Excellent! I wonder if any of this catches the Brown administrations radar? I hope so. I still belive tons of houses have to be demolished, but TONS can be saved. It takes money and hard work.
Excellent! I wonder if any of this catches the Brown administrations radar? I hope so. I still belive tons of houses have to be demolished, but TONS can be saved. It takes money and hard work.
Fantastic. If you don't like you neighbors.. buy them out :p That's what my landlords have here on N Pearl. Definitely one way to turn a block around. These will be a fine addition to Wadsworth and after walking past these places twice a day for over a year I am really excited about this!
I guess this is one good thing that the desire for parking has spurred! I love the idea of geothermal for heating and cooling. As the article says it costs a bit for the up front costs but it is really proven to pay for itself in the long term. Plus it is such a simple technology that you don't need to worry about failure or maintenance as much as solar panels or individual wind generators. Part of the dificulty in installing geothermal in urban neighborhoods is the necessary space for the pipes. Perhaps that can become one use of some of our vacant lots we have strewn about.
So are the first floor commercial spaces going to be turned into residential or stay commercial? I hope commerical, I can picture an art gallery and cafe/restaurant in some of those spaces.
It was to be a funeral parlor...for that squatter's morgue down the street.
Thanks for the report. I've been wondering what was happening at the place...especially since I've at 19 Wadsworth in the late 1990's. Their project will really improve the street. Good job.
This is very good to see. While this has a good outcome, it highlights how incredibly short-sighted the City was in selling the parking lot on Wadsworth to a private owner. What was a public resource is now controlled by an individual, who apparently doesn't have an interest in being a good neighbor. Not only wouldn't he, as reported here, rent to neighbors, but I never saw much sign of sidewalk snow removal this winter. One wonders what sort of planning process was gone through before this deal was inked.
What a nice morning read! that end of Allen always had so much potential. Wish we could get people to do the same type of thing at our end of Allen.
@CHARGER I agree on the parking lot, we have the same problem on N. Pearl. The city sold a lot to Cathode Ray that was part of the buildings on the falling down 900 block. The owners have stalled development [of 900 block] for several years now as 1] they won't allow others on the lot and 2] they will not allow a developer a small portian as Fire escape route. Hence, the building are on the verge of being bulldozed. Stupid city? Selfish Buffalonian? or combo of both? you tell me.
Kudos to this couple. It's been a tough neighborhood, with Hudson Street in front and subsidized apartments next door and the Friends of Night People across the street serving as a magnet for homeless every day of the year. But this is the way to win it back.
Regarding parking: it's not ALL about parking. But parking makes the rehab much more tenable. It is difficult to attract and maintain good tenants, not to mention homeowners, without parking. Both pools are much deeper for residences featuring on site parking.
agreed, Hudson is vastly improving, this re-do can only help bump the area into fast forward!
Martin.. why doesn't the city just take a portion of the parking lot back. This is a prime example where eminent domain should be taken over because it is in all of the city's best interests to get the 900 block back into the tax rolls and away from fall on my head.
@ Wendes Jones and Kenneth Beaver;
Thank you, thank you, thank you for what you're doing for Allentown.
And a belated welcome to Buffalo!
Can I get in on the butter lamb joke--I feel left out. I have fond memories of butter lambs at easter, and viisiting my parents old house on Sobieski--how times have changed since the 50's-60's.
Actually, I should not of mentioned it in this post, this really is all about Wende Jones and Kenneth Beaver and what a wonderful commitment they have made!
STEEL, true but it is more difficult and expensive to drill straight down beneath an existing building rather than run horizontal lines (where land is available). I think that in order to lower the costs on geothermal it should get implemented wherever possible, if that means we need to use some vacant lands or our parking lots as heat syncs so be it and then in new construction or where those who can now afford (a more established and cheaper technology) to bring in the vertical piping.
Geothermal should be shared by more than one user to spread out the costs as well as the benefits. There should be some serious tax incentives for neighbors to combine their efforts.
this is great! the buffalo news also should do stories on people like them, let people know what good things are going on in the city.
Report this