As asbestos removal crews continue to clean out Memorial Auditorium for the venerable building’s ultimate demise this fall, Larry Costa, a creative architectural designer/developer based in Buffalo has his own idea how the iconic structure can remain and play an important role in progression of the Canal Side project.
“My solution is to completely gut the interior of the Aud, and construct within the structure, an indoor parking ramp for 3,000 cars,” said Larry Costa, from his Elmwood Village home. “This plan would allow the opportunity to place Bass Pro Shops on top of the Aud, where the Orange Section of seats used to be. The top addition would be stripped of its current corrugated covering and replaced with glass that would provide Bass Pro Shops with over 200,000 square feet of spectacular, light-filled space, with amazing views of the Erie Canal Harbor.”
Costa said his plan would be the best of both worlds, as the site would be multi-functional, while retaining the Aud's distinctive art deco facade. He consulted with structural engineers, who reviewed the Aud’s building plans to reaffirm that the building could support a large facility on the upper floor of the structure. While mostly examining his proposal in theory, Costa believes that the conversion would actually be slightly cheaper than current plans for the site.
Currently, the Aud and the adjacent General Donovan State Office Building are to be demolished beginning in October and turned into shovel-ready sites--which is where the proposed Bass Pro Shop and parking ramp are expected to reside. Throughout the tenuous planning process of the Canal Side project, many options were examined in order to retain the Aud as part of the overall plan. Ultimately, converting the Aud into a shovel-ready site appears to be the final solution by the parties involved in developing the project.
“It seems to me, if the Canal Side project is going to be a year-round success, they will need to incorporate indoor parking that will be attached to the Bass Pro Shop and within close proximity of the other Canal Side developments,” said Costa. “Why not employ the Aud for that purpose? At the same time, they can utilize the top of the building for the site’s intended purpose of housing the proposed Bass Pro Shop.”
Costa continued, “The 1971 addition to the top of the Aud is 36 feet tall, which would create plenty of space to build the Bass Pro Store. Just think of how cool it would be to have a glass-enclosed store sitting seven stories above the streets and looking out on our waterfront. The creative redesign of the building would make a wonderful impression on anyone who visits the store or the Erie Canal Harbor.”
In the end, like many Buffalonians, Costa feels that the Memorial Auditorium is an important structure that played an important role in Buffalo’s sports and entertainment history and architectural landscape.
“I know the developers say they want to start knocking down the Aud in October,” said Costa. “But I believe it is not too late to consider viable options. Even in this late hour, I hope someone will look at my solution and reconsider plans for the site.”