Buffalo Rising Online

Thank you Grant Amherst Business Association for putting on Re-Discover Amherst St !! And thank you Buffalo Rising for helping to promote it.

I saw the taxi and thought , how many fares can this guy do? The taxi was at Amherst and Tonawanda , what route did he take?

I am the VP of the Grant Amherst Business Association and am the founder for the "Rediscover Amherst Street Festival" It is very nice to hear and read these positive comments, that is what motivates us to do this year after year. This year was the ninth annual and the second year we have held a parade. I originally started this festival when Amherst street was being reconstructed and the shops that rely upon foot traffic were suffering from the two year construction project. "Rediscover Amherst St" was intended to be just that, a chance for people to meet the merchants and to see what we have to offer. It is amazing that people will walk by a store for years and never set foot in but when the merchant comes out on the sidewalk and grills his famous sausage (for example) it creates a connection that will last for years to come. This festival brings our business community closer and helps attract new businesses to the area. We have a unique trait that over 15 of the merchants live above, behind or attached to their businesses. This makes a very community minded business district. We organize and our members participate in the Scajaquada clean-up, the Great American cleanup and many other community beautification projects. The business association buys the flowers and plants them in the tree lawns on Amherst and Grant. We are currently working on producing a historical postcard book of the area. We have been collecting photos for the past three years in an effort to preserve the dwindling photographic record of our history. The eventual goal is to produce a history book and donate a print of each photo to the historical society. There have been many important things that have come out of Grant-Amherst and we work hard to make sure that not only are they remembered, but there are still great things happening in Grant-Amherst. We have started the "Artisans of Amherst Street" campaign which recognizes the great and talented people we already have but also works to attract new artists and craftspeople to open up shop in our business district. We are actively working to reinstate the state legislation that provides for residential tax to be applied to a business in which the owner resides. We feel that owner occupied businesses are what make a community strong and work to promote that on all levels. We welcome anyone to become involved with us and will gladly assist businesses that want to locate in Grant-Amherst in finding a suitable building and provide all the resources we can. Anyone who would like to contact us can email me at caleb@cpbasiliko.com I would like to thank buffalo rising for focusing on the positive attributes the city has to offer. I have been very pleased with every issue I read that the focus is on all the good we have to offer in Buffalo. This is a great city with great resources, businesses and residents. Many other neighborhoods are working like we are and developing that ever important neighborhood identity. Our biggest failing is always our self promotion. This is where Buffalo Rising is filling a much needed void, they are like the town crier of old announcing the positive developments to the world. Thank you.

It would also be wise for the Grant Amherst Association & Clubs request a sit down meeting with Buffalo State President and its leadership.

They need to be included and reminded that Buffalo State is responsible for three streets: Elmwood, Forest and Grant.

Buffalo State, as good community citizens need to hear community ideas as to how the campus could be more friendly to pedestrians, residents and businesses. Some ideas I can think of: 1) build a multi-floor parking garage somewhere inside the campus. It would be safe, it would protect people and cars from the elements, it would produce revenue and it would reduce the walking distance to classes. 2) move things like the cafeteria, bookstores, coffee shops (retail), administrative and residences to the sidewalks of Grant Street. 3) Landscape with trees and flowers

If the area along Grant Street between Forest and Amherst can be filled with retail, administrative offices and student housing, then thats going to create healthy and safe foot traffic to support both the Grant-Amherst District, the Grant-Forest District and the Grant-Ferry District.

Its to huge to ignore. Yes, I applaud the individual members of the community (residential and businesses and all the volunteers) but we simply cannot ignore what a huge presence Buffalo State has on the community and what role they need to play in it.

Now if the President of Buffalo State refuses the meeting, then thats your signal of just how bad (non-existent) the relationship between the College and the community is and how much it needs to be improved.

Think of what would happen if all the groups got together with their concerns for public safety, police patrols, street paving, sewers, curb replacements, street lighting, sidewalks, trees, low interest loans for energy efficiency or storefronts, street signs, etc.

There are issues best addressed by a local group and then there are issues all groups have in common and would benefit by being united and speaking together.