In the Shadow of the Peace Bridge Tour
First the design, then the placement, then the neighborhood, now the birds and fish. A lot of issues have come up in the last 10 years, but most important to preservationists is the question of the Columbus Park- Prospect Hill homes that will be demolished to make way for the Peace Bridge Plaza plan.
Preservation Magazine in Washington, DC called last week looking for shots of the homes in the neighborhood that will be affected. People and their homes. In comparison to aesthetics and a highly disputed threat to wildlife, can the impact on this neighborhood be less of a problem?
In speaking with realtors for the May issue of Buffalo Rising about home sales in general, several said that basic inventory--keeping up with demand for the type of homes that can't be built anymore due to their high level of material and craftsmanship--was their most notable obstacle.
Come and join the “In the Shadow of the Peace Bridge” tour on Sunday, May 4, and see this community along with the "Seven to Save" homes in what the tour guides call this irreplaceable urban fabric we might be about to lose.
There are plenty of people who want the bridge built now!, but don't want this neighborhood destroyed. Can they make an informed pronouncement without taking the tour?
Sunday, May 4 1PM @ the corner of Columbus Parkway (Seventh Street) and Columbus Park West (Connecticut Street).
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RonR
Would love to see a slide show online of the 90 homes that are "historic" and possibly in danger.
With all of the posts and all of the pictures on this blog, why has this not been done. Lets see this "Historic" homes. ALL OF THEM. Not the 4-5 pretty ones.
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pbm
Just because a house hasn't been taken care of for the past 2 decades by absentee landlords does not mean it isn't a house someone wouldn't want to buy and fix up. If the bridge weren't an issue, houses on Columbus Parkway, all the way to where Busti (as well as the boarded up PBA houses on Busti) would be hot commodities.
This is the best neighborhood in Buffalo and offers much to families. It's too bad many people in this region are so short-sighted.
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pbm
Just because a house hasn't been taken care of for the past 2 decades by absentee landlords does not mean it isn't a house someone wouldn't want to buy and fix up. If the bridge weren't an issue, houses on Columbus Parkway, all the way to where Busti (as well as the boarded up PBA houses on Busti) would be hot commodities.
This is the best neighborhood in Buffalo and offers much to families. It's too bad many people in this region are so short-sighted.
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chris69
The place for an additional bridge is Grand Island so I really dont know why they are bothering with an expansion at the Peace Bridge
that being said if the Peace Bridge is to be expanded then why not use the air rights over the Niagara Expressway or a two story plaza with one floor for passenger vehicles and one story for commercial trucks which would minimize the plaza enough to save the neighborhood
I find it so irritating that the Buffalo News runs stories about the bridge when to be very honest people are content with either modernist design for the bridge BUT ITS THE SIZE OF THE PLAZA AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY THAT IS RIPPING PEOPLE APART!
FIND THE SOLUTION BY FOCUSSING ON THE PEOPLE AND THE PLAZA NOT THE BRIDGE!
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RaChaCha
Here's some "insider" information about Sunday's tour: at the public meeting Thursday about the Peace Bridge expansion, Kathy Mecca of the neighborhood strongly "hinted" that there will be a special treat in store for all those who attend. While I'm sworn to secrecy, I can say that you do *not* want to miss this great tour of a neighborhood of good people, rich heritage, fine architecture, and unmatched sights and views.
If you take the tour, you can not only see the buildings up close and personal, in their overall context, but also hear from (and ask questions of) those most directly affected. One thing I learned Thursday is that in this issue context is key: the juxtaposition of the homes and the neighborhood with things like Prospect Park, Front Park, Lake Erie (at the point where it transitions to the Niagara River), the Peace Bridge, the college, the Connecticut Street Armory, and so forth. All these significant things, along with the homes, businesses, streets, and good neighbors are part of a unique and special mix which makes this a neighborhood well worth fighting for.
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Boz
chris69 -- writing the same thing in all caps on every Peace Bridge related post doesn't make your argument correct. Yes, the plaza and its configuration is important. It's too bad that the elected officials didn't think it was worth holding out for a friendlier administration that would see Shared Border Management through to completion.
But stop poo-pooing the importance of the bridge. It speaks very loudly to a larger area about what direction Buffalo wants to go in -- forward into the future or reliving and recreating the past.
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comptart_lws
RonR: it's not (yet) an organized slide show but, several pictures can be seen on this Flickr group page:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/549342@N25/
Some are of views that will be further (and forever) obliterated, some are of homes that will be left alongside the bermed truck station and others are of homes that will be demolished and residents displaced.
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bridgebum
Chris69 - What makes you so qualified to decide where the bridge should be built? What about the other country on the other side of the river? Have you or anyone else ever given them any consideration? You apparently have no regard for anyone unless it pleases you.
Weren't you the person who is going to throw yourself off of the bridge if you don't get your way and the plaza gets built? I can't wait!!
PBM - Some of the area is nice, but the best neighborhood in Buffalo? You should get out more, but not at night. You might get mugged out there.
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pbm
Perhaps you should get out more, bridgebum. You obviously don't know much about the Prospect Hill area. Or the city of Buffalo.
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JohnnyWalker
In 7 months the current administration, in Washington, will be gone. Even McCain is none to pleased with what happened in New Orleans. So, In all probability, Chertoff will be replaced, no matter who wins the general election. They have waited 10 years to start the bridge. what is 7 more months. Shared border management can probably be revisited.
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