Canisius' Interdisciplinary Science Center
It was just Friday that I noticed the lettering for Canisius' Science Hall building had gone up. An excellent sign of progress for that section of Main Street. With the recent news of the two-way traffic on the 700-block, along with the continued growth of Canisius, The City should really be examining just what it would take to sew the two areas together. Within that area we have already seen the Artspace development unfold, along with KEPA3 on Barker and Fantauzz's gallery near West Ferry. HOME has also announced redevelopment plans for the northwest corner of Ferry and Main. And like it or not, the Delta Sonic development has become a city unto itself. Then there's Granite Works, Campieri's 888, Ira G. Ross Eye Institute, and Literacy Volunteers.
Canisius' interdisciplinary science center is 237,000 total square feet (170,000 net usable square feet) set on three and a half acres. The opportunity affords the college to bring biology, chemistry, biochemistry, bioinformatics, environmental science, physics, psychology, computer science and mathematics programs all under one roof. The move also affords Canisius to develop new interdisciplinary programs in areas such as bioinformatics, quantitative science, cellular molecular biology, analytical chemistry and neuroscience. All in all the $47,000,000 project is big for the college and is also big for that section of Main Street (no vacant building left behind).
And with the Canisius College expansion onto the former Mount St. Joseph Academy, the campus continues to expand in many different directions. The college has just demolished two school buildings (photo) for green space and parking (short term). Longterm plans are to develop new residential and classroom buildings. Fortunately for Mount St. Joseph Academy, the school successfully secured 15 Jewett Parkway (at Main), the site of the former Central Presbyterian Church.
Canisius' Science Hall building is currently in the preliminary design and development stage. There is no official timetable for interior rehab. Now that the college is taking care of the 'Blue' building... let's see if they can take care of the ugly blue wall that continues to be an eyesore at the Main/Delavan intersection.
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RhodeIslandBoy
Newell, I drove by KEPA3 yesterday and noticed all of the windows were covered in kraft paper. A note on the KEPA3 website seems to indicate they are moving to Miami...
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BuffaloSoldier
Again, Canisius College leads the pack with civic leadership. Amazing how UB, much larger and with deeper pockets, can't hold a candle to the urban revival Canisius has created on its neigborhood.
The focus of Canisius should continue to center around spreading its campus along Main Street (esp south) while freeing up greenspace on its core campus area. Opportunities exist at the former Record Theater site and Koessler Athletic Center to better connect the campus with street level activity. Reconfiguring the former Health Now parking ramp and, perhaps even, a Transit Oriented Development partnership with the NFTA at the Metro Rail station could go a long way in reinventing the Main/Delavan/Jefferson area.
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BuffaloSoldier
Again, Canisius College leads the pack with civic leadership. Amazing how UB, much larger and with deeper pockets, can't hold a candle to the urban revival Canisius has created on its neigborhood.
The focus of Canisius should continue to center around spreading its campus along Main Street (esp south) while freeing up greenspace on its core campus area. Opportunities exist at the former Record Theater site and Koessler Athletic Center to better connect the campus with street level activity. Reconfiguring the former Health Now parking ramp and, perhaps even, a Transit Oriented Development partnership with the NFTA at the Metro Rail station could go a long way in reinventing the Main/Delavan/Jefferson area.
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queenseyes
I just spoke to Peter. The brown paper is up on the window nextdoor to KEPA3, and he just went to a show in Miami. Peter said, "But I don't want to move to Miami!" So no worries... all is good at KEPA3.
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RhodeIslandBoy
OK, good! Thanks.
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kjthomas77
does anyone happen to have a link to more info on the HOME project slated for the corner of w. ferry and main? i'm extremely curious, as i live just a block away and have been desperate for something to be done to revitalize this corner...
any heads up would be greatly appreciated...
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queenseyes
HOME
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BuffaloRox
Why not grow northward on Main to connect with UB South campus? There is an existing commercial district along Main Street on the eastern edge of Parkside (Tony's Ranch House, Matt's Lake Effect Laundromat). It was reported that First Niagara would put the former administration buildings of Greater Buffalo Savings Bank up for sale. Also, the Tri-Main Building offers a mix of business and artist loft opportunities. Besides the Metro stop at Main & Humboldt, there is another at Main and Amherst. With Canisius growth stymied by Hamlin Park Historic District, perhaps they should consider leapfrogging over Humboldt and moving northward.
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sally
Wonderful simply wonderfu:)
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hamp
I can't get excited when Canisius demolishes a relatively new (and attractive) builiding like Mt. St. Joes for a parking lot. Dumping a perfectly good building (full of classrooms no less) into a landfill is irresponsible and not sustainable.
Canisius also demolished the historic Delevan Armory for some prison-like dorms. They refurbished the Montante Center only after there was an outcry to the College's plans to demolish the historic church. We won't even talk about the blue wall or the phallic symbol they erected in front of Old Main.
I was hoping they'd do something innovative for the Science Center, like a complete new facade. At any rate, they're going to have to do a lot better than that parochial "Science Hall" sign. It doesn't exactly cry out innovation.
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Boz
From the rehab of St. Vincent de Paul to its own Employer Assisted Housing Program, Canisius has been setting an example in its small neck of the woods that the city at large should follow. They also learned the lesson that the rest of the region should study -- to attract students from outside of the area they first improved the College's infrastructure to make it more attractive to students who are also looking at schools in Boston, Cleveland and New York. WNY should likewise learn that you can't tell businesses from outside the area to come back in ten years when we have a redeveloped waterfront and a downtown that is more amenable to business. They'll just go elsewhere.
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RisingDamp666
I'm sorry people but this new classroom building looks like something you drive past on the way from Plano to Dallas. Does Buffalo have any architects anymore? Was the last one really that guy at the off ramp holding a sign that said "Will design-build for food"?
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RisingDamp666
Er, did I say "new"? I mean, couldn't the school freshen this one up? Signage is fine, but get an architect and turn this thing out, for heaven's sake. Anywhere else, that sign reads, University of Phoenix.
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Colin
"At any rate, they're going to have to do a lot better than that parochial "Science Hall" sign."
Are they? Or what?
The actual point of this post is that Canisius is growing. This is a good thing, for real material reasons having nothing to do with anyone's desire to look at pretty buildings.
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MJWorthington
For being an old department store it does not look all that bad. And it's even built up to the street. It is nice to see one long thread for the campus from the athletic center northward
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hamp
It was a beautiful old department store before it was "redeveloped". I'd love to see Canisius turn this into a real focal point for the neighborhood.
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davvid
The building looks fine and it seems to be well maintained. It wouldn't make much sense to put money into changing the style without any real improvement to the performance of the building.
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Colin
It's a building full of science clasrooms -- why should it look like a department store or serve as a focal point for the neighborhood? By all accounts, Canisius has been a better neighbor than other local schools.
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GriffsJZ
I'm a Canisius student fairly active with some of the developments the college is making in the near future...
For the 'Science Hall' name and signage, it is certainly temporary until the building is completed in renovation and a donor is chosen for naming rights (similar to what happened with the newest resident hall which was officially named 2 years after construction was completed)
With the former Mt. St. joes building, the reuse of the building was considered, but it would not have met the needs of the campus...so instead construction will begin soon (probably next year) on an expansion of Lyons Hall and more residence halls in the style of the Village Townhouses on the same property...both of which I think are beautiful buildings, Lyons Hall especially. Mt. St. Joes was far too small and only one floor; any expansion on the same property will be great...and it definately won't be just parking space, the aquisition of the Parking Ramp on Jefferson more or less solved Canisius' parking problem
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