How many neighborhoods can Brown and his flock piss off and still get re-elected? Did nothing in Albany, is doing nothing in City Hall....DC here he comes! It can't happen soon enough!
Freudenheim to Buffalo, "FU, and thanks for the bailout!"
How many neighborhoods can Brown and his flock piss off and still get re-elected? Did nothing in Albany, is doing nothing in City Hall....DC here he comes! It can't happen soon enough!
Freudenheim to Buffalo, "FU, and thanks for the bailout!"
About Rivera, I'm pleased to say that he seems to be becoming quite a preservation-minded councilman. I've run into him at four events just in the last couple of months, all preservation-related. And he's not just putting in appearances - he's very engaged (as Colin describes). At one of these events, he joined a dozen of us for a tour of the Kleinhans neighborhood, and stayed on the tour for a full hour and a half. At several points the preservationist leading the tour stopped the group and talked at length about the value of preservation to the neighborhood, and Rivera said that he wished several of his Common Council colleagues were on the tour, seeing and hearing what he was. And that wasn't just lip service - I believe something very much like that was slated to happen last week.
If I relocate to Buffalo, I'd love to move into Rivera's district, so I can vote for him and help keep him in office - he's one of the good guys. It doesn't surprise me to hear that he's working hard on this issue as Colin describes - I hope and pray that he can help broker a solution.
I was dearly hoping to make it out for the rally but logistics were against it. Platt4, it would have been so sweet after the rally to pack everyone up and pay a call on the Freudenheim's at their house (or gallery) as some BRO commenters suggested today - perhaps that happened.
RaChaCha, I couldn't agree more about Rivera. He is my councilman. He has already been to two of our block club meetings since being elected a few months ago. This situation is horrible, but I definitely see him as part of the solution, not the problem.
I don't mean to be picky, but it should be: KNIGHT, not night in shining armor. 8:00 PM is not Saturday morning. Should be suspected demo. UGH, never mind, there are at least five other mistakes in the article. I understand the urgency to bring this to press, but could you please edit at some point in the process?
On topic, It is an absolute shame that the City of Buffalo has such an arbitrary and unfair process for citing landowners for violations. This should never have gotten to the point of collapse. I heard from a reliable source that the "Immediate" neighbor had to evacuate her home and is now living in a temporary shelter due to this neglect.
I have it on good authority that a potential owner was VERY interested in rehabing this property into Condos.
We were already working on plans and renovation efforts for the existing building.
This could not have happened at a worse time for our efforts involving the restoration.
Why does this happen OVER AND OVER in Buffalo? WTF?!!!???? This is f****** ridiculous that these "emergency demolitions" need to be stopped by injunctions and emergency court orders.
I ran into Freudenheim at an art opening tonight. A friend commented to him that he probably wasn't the most popular person in Buffalo this week. His answer? "Fuck them."
That about says it all.
haha.. he has us pay for it, still owns the land and plans to make a profit selling it.. what an a$$hat.
HO Oats, Atwater, Falcon, Harbor Inn. . . . . . add another one to the list...
...and not only that sbrof, but when the building gets demolished at our expense, suddenly his property taxes will go way down. Because, in our dysfunctional city, land is taxed on built improvements not actual land value or development potential.
Seriously the city needs to wake up, grow a sack of balls, and proceed to lay the smack down on this piece of $hit of a human being and let him be aware that he is certainly not above the law and will be held accountable for his despicable actions.
If this becomes a galvanizing event then at least the death of this building won't have been in vain. Things have to change.
This travesty has made me consider, for the first time since moving to Buffalo 20 years ago, of leaving the city.
it is situations like this that make residents loose hope that the city government doesn't care and never will. It is easy to look in from the outside and say.. just another buildings... buffalo has a million. But it from the people that deeply care about these neighborhoods. Live in them. Invested time and money into them it is like riping your heart out.
I couldn't even imagine the pain it must have been to watch the 33 get carved through the east side. No wonder so many people left. I don't blame them. They can look back some 40 years later and say.. the city still doesn't care about the ONE THING that makes it truly special. We were blessed with dense neighborhoods, walkable communities and great architecture. Even down to streets like Jersey (how many people in the county could even find it on a map.. not very many I bet).
Utter shame and like other buildings and broken hearts also makes me want to up and leave. That is the power that these buildings hold on people and that is exactly why it is worth every penny to secure and mothball them when owners fail to act responsibly. The lack of leadership or basic F;n understanding by the government across the board to do ANYTHING leave me feeling empty. Why bother staying because by the time I would have children the details and richness of our city will have been demolished. And not for growth or change or prosperity but for shovel ready sites, parking lots and weed covered lots.
No one should even begin to feel sorry for emphasize with Mr. Freudenheim over his financial abilities to secure this building or sell it at a slight loss . He hails from a very wealthy family. Shame on Bob and Nina.
The family has been privileged for quite some time, going back many decades beginning in Germany. If I recall my history correctly, once upon a time the Freudenheims owned the largest logging and timber operation in pre-WWII Berlin until they had to flee from the Nazis because of their ethnic disposition. Buffalo, NY provided a warm, welcoming place for the family to thrive in America. It's nice to see their descendants paying back this city so kindly with nothing but kindness, gratitude, and respect....
While I do think this is important because of the elitist and greedy nature of his CRIME,,I also know that buildings are not the future of the this city. How dear and near to the heart the community feels about this building while there are serious and tragic stories unfonlding all around. Again, the predominantly white, middle-class community is devoting it's most precious energy to protect their own assests. Head west a little down the street and ask some families on the West Side what are the most critical issues they face in their day to day lives!! Is it a Terra Cotta horse head?? Go team!!
While I do think this is important because of the elitist and greedy nature of his CRIME,,I also know that buildings are not the future of the this city. How dear and near to the heart the community feels about this building while there are serious and tragic stories unfonlding all around. Again, the predominantly white, middle-class community is devoting it's most precious energy to protect their own assests. Head west a little down the street and ask some families on the West Side what are the most critical issues they face in their day to day lives!! Is it a Terra Cotta horse head?? Go team!!
Oh, THAT Freudenheim? I thought it was just a name coincidence.
What's so much more offensive than the continuous and blatant NEGLECT is that we will be footing the bill.
Something needs to be done in this city, and something should be done to him. These old buildings are what give our city it's charm. Every time you read a tourism piece about Buffalo, it's the architecture that gets mentioned. We can't keep letting these greedy bastards sit on these buildings in disrepair so they can try to get top dollar.
The inspections department in Buffalo is so horribly broken. (coming from first hand knowledge trying to get all the La Nova's houses on the West side taken care of, wish BR would do a story on them...)
Its 11 a.m.
Does anybody have any news? Did the building survive the 8 a.m. demolition schedule this morning?
The local blogosphere has reported nothing so far.
This was all too fast and convienient. City response was all too quick. This gent is connected to someone in city hall. the whole scenario sounds pre arranged. All it takes is a weak beam and a sledge hammer to put the gears in motion.
They are tearing this building down as I write. This sickens me. City hall should be ashamed of its self. Sham on Lord Brown and his posse of marry building inspectors. CITY HALL IS A JOKE!
What an utter disgrace and an indictment of the bad job the City of Buffalo inspections department does. City government has failed to protect our communities heritage and allows the rich and elite to strip mine Buffalo.
What a pathetic city we live in when all they can do is tear down and replace with boxes made of substandard and flimsy materials.
Sad how ignorant the world has become.
When do people start thinking of the "we" and not the "me". I'm sure Freudenheim does not need the money all that bad! Look at Ciminelli, he's no saint but he does work with the people and the city... example the Cyclorama Building. Many other projects around the city have "worked" for all (The Graniet Works) Amherst Development Group. Something could have been done!!! What a F***ING ass I hope I see him at an art show!
can someone explain to me how this works...the people pay for this guy to make money? if the tax payers have to pay and choose what buildings are torn down, why doesnt everyone chip in an extra dollar or two and have this guy's house torn down......
if you want to reap the benefits you have to put in the work yourself..
Robert L & Nina R Freudenheim home 1 Penhurst Park Buffalo, NY 14222-1013 (716) 882-5555
I was down there at about 12:30. The roof had been taken down, bu the walls were still up. Apparently an injunction was issued this morning, and it was delivered to the site just before I got there. I had to leave, but I did see a small truck pack up and start to drive off before I left. I don't know if anything has changed in the interim.
Well thank God for guys like Colin.
Colin, you are the only one so far in our local blog universe that bothered to post the skinny on this story.
Since 98% of us hate that sleaze Bob Freudenheim here ya go
Robertrlf@aol.com
Hope it still works. Call him an a-hole
Perhaps we need to hit the shithead where it hurts...in his no doubt wonderful personal lifestyle; post his photo so that bartenders and servers stop taking his orders. Or, post his home address and picket there. Douchebags like this don't care what "we" think, but they very much care what the other members of their club think!
this is what i sent to his e-mail.....heeheehee ;
on behalf of the good people of the City of Buffalo , i would like to say ;
{deleted}!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS FOR MURDERING A BEAUTIFUL PART OF OUR CITIES WONDERFUL AND STORIED ARCHITECTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE.YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN AN URBAN VAMPIRE BLEEDING OUR CITY DRY FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH AND DISGUSTINGLY GREEDY PERSONAL GAINS . I AS WELL AS 50 OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL BE WRITING OUR CONGRESSMAN , COUNCILMAN , SENATOR AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL . TO SEE THAT IN SOME WAY OR FORM YOU ARE PUNISHED FOR THIS "CRIME " OF WHICH YOU HAVE PERPETRATED AGAINST OUR FAIR CITY. I THINK I SPEAK FOR ALOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHEN I SAY FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE YOU CAN BOTH GO TO HELL , PLEASE ? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
UPDATE!
Thank you to everyone who came to the rally on Friday - your hard work, time, and endless amount of support helped Save the Livery stop the demolition, for the time being!! If anything is proof that we can make a difference this is! And, here is our next cry for help ...
our next rally is Sunday, June 15th, 1 pm - location TBA - please check savethelivery.com on Sunday morning for the location.
CHECK savethelivery.com for updates and please spread the word to every proud Western New Yorker you know. We are making a difference, and we could use your help!!
Demolish Buffalo's Slum Lord's and Vote Out Judges Who Are Soft On Them.
Vote Out Judges Who Give Probation To Arsonists Who Do Serious Injury to Police and Firefighters.
Outrage that Firefighter Reed had to be brought back from death twice and is now missing one leg and the juvenile with a previous arrest got probation??????????
Outrage that Nothing Is Being Done About The Abuse caused vy absentee Landlords.
Outrage At The Boom Cars In This City. It goes on and on and the citizens get laws that are not enforced and constant chaos.
I created an event announcement on Facebook -- please spread the word:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=21688042925&ref=mf
KLW - anyone doing anything for the neighbors who are living in a hotel while you launch this crusade?
Come in late to save the building but F*** the neighbors in the process. My suggestion is that you reach out to M, A, and her grandmother to see what they feel about having bricks falling on their house while you work to stop demolition on a property that will probably continue to crumble until it finally becomes to unsafe to remain standing. Meanwhile, the neighbors are unable to sleep in their house.
I do not want to see the Livery demolished, but we have to consider the rights and needs of the neighbors. There is no question that Bob Freudenheim is a menace to the City and that he doesn't care about anyone except himself. Do you think that anything that you are doing is going to get him to repair and rebuild the Livery? Will he suddenly have a change of heart like the Grinch? I don't think so.
heather --
Noone is calling for the building to remain up in its present state. Folks are calling for the facade and a small protion of the exterior walls to be preserved. There shouldn't be any reason why this place has to be a vacant lot in order to be safe.
I also don't think that people are coming in late -- people have brought this building to the city's attention plenty of times in the past, but nothing happened.
And no, it's not likely that the owner will have a change of heart. But that doesn't mean that the neighborhood should let his actions pass without comment.
Finally, I think it's important to note that it's the neighbors that are behind this. This isn't being driven by outsiders who believe in preservation as a theory, whatever the practical effects. It's folks who don't want a vacant lot in the middle of their neighborhood.
I'm temporarily living in NH and can't tell you how sick this makes me. I have written to city hall complaining about my hard earned tax money being used to raze a second building for this asshole. I do hope this event galvanizes the people in these great neighborhoods into forming their own organization to lobby the city and state to do something with these scumbags that are destroying the city one building (or more in Freudenheims case) at a time.
I remember being in a great garden during the annual garden walk a coiuple years ago that had this building as a backdrop to his yard. I thought it was stunning. So sad it may be gone.
Sign me up if an organization forms, I won't be gone from Buffalo much longer.
I can't wait for the Sunday Edition of The Buffalo News! I just wonder what position they will take on both reporting the situation and editorializing.
Update --
The rally is 1PM today at the Lenox Hotel on North Street between Richmond and Delaware.
See www.savethelivery.com for details.
you [deleted] people are crazy. Leave the guy alone. Go back to Spot coffee and light your pachouli incense. WTF. Get a life. Its a bldg none of u have a financial stake in. Get over it.
Actually, Colin, not all neighbors are for your picketing/demonstrating-this is from a previous blog entry on the subject (there are so many now, perhaps that is why it is overlooked?)
"However, as an owner of a property directly endangered by the structure's instability, I find it somewhat disturbing that people are so adamant about preventing its demolition. Perhaps they would not be so eager to hold off the demolition if it were their own back yard and home that was in danger.
I sympathize with the concerns of neighbors, and I mean no offense to preservationists, but I own adjoining property, and I'd like to be able to move home as soon as possible. This is costly and inconvenient, and as a realist, I don't think I'll be reimbursed for my expenses in being displaced. I'm sorry that the building has to come down, but if it has to, it has to. I would ask those who are protesting the demolition to consider the safety and interests of those of us whose homes lie under the shadow of a massive, dangerous collapsing brick building before they assemble on the picket line."
For all the NIMBY bashing on this site, it certaintly seems like a little reverse NIMBYing going on here now...
ncoli,
Yeah, you're right that not everyone in the neighborhood was opposed to the quick demolition. If I ever said that they were, then that was a mistake.
And I definitely feel bad for you and anyone else who has been put out by this whole thing. But I don't think it's heartless to say that there are some larger issues at stake here. And until we start to address those issues -- by making the city do its job, and landlords maintain their property -- we'll just keep seeing this happen again and again, and more people will be in your position.
Tony,
You're wrong about the neighbors not having a stake in the building. Its condition affects the value of our property. That's not ownership, but it can be called a stake.
Setting that aside, your comment is still absurd. We don't have an ownership stake in lots of buildings -- does that mean we should be quiet if their owners let them rot to the point that they become a danger to the public? Nonsense. The law is our stake.
And despite your tired attempt at stereotyping, I haven't seen a single "hippy" at these rallies. What I saw were homeowners. I'll await the inevitable accusation that I drive a Subaru Outback . . .
Colin,
Respectfully. And I really do mean respectfully, here. No sarcasm. I respect what you are doing.
But.
You speak of larger issues at stake. You speak on philosophical levels. But all the preservationist philosophy in the world won't count for a thing if this thing were actually collapse on one of those neighboring homes (or a person) while the obviously needed work (demolition or otherwise) gets held up in court.
I remain AMAZED at how inconsiderate people are with regard to the displaced neighbors, even if those displaced neighbors WOULD like to see the facade or walls kept. I keep hearing about how "concerned" everyone is about us, but in truth, each day this demo gets delayed is a day when bricks might start falling. If that weren't true, then the fire department wouldn't have ordered the neighbors out. Call various people liars if you want, develop your consipiracy theories about why the owners want it demolished, develop whatever you want. You may be right; you may not.
REGARDLESS:
The point is, this is a SAFETY issue, not just a political statement. As soon as someone's safety became a risk factor, the focus should have shifted away from what people want to what people need, whether they like it or not. And if a demolition is required to remove the danger, then by all means, let them do it for god's sake. It's like arguing over the installation of a traffic light on an historic road. Building the traffic light might negatively affect the road's aesthetics, but all the arguing in the world would go away the moment a pedestrian got hit by a car. Loose analogy, I know, but I hope you get my point.
Don't misunderstand me. On a philosophical level, I don't want the building gone. Really. I don't. I do have a very real financial and personal stake in this. But I really want the danger gone, RIGHT NOW, YESTERDAY in fact, and I don't see one going away without the other at this point, and neither does any fire chief I've spoken to. The fire chief gave me the facts about the danger, told me to get out immediately and stay out until it was torn down, and I don't think he was the tool of a vast conspiracy or scare tactic. So if the danger is real, why and how are you all holding this process up in good conscience?
username --
I'm honestly sorry about what's happened. The situation stinks, and you've obviously been impacted more than anyone else. I just don't think the city should make it's decision based on what's immediately best for you, but instead on what's best overall. And I have to admit that that opinion is callous to some degree, even if I don't mean it to be.
It's just that safety is always the justification for these demolitions, and though your safety concerns are totally real, I doubt the sincerity of the city and the owner, given how they ignored safety concerns for years. As people who care about our neighborhoods, we end up getting caught between a rock and a hard place.
QE wrote this in the article above:
Word has it that Bob Freudenheim, owner of the property (as well as the recently demolished Falcon building), will indeed pass along the demolition price tag to the taxpayers and will ultimately still own the land.
"Word has it" from who exactly?
Is it true? If not, shouldn't a clear retraction, admission of error, and correcting of the record (not just a silent edit) be published in the article above?
And if it is true, then it's a big problem which should be fought by the City's Law Dept. The owner should pay for this demo, not the taxpayers.
Either way, it was very lazy blogging to publish a "word has it" like that.
Username, I am impressed with your respectful tone and the valid point you present. I think it is indeed a shame that any of this is happening, and even more so that it has been ignored for so long that immediate demolition seems like the best solution. Don't think I don't sympathize with the inconvenience that the neighbors are being forced into because of all this.
However, I do believe that if there is even a slight chance of saving this historically and architecturally significant building—which is such a central part of the neighborhood's unique identity—we concerned citizens really do have to do whatever we can in order to save it. Unfortunately this means some people are temporarily displaced... but there are no safety concerns if no one is there. And if it is possible to secure it and ultimately allow for it to be fixed, don't you think that 10, 30, even 50 years down the road, the fact that this gorgeous building still exists would be well worth the trouble of a week or two of being inconvenienced? Knowing that even people who are directly effected by this are among the crowds fighting to save it confirms my belief that it is.
I think this is an extremely complicated issue with numerous interests and "sides," to say the least. Frankly, this building has been a safety concern for much longer than the past six days. So, this "danger" has existed since a few of the displaced neighbors moved-in. Why did the displaced neighbor who wants the Livery demo'd wait so long to start to remediate the danger? If he is so terribly concerned about the danger, why did he even move to a place with such impending safety issues??
The traffic light in a historic district is a poor analogy, because the entire premise of the story is "adding" something, not permanently deleting an irreplaceable item. The hypothetical ugly or non-historic or hastily-installed traffic light could be replaced with something more complimentary to the streetscape at a later point in time. Once this building is torn down, that's it - the damage is irreversible, this piece of Buffalo's history is gone forever - and the tragedy of Buffalo's slow destruction continues!
With all of the adjacent households evacuated, there is no impending safety issues for people. With fences into the street surrounding the front facade and police officers and fire fighters checking up on the site around the clock, no human being will be injured. Is this extremely inconvenient to the displaced homeowners? Yes. Will they incur expenses for living elsewhere? Yes, and I hope that they hold those costs over Bob's head since it is his neglect that lead to this situation. May surrounding houses become damaged? Very possibly, especially if the crew is not allowed to stabilize the Livery's structure (and, yes, some already have been damaged), and again I hope those neighbors make Bob pay. Will a human life be lost? Will a person get hurt? No. With all of the current safety measures, the Livery is a safer place for pedestrians than it was one week ago! So, the traffic light scenario, with people potentially getting hit by vehicles is a terrible analogy.
I do not think that people should have to be displaced for months on end. I do believe that the person responsible (Bob Freudenheim) should reimburse all persons for such displacement costs as well as any damage to houses. But, its hard to believe that someone with any sense of a collective good for our neighborhood and city would not grant the his neighbors and community some time to try to fight for this. If you're in such a hurry to get rid of this safety issue, why didn't you take action months ago when bricks fell?? It's unfortunate that we can't ALL combine our energies to work against the powers that be. Instead you are fighting your neighbors.
My call to action for you Readers is, instead of just posting on BRO, why don't you visit the Livery (Jersey, just west of Richmond) and form your own opinion. Look at the structure, speak to the neighbors (and I mean all of them, with varying opinions); imagine a future without the building, with part of the building, with an empty lot. What do you want YOUR Buffalo to look like? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even BuffaloBoy14 who may have extreme dementia. Educate yourself and form your own opinion - then use all of your energy and resources to make your voice heard. This is OUR City!! And its time that we fight to take it back.
KLW -
The fact that the homes have been evacuated does not mean that there is no safety risk. Please be realistic. The properties are not secured. The idea of a young kid making his way into my lawn and a brick falling or a wall falling on his head scares me quite a bit, and the liability is very real. This is very much a safety issue. The property is not secured, and no one is to stop someone from making their way back there. Is that unlikely? Yes. But when it comes to safety, likelihood is not a factor. Possibility is.
Safety to property is also an issue, is it not?
And the reason why I did not raise the issue until this is because there was NO WALL COLLAPSING until now, and no EMERGENCY DEMOLITION ordered until now.
Username - you make valid points. But, regarding inaction until this point, weren't there bricks falling falling off the building over the course of the entire past year (if not years)? And, bricks falling on someone sounds like one of your concerns. Hopefully, this situation will be worked out quickly and smoothly, for a win-win for all neighbors and community members alike.
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