Following a shooting Wednesday evening at the West Side Market in which the store owner shot an armed would-be robber, one resident--who feels that the activity in and around the store invites occurrences such as this--fired off a letter to officials in the City of Buffalo concerning the store's presence in the community.
The letter is as follows:
My name is Christopher Siano. I'm the owner of [a home on] Johnson Park. I came to Buffalo in 1997 as a student at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. When I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies I made the decision to stay in Buffalo because I believed in what the city had been and what it could be. In 2005 I bought my house on Johnson Park and began a full gut rehab of the home.
As a young, educated professional who has chosen to stay, buy a home and make a life here I feel I've made a commitment to this city.
As you know, there was a shooting outside the West Side Market last night. The West Side Market is a constant source of trouble in the neighborhood. Frankly, I am tired of it. NO ONE SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO LIVE ON A BLOCK WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING GUNNED DOWN IN THE STREET.
You as elected officials need to take action to close this store.
You can ignore this call for help but be advised: if you loose people in my demographic (why would anyone want to stay in the city and live like this?) you will loose the economic future of this city.
Siano further explained his stance to BRO:
The community has been at odds with this business for years because they are constantly doing things that undermine our safety and quality of life.
When I bought my house in 2005 there was loitering and fights in front of the store. They sell single cigarettes and single beers in close proximity to Hutchison Technical High School. They have a building that has gang tags on it that they don't bother to paint over. Now we have gun violence. The owner refuses to work with the West Village Renaissance Group to improve the conditions in and around the store.
This is a business that preys upon low income communities. They sell junk food, cigarettes, beer and lottery tickets to people who barely have the money to support themselves. I view the city's tolerance of this as a form of soft racism.
Though the incident on Wednesday was a result of the store-owner being victimized, there is a question as to whether or not the store draws, promotes or helps to create a seamy element on any given day. Does a store that sells individual cigarettes and single small cans of beer create problems in a community? Do people like Siano, who invest in a community, have the right to set a standard for the types of business that they allow? Haven't we been here before, and what is the breaking point?