Holiday Greetings from the C.T.R.C.
On behalf of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, I would like to send holiday greetings and thanks to our many friends and supporters throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario. Your enthusiasm and support of our project has made 2006 our most successful year ever. We could not have done it without you!
As the C.T.R.C. enters its 10th year, we are even more energized and hopeful than ever! We have come a long way since reopening to the public in 2003 and we have a long way yet to go. As we look back, often in amazement, to where we were when we started, we are ever more confident that we will accomplish our goal. With your encouragement and support, we have proven that average people can accomplish what was thought to be impossible. Thank you all for a fantastic year. My best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2007 for us all! - Mike Miller, Treasurer C.T.R.C.
Mr Miller its almost 2007 and Buffalonians would love to know what the hopes and dreams and goals are for 2007, especially now that the approach and parking lot have been repaved.
will the tower floors finally get cleaned
will the mail and baggage building finally get sealed
will the concourse get its replicated lighting fixtures
will the cocktail lounge/restaurant get restored and reopened
will the waiting area adjacent to the concourse get replastered
so much progress and so much left to do...tell us so we can volunteer and help
You do great work! I respect everyone involved in the Central Terminal Restoration, you have accomplished the impossible already and continue to amaze the community with every step that you take.
Here's to a fabulous New Year!
Events at the Central Terminal seem to be the "place to be". This past year's series of well attended events hint at only more success in the future. This group has taken a building that was all but lost to saving a historic Buffalo skyscraper. Congratulations to all involved!
Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
Chris, I'll attempt to answer your questions:
will the tower floors finally get cleaned - the first four floors are constantly being worked on. It's a drop in the bucket though, when you see the tons of debris that need to be removed. With no working elevators, the upper floors remain a logistical challenge. And, money is always a challenge.
will the mail and baggage building finally get sealed - we estimate that it will cost in the area of $500,000 to seal the baggage building alone. We're constantly going after grant funding, but it's getting harder and harder to get. It is a main priority, however, should we obtain another grant that's large enough.
will the concourse get its replicated lighting fixtures - we have temporary light fixtures surrounding the concourse that replicate the look and feel of the originals. Permanent fixtures would be too expensive and unneccesary when compared to other more important capital projects.
will the cocktail lounge/restaurant get restored and reopened - yes! We have been promised a generous personal donation to go towards preparing the restaurant for use. Look for it to be reopened sometime in 2007!
will the waiting area adjacent to the concourse get replastered - No, unfortunately this area is the most damaged and requires the most work. Most of the steel rebar is so rusty that it needs to be replaced.
The projects we decide we can work on are based on available resources: labor and money. Most of the money we raise throughout our event season goes into general overall maintenance and repair of the building and grounds.
We are always looking for volunteers to help remove debris, perform administrative functions and to staff events. Everything we accomplish is done mainly by the same core group of people I identified in the photo. We can always use extra help! If you're interested in joining, we'd love to have you. Send an email to:
volunteer@buffalocentralterminal.org
Thanks again, everyone and Happy Holidays!
Mike - When is the next clean-up event? Do you have anything planned for January?
The next official annual clean up will be in mid May. Since we've been experiencing such a mild December, work activities have been continuing inside. You can drop by almost any nice Saturday and someone will be there, but we don't schedule any clean ups in the winter. It's usually too cold in there to stay for too long!