Buffalo Rising Online

I predict that we will see big changes in that community during our lifetimes. Those improvements, in large measure, will be attributable to the work being done and the example being set by these three individuals.

The Broadway Fillmore area would change dramatically if the Elm-Oak arterial were replaced by exits at Jefferson/Hamburg and Fillmore/Smith on the Kensingon/I-190 exits.

DOWNTOWN IS NOT BEING DONE A SERVICE BY ELM, OAK ACTING AS A DOWNTOWN EXPRESSWAY. ITS ACTING AS A BARRIER TO DEVELOPMENT ON THE EASTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.

INSTEAD ITS TIME TO BUILD UP JEFFERSON AND BUILD UP FILLMORE AS CONNECTORS BETWEEN THE KENSINGTON AND I-190 LETTING THE DOWNTOWN ENTRANCES: BROADWAY, GENESSEE, EXCHANGE, WILLIAMS, SWAN, SYCAMORE, CHERRY, CLINTON, EAGLE, DIVISION, SENECA, ETC.

GET RID OF THE DOWNTOWN ACCESS RAMPS.

It always suprises me when community groups talk about improving their neighborhood but they totally ignore contact the city, their councilman, the GBNRTC and the NYSDOT to put traffic back on their streets.

In the case of the eastside, traffic on streets means customers for business. Customers for business mean more businesses are viable and more employees are hired and more security cameras watching sidewalks and streets. More businesses and employees mean more owners for storefronts, homes and tenants for rentals.

On the eastside everything comes back to putting traffic on the streets and extending the light rail to the airport.

Instead of pouring money into michigan street underground railroad sites...one would think Brown would be a vocal champion of a light rail connection to the airport and of eliminating the elm oak arterial for true eastside streets like Jefferson and Fillmore.

DOWNTOWN WILL NEVER GROW TO EVEN MICHIGAN STREET IF THE ELM OAK ARTERIAL CONTINUES TO EXIST!

Keep up the good work guys.

Harvey

How many BFA volunteers actually live in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood?

Simcoe,

Michele Johnson created the movie Flipped, which had an impact on city policy. Mike Miller had a big part in the successful rebirth of the Central Terminal. Chris Byrd has contributed leadership as an important board member of the Broadway Market.

They rolled up their sleeves and attacked "hopeless" situations. I'd say they're three for three.

But they need to be vocal advocates of changing the traffic patterns of the eastside...they have to lobby to make the eastside ... the entranceway to downtown...and that the I-190 and the Kensington cannot have downtown access ramps.....the Elm Oak arterial must be dismantled and moved further east to Jefferson and Fillmore.

Is that Wildroot building coming down? Kind of an eyesore... Especially with Bailey Ave built right up next to it... Or am I in the wrong neighborhood?

Keep up the great work, but when I drive thru this 'hood... I can see that Buffalo really is the 2 poorest city in the USA.

Great job Elliott and the rest of the politicians that ran the City into the ground for the past 50 Years

Venting....

nbjohn - the 2nd poorest large city.

Ahh, simcoe, leave it to trolls like you who bash anyone who actually DOES something to try to make this a better place. The good thing is these people spend their time doing something rather than wasting time typing tripe like you do.

Thanks for posting the article, Eli. There's one correction that I'd like to make:

"BFA has compiled a catalog of 479 derelict buildings"

Clinton Brown & Associates completed an historic resource survey in the BR area in 2004, identifying 479 historically or architecturally important houses, commercial and religious structures. We are still in the process of documenting the status of these buildings, but very many of them are not derelict.

And to answer behindthemask's question: "How many BFA volunteers actually live in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood?", none of the 3 founding members live in the area., but all three of us have roots there. We have a few other volunteers who live in the neighborhood though. We've been asked this before, and while I'm not sure of the relevance of the question, no one in the area has ever told me that I shouldn't care and help out just because I don't live there.

Finally, thanks for the support, Blov!

I applaud these men for trying to get things done, but what a monumental task! When i was given a tour of the area [broadway market and the old train station] the area is depressing beyond words, we are not talking of a few streets here, but block after block as far as the eye could see. I want wonderful things for my hometown, but it will never happen in the east side unless we get major employers in the area to bring new waves of population from other area's and jobs to people here.

I have to admit that my comment came out very negative.

I sincerely admire people that try to facilitate change, no matter how big or small - I believe that is the reason I am so fed up with NY State.... Their idea of change is taxing us more and making downstate happier

Simcoe,

"BuffaloKid, Hey dim, I was simply asking for specifics other than keeping empty buildings from being knocked down, the article didn't really go beyond that"

I didn't write the article. We all gave Eli a lot of information about what we're working on and he had an obligation to condense it as he saw fit. We also work with all of the other east side groups and churches to cross promote events and advertising. For example, if the Central Terminal will have 2,000 people at an event, we then work with Corpus Christi, the market and St. Ann's to encourage them to have their own open houses or events to capitalize on the crowds already there.

And to your other question: "I would ask members of the BFA to consider what the area would be like in maybe 10 or 15 years, ya it's a very speculative question but I'd still like to know. Is it going to continue to be a few pet projects amidst a wasteland?"

I would offer another question in return: What if we all stood idly by and did nothing but blame others because it became more of a "wasteland"?

I'm sorry if you took my response as being defensive. I was trying to answer your questions.

Yes, the area has a lot of very real issues, but if we didn't think we could help, do you think we'd even try?

It's been long thought that any sort of revitalization of the east side would have to come with changing the perception of the area. When the terminal reopened to the public in 2003, we were told that nobody would want to come to a dilapidated train station in a crime ridden area. 80,000 visitors later, the terminal becomes a bigger event draw each year.

If we can bring people back to the icons like the terminal, the market and the churches, we can change perceptions. I've seen it play out thousands of times. Once you change perceptions, you then get people seeing the area as having potential.

Personally, I think the ethnic diversity of the area is its biggest strength and always has been. Describing it as segregated is not completely accurate. There are African Americans, Muslims, Polish and Viet Namese all living in the same area. The overwhelming majority of crime in the area is drug related and is carried out by a very small percentage of the population there. Unfortunately, that's all you ever hear of on the news.

MMILLER, DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS LOUDER......

But what about working with the GBNRTC and the city and the NYSDOT to put traffic back on Jefferson and Fillmore instead of Elm-Oak.

But what about working with the above to put traffic on Cherry, Genessee, Sycamore, Williams, Broadway, Division, Eagle, Swan, Exchange, etc instead of Kensington Expressway and I-190.

Remember we just talking about removing access ramps further away from downtown which would benefit the entire eastside!

Well spoken.

"MMILLER, DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS LOUDER"

Chris69, for hundredth time and your hundredth screenname, I am NOT a lobbyist or a city planner. I do what I know how to do. Changes of this magnitude are beyond my power or experience. I get what you're saying but these are issues that are larger then me or any group I'm involved with. These are planning issues. If you're so passionate about it, I'd take it up with the city planning department.