The Rumor Mill
We usually don't like to spread rumors, but something rather urgent has been brought to our attention.
Rumor has it that the owners of a Cobblestone business in possession of the historic blacksmith shop at the corner of Illinois and South Park Ave., are filing for a demo permit today. They allegedly want to raze the building in order to create a surface parking lot.
With all of the positive things that are underway in the Cobblestone, something like this flies in the face of all the efforts lately to turn this area into a vibrant 24/hr urban district.
The block immediately adjacent to the HSBC Arena, bounded by South Park, Perry, and Illinois and Mississippi Streets is the only nearly-intact block in the entire Cobblestone District. The buildings are old industrial structures with plenty of character and can easily be refitted to really innovative uses.
Why the owners of any business would need on-site surface parking is really beyond me. About 80% of the Cobblestone is already devoted to being a lunar vista of expansive surface lots—I'm talking football fields of these! There is so much parking on these parcels, I bet an entire football stadium could be plopped here!
If we start losing important pieces of this emerging neighborhood's only mostly-intact block, the great efforts of developers and entrepreneurs who are actually trying to make a difference and build this area up will be severely set back. The short-sighted goals of any individual business should not be allowed to gum up the works.
Yes, this may be nothing more than a rumor, but too much of Buffalo's urban fabric has been swiftly obliterated over the years thanks to last-minute demolition orders that are usually filed too late for people to notice. Every time this sort of stuff is snuck past us, another piece of Buffalo goes down the drain.
Let's hope that it's possible to make efforts to convince the owners of the building that suburbanizing an emerging urban district is a terrible move and will only end up hurting the area in the long run.
For decades we have been systematically destroying our city to make way for car conveniences. Buffalo loses every time this is done. Let's not make the same mistake again. We'll keep you posted as more info comes in.
Top Photo Courtesy Of N.W. Farnsworth, Citysky Photography. Bottom photo: queenseyes
you mean vibrancy doesn't come from parking lots, blasphemy!!
This is absolutely ridiculous! With all the buildinng re-use going on in that block, it would be such a shame. Could another party. person or developer find out? Confirmation of this rumor is the most important thing right now, then action...
Let's guess who the owner is...
In theory, no demo permits can be issued without the oversight of the Buffalo Preservation Board, but a presumptuous City Hall employee, as reported this summer in the Buffalo News, took it upon himself to approve hundreds of demo permits without the Board's knowledge. He still has his job but we lost the malting plant on Niagara at Lafayette.
So we still have no protection against illegal demos, thanks to blatant, unpunished complicity.
According to Erie County Interactive Mapping System property information: DARRYL J. CARR (owner of Cobblestone Bar) is the owner of this property. 716-848-1930. admin@cobblestonebar.com
Also, the building is located in the Fillmore district.
Contact Information:
Council President David A. Franczyk
1315 City Hall
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 851-4138
dfranczyk@city-buffalo.com
If this is true let's hope that Savarino can get involved as well as the City to stop this.
And to think that this (and the rest of the block) could be demolished for something truly useful, like a shovel ready site if the owners only had a smidgeon of imagination.
It really breaks your heart to see vacant old building like this standing around when there are cars everywhere with nowhere to park. I was just coming to terms with the fact that the Granite Works opened on what would have been a perfect lot to park cars for employees at the Medical Campus and now this. I'm not sure how much more I can take.
Looks like you could make it into a cool bar. It's right next to the arena. I always thought that area could be done into a mini version of the meatpacking district in NYC.
can the blacksmith building be deemed a historical landmark? ;)
if this happens it would be outrageous!! I've had the pleasure to go inside this buildng and have to tell you its amazing.... i can almost picture a house of blues type concert hall or something like that in the building....
That building, and the whole block, is part of the Cobblestone Historic District, created by the City in 1994.
a couple pics of the building - 118 South Park, Blacksmith Shop.
FULL Court press 'New Buffalo' - This is such an amazingly cool little corner of Buffalo...go check it out!
I spoke with a neighbor. He thinks the owner's intention is to knock down part, but not all of the property. This is not certain, however. Specifically, neighbor thinks the old blacksmith addition (sand floor, corrugated steel, steel frame) is to be demolished. The brick two story section is not being considered for demolition, this neighbor thinks (but again doesn't know for sure). The owner in question owns both the corner (former blacksmith) and Prohibition (bar). The neighbor says the best way to get a hold of Darryl is to stop in the bar when there is a hockey game. Maybe people should do just that and ask him his plans (I won't be going to any hockey games soon but others might. I don't want to fight traffic just to meet this guy).
This place has tremendous atmosphere and character and needs to be preserved. It's places like this that makes Buffalo special. City officials need to be held accountable for the outcome here.
The blacksmith who worked out of this building was active as recently as ten years ago, I believe. It's one of the most savory little corners of the old cobblestone area.
In a city whose future could really blossom because of its past, this is one of the stupider ideas in a year full of terrifically stupid ideas.
This is a block in the city that should not be touched by wrecking ball. If you want to maintain a historic block that represents the birth and lifeblood of the city's old economy then this is the one. Too much history there. Downtown has too many surface lots as it is. If it isnt a ramp to house parking then its just taking up space.
what alot of wonderful and entirely ineffectual tongue wagging.
if your opinion on what type of buisness would be perfect for this space were at all relevent you would be paid for your opinions.
what you need to be talking about is whom to contact to voice concern for this property, and others in the district?
what do we join to be vigilent about preservation.
save coffee clotch ideas for Spot coffee, shut your traps, roll up your sleeves and get to work!
ever heard of the tribe with too many chiefs and not enough indians?
well they got THREE casinos.
if biniszkiewicz is right then i really rail against this article. Part of the lack of the development in this city is the radical preservationists obstucting projects. While i absolutley agree that this building should be saved...get the facts right before you a shake the bee's nest!!!!
M@
You have it backward. The preservationists are the ones propelling the city's redevelopment. Look around you. All those parking lots are doing nothing while the renovated historic buildings are bringing in new people and money
Gabe:
Great idea, you are full of great ideas, why don't you offer to buy this property and develop it!!!
well when someon posts an article on this website that says that a very cool historic district might loss another building, and is written to rally support to save this building, then someone posts that they talked to the neighbor and that is not necessarily the case...it makes one think that someone did not do their homework.
I hate surface parking lots. But we live in such an excitable community that this article can do more harm than good.
Cathy - hey, that's a great idea! why don't you partner up with Gabe and pay for half?
spoke with 3rd floor at City Hall...no permit application as of 4pm...call into the building inspector of record...
M@...
Posts and comments are different. I doubt that Gabe or other BR writers will "post" without having reliable sources in hand. On the other hand a "comment" doesn't always carry the same weight. And there's the issue of a neighbor possibly deflecting attention. Happens all the time.
Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. And all Rumors are based in fact. I do believe Gabe said it was a rumor.
And I also think Gabe wouldn't post without something to go on.
I hope we hear more soon.
What happend to the planned group not to long ago to have a city development plan. Such as tearing buildings down for surface lots. (This is one area that does not need more lots- it's surrounded by 3 or 4 blocks of empty space).
Did the new codes go in effect? Is this part of the new city code? If not, why isn't it? We need to make this a priority, before our whole city becomes one big parking lot and nowhere to go.
M@
Just because a rumor may not be fully founded doesn't mean we shouldn't be on the alert. In this case, there certainly is at least some smoke and fire, because the neighbor I spoke with (Jim Hohensee who has a business restoring cars) said Darryl did indeed come in over the summer and talk to him about taking part of his building down. Jim's impression is that the brick part will stay up. But he doesn't know for sure. These articles can be very useful, even if not all the information is spot on.
Well I really hope this rumor is untrue because making space is the last thing needed in this area...density should be the motive and if you can't make it, at least preserve it....as far as the last photo goes, unless it just happened to be taken on the same day a few months back when I was down there....these lots have been turned into a mini stunt park for dip shits..... I witnessed mutliple losers doing wheelies among other tricks on their crotch rockets.
parking lot...yea...another parking lot.
wow!
It's sad to think after all these years, some numb nuts still believe knocking down city buildings for a surface parking lot is "progress"....How dumb. You want your business to be surrounded by endless empty space (parking), then move it to the burbs where everyone has a car.
it isn't about the parking lot, it is about the owner of this property relieving himself of the burden of keeping up a crumbling building. It is far more cost effective to tear down and build new, then to try to maintain a structure like this.
Don't focus on the parking lot, focus on the building. This is more about the city than about the suburbs, people in the city drive too numbnuts!
Bastard!! Treating this property like he owns it!
Oh, yeah....
I'm working on trying to save this building right now. I was just doing some research on its history and I found this article. Buffalo, please help me save 110-118 South Park!
I'm working on trying to save this building right now. I was just doing some research on its history and I found this article. Buffalo, please help me save 110-118 South Park!
I'm working on trying to save this building right now. I was just doing some research on its history and I found this article. Buffalo, please help me save 110-118 South Park!
I am trying to save this building right now!! I was just doing some research on the Cobblestone District's history and I came across this article. I was hoping the building wasn't beyond saving because I want character to remain in this district. A parking lot for what building??? Buffalo, please raise your voices and help me save this building!