Buffalo Rising Online

I can just about guarantee you that the Sidway will not sell - because the return on it and his asking is way too high! Know someone who put in an offer, and Joseph's expectations weren't nearly satisified - feeling they never will be. But good post WestCoast, to remind us of all going on - we need to track things properly which increases accountability. Like, for example, what is going on with the AIDS services new building at the medical campus? - Another question for Mr. Joseph. Heard something about needing fund-raising - but not an update in a while.

I have a feeling that we will be seeing many more announcements soon (I know you're dying to know WCP....). We shall see soon!

Yes, the real estate development has a nice momentum and so does the retail component of our local business economy.

HOWEVER, WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE WORKING WHO CAN AFFORD TO BUY THESE HOMES AND SPEND THIS MONEY IN THOSE STORES.

WHERE IS THE GROWTH IN JOBS AND EMPLOYERS?

This city is celebrating a new home or a new retail the way other cities are celebrating a new high tech business! While Im glad for the growth.....I am very concerned at the silence and apathy from First Buffalo, the business section of the Buffalo News, ECIDA and the BNE/BNP.

This city is celebrating a new home or a new retail store while ignoring the implosion of the School System or the corruption and patronage and waste at the city/county.

I applaud the developments but Buffalonians need a wider vision of reality!

If you are college educated there aare tons of opportunities in the Buffalo. According to the Dept of Labor if you compare January 2006 with January 2005 you will see that total non factory employment in the Buffalo metro was up by 1% or 4,500 jobs (year over year) The largest increase were Finance up 6.3% (up 2,100 jobs), Management of Companies and Enterprises up 4.6% (up 400 jobs) and Professional and Business Services up 2.7% (up 1,700 jobs)

These are all good paying white collar positions that did not exist 1 year ago.

If you do not believe me look it up youself, select current month data for Buffalo Niagara metro and you will see the numbers I just posted.

http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workforceindustrydata/apps.asp?reg=nys&app=emp

Let's not forget about the largest construction project in the history of the Queen City, the ONE BILLION DOLLAR Joint Schools Re-construction Project...here's the scoop on the Performing Arts High School portion of the project...

http://tinyurl.com/el8ch

And New Row House plans just announced by Bethel CDC here on this side of Main Street along Michigan Avenue...

http://tinyurl.com/hhwgm

This list of projects is probably a better indication of how the revival of Buffalo is likely to happen than the grand plans and flashy sketches of the waterfront proposals: on a smaller scale, one step at a time, building by building, project by project.

Marc, that jobs statistic is very interesting. It would also be interesting to know how many of those jobs are in the city as opposed to the suburbs, although that is not the critical factor. Many of these white-collar employees may be young and prefer the attractions of city life, however, which is a plus for Buffalo. (In the constant bashing of the surburbs and the suburban mindset, we overlook the fact that even several generations back, many of the factory and industrial workers who comprised such a large part of the urban population wanted to get out of the city, but for a variety of reasons couldn't).

At least as far out as we are able to see right now, the scale and variety of manufacturing that was the basis of Buffalo's growth is not coming back. It isn't just a regional problem or flaw; America as a maker of things has pretty much been put out of business across the board.

There is a certain quality of life (to use a much over-used phrase) and special physical attraction of Buffalo that are attracting interest and new residents from different places and with different backgrounds. And it' s fascinating to me to read the comments of so many former residents counting the days until they can return. These people will be some of the entrepreneurs and business owners contributing to a very different Buffalo future and helping to create new jobs in "non-traditional" areas.

The real challenge is to make and keep and enhance Buffalo as a positive choice as a place to live.

Perry:

They do not give a breakdown of job location but I would guess that the fiancial sector increase is probably half downtown at the rapidly expanding banks and half at the fast growing Geico in Amherst.

Thank you marc, perry and david for your response.

Yes, I was aware of everything you said but my comment was never that these good things werent happening or didnt exist.

My comment(s) were that we simply do not talk about our local economy enough, we dont talk about projects and businesses and investments and projects that should be supported that would attract and create jobs.

It just seems we spend so much time on real estate development and preservation (which is great) but thats certainly not the entire picture. We should be talking more about something that would really help our city and its citizens

I have to agree with Perry; the quality of life that Buffalo has to offer will be a major draw once word gets out. That will spark a lot of entrepreneurship, which will lift the local economy. We can no longer rely on corporate America to provide job security, and manufacturing in this country will never return to its former glory.

It's the NEW economy, stupid.

The national economy is rapidly changing. We need to fend for ourselves rather than wait for silver bullets. I think Buffalo is well-poised to do this, but WE have to make it happen - ball's in our court!

david- do you know what they plan to do with the building that performing arts is in now?

I have to disagree with you Larry about silver bullets and how you define it because there is a difference between investment and expense. Investment gives you a future return and payoff for the community while an expense is a one time payment.

Expenses are things like furniture, office supplies, payroll and benefits. They stimulate the economy one time.

Investments like cenvention center, rebuilding roads and bridges, rebuilding water and sewer lines, light rail and bullet trains, residential and commercial buildings, etc. These stimulate the economy with payback over the long term and stimulate other investment and job creation and quality of life.

Unfortunately because of patronage and unions...our city is on life support because all of our money is going to expenses and not investment which is why the only people who can actually make a living in the city are government workers.