain Exporting Association to invite our city.
http://www.naega.org/exporting/index.shtml

The preservationists are ignorant because they are partners in letting valuable buildings and neighborhoods decay by failing to bring attention to them in such ways as:
1) they could have a list of endangered buildings for each of the 5 districts in Buffalo: downtown, east, north, south, west
2) they have contact information for the preservation coalition but they could also provide contact information to local elected officials, city departments, police, etc right from their website
3) by putting buildings on their website they could raise awareness and help market them
4) by putting buildings and neighborhoods on their website they could pressure city officials to scrutinize them more closely
5) they could endorse housing judges, city appointments and inspectors and give them grades: F=enemy, C=helpful, A=partner

The preservationists fail because to often they are neither partners nor proactive....but wait until its to late and then jump in at the last minute. This needs to change and can change and must change which is why Ive suggested & requested for a more proactive approach in using the preservation coalition website to post endangered buildings and neighborhoods. Hopefully they will do that and expand on some other ideas (mentioned above) too.

Preservationists, at least in Buffalo, do not have the resources, for the most part, to be anything other than reactive. They are making a valiant effort to take a more proactive stance, and I applaud them. I'm proud to have been a part of the preservation movement when I lived in Buffalo.

I do respectfully disagree with the efforts to save the H-O silos as historic, although not because I'm pro casino. I'm most emphatically anti-casino, but I do not think the "historic grain elevator status" was a useful tactic.

Even if the preservation community had the resources to effectively market at-risk properties, there are some key challenges to that approach. One, the real estate community might take offense to non-profit groups performing what is a for-profit business and infringing on their livelihood. Two, it's pretty difficult to effectively market a property that may or may not be officially "for sale." If the owner doesn't want to actively participate in the marketing of his/her property, then its pretty hard to sell it.

"Bitching to the city" as it was called, is a necessary and sometimes effective recourse. I prefer to think of it as making sure the city is enforcing its own laws. There is no excuse for building code violations on any property and the lack of effective enforcement speaks to two likely forces: lack of resources at the city (i.e. not enough enforcement officers, judges, etc.; although one thinks that a good enforcement system could be self-financing through fines incurred) and, more importantly, lack of political will to enforce consistently and fairly.

Creating a "list" is much easier said than done if it is to be anything other than a subjective compilation of everyone's favorites. There are thousands of buildings, hundreds of streetscapes, and dozens of neighborhoods in Buffalo. Determining and prioritizing what needs to be saved is a significant task. And as I said, I thought Clinton Brown had a contract with the city to begin doing just that.

so make a subjective, not-for-profit, loosely prioritized lists of buildings that deserve additional attention and some love before they decay past the point of viability. Marketing these buildings would be easy through blogs and websites like BRO, give it enough attention and the local news media may just jump on board to bring additional attention to these sites. Preservation shouldn't be limited to vacant and decaying buildings, it should work to keep buildings from becoming vacant and decayed. Sell the historical, architectural or social significance of the buildings, those things that are heralded when the wrecking ball is ready to swing.

I am confident that the local real-estate companies and some of the development companies would be interested in hitching to that horse. Think about real-estate listings indicating that the house was 'featured in' or 'this historical..' etc.

Mobilize the local community, ask for a digital pic contest of unknown buildings in your neighborhood. Take a sunday and walk around taking photos and learning about the neighborhoods. Make it a grassroots community effort. Open the preservationist groups to the community, become a stronger partner in the community instead of an oversight entitity. This may help to remove the obstructionist perception that the preservationists currently have.

These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head, you guys are much smarter than this old man, I am sure that you could figure something out. If your groups as cohesive as Cynthia leads us to believe.

I'm heading to San Francisco for the weekend so this is my last post. I wish you the best of luck with the orphanage; however I still believe that it is too late. Thanks for your time.

L,

What a surprise. You have a busy schedule. You can't take on any more projects. Well, guess what. So does everyone else who you shout at when they don't promptly do your online bidding. I have a full time job and a needy old house. I do my activism on my own time. As long as I commit most of my personal time to civic affairs, I will never have a garden worthy of Garden Walk or an especially clean house. :)

The Coalition can't afford an office manager more than one day a week. I think Dennis Galucki at the Landmark Society is a complete volunteer, but he's retired with a pension, the lucky duck. I doubt Campaign for Buffalo pays Tim Tielman more than a token amount.

Under these resource-poor circumstances, Buffalo preservationists have a helluva good track record, or so we've been told by people on the national preservation scene.

If you want pro-active preservationists anticipating and preventing every demo-by-neglect in Buffalo, then by all means join the organization of your choice and start writing big checks, because it takes full-time paid staff to accomplish the wish list of everything the our critics say we should be doing.

Here are our websites for joining:

http://preservationcoalition.org/join.html
http://www.landmark-niagara.org/join/join.html
http://cfb.bfn.org/

BRO apparently choked on my last post, so if this duplicates one already in the pipeline and soon to appear, I apologize.

L.,

What a surprise. You're busy with other projects. Well, so is everyone else, which is why you have no business shouting at people for failing to promptly do your online bidding.

I have a full time day job and a needy old house. I do my Coalition stuff on my own time. As a consequence, I will never have a garden worthy of Garden Walk or an especially tidy house or yard. :)

Dennis Galucki is retired with a pension that allows him to be a fulltime volunteer at the Landmark Society. The Campaign for Buffalo pays Tim a pittance, if anything. I draw no salary and do a lot out of my own pocket. The Coalition cannot afford more than a one-day-a-week office manager.

I am not whining, I am pointing out some fiscal reality. Our critics and supporters alike have a lengthy wish list of everything that preservationists should be doing, and they're right.

But they're wrong if they think we can prevent every demo-by-neglect in Buffalo by just starting a website or calling up the realtors. (Damn, where's my magic preservation wand when I need it?) It takes full time staff to do everything the community says it wants from us.

If you want to see more proactive preservationists addressing more buildings, you have to write more checks to existing organizations or organize your block club to fight for the vulnerable buildings in your neighborhood. It is that simple. Every threatened building needs an organized consituency to save it. We have more empty buildings than occupants and activists in Buffalo. That is demographic reality. That is why I don't care how many groups we have, I care how many preservationists we have.

So please join the organization of your choice. Help pay people to do the heavy lifting you say you want them to do. Serve on a board to steer your organization in the direction you think it needs to go.

For starters, see:

http://preservationcoalition.org/join.html
http://www.landmark-niagara.org/join/join.html
http://cfb.bfn.org/

Why is it that you believe it is too late? This kind of thinking has been proven wrong so many times. What does it take to makje you into abeliever?

Too late for some things, but not for others maybe? It may not sound like it at times Cynthia, but your work, and the work of others is truly appreciated.

Wow, Cindy...way to invite people into your organization!

Keep on winning friends and influencing people....with a response like who would want to join teams with you.

If you actually listened to the suggestions...they involved more changes to the website (and you could find a number of volunteers to help with that) and partnering with BR and others to identify buildings neither of which would add a huge amount of time or baggage to your back.

Yes you need time and money and volunteers but when you actually do take the time to LISTEN you might find that people are suggesting changes that are time and cost effective...and allow your team to do more with less.

L.,

My name is Cynthia. What's yours?

I suggested that you help work on the things you say you want to see done. You turned me down. What's a girl to do?

You're still free to start saving buildings. You're a grown-up, you shouldn't need an engraved invitation to do the right thing. I supplied three links. Here are three more groups that need volunteers:

http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org/
http://www.darwinmartinhouse.org/
http://graycliff.bfn.org/