The bison is back at the Buffalo Central Terminal! Well—OK—not that bison. Read on:
Bit by bit, the all-volunteer Central Terminal Restoration Corporation is bringing the Buffalo Central Terminal back to life. Last week, steps were taken to replace the concrete sidewalk outside the main vistors entrance, which has made it possible to remove the safety fence. This greatly enhances the appearance of the terminal as a valuable community resource, rather than sending an “off limits” message. Funding for this project was secured by Common Council President and Fillmore district representative David Fanczyk, a longtime friend and supporter of the Terminal.
Enhancing the pour is the image of a bison, which was stamped in two places into the setting concrete. The work was done by Capozzi Paving & Concrete.
Over the weekend, after checking out the new concrete, I had the chance to talk with Central Terminal Restoration Corporation President Mike Miller and board members Hank Olejniczak and Ed Werick about this improvement and some other plans in the works. They told me that this year their focus has been on safety, and taking steps to make sure that none of the volunteers or visitors face the possibility of injury while visiting and helping restore Buffalo’s old friend the Central Terminal. This sidewalk replacement was one of these projects, another has been gutting and asbestos removal in the former restaurant/lunch counter area, in preparation for its planned conversion to a media and meeting area.
Ed and Hank told me that most everyone in Buffalo has memories tied to the terminal, and that folks tend to get quite passionate about it. “It pulls you in,” Ed told me repeatedly, about his and others’ involvement with the building. Visit the Central Terminal soon for an event or volunteer work day, and get pulled in yourself!
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Buffalo Central Terminal
Photo credit: Chris Podosek
RaChaCha
RaChaCha is a Garbage Plate™ kid making his way in a Chicken Wing world. Since 2008, he's put over a hundred articles on here, and he asked us to be sure to thank you for reading. So, thank you for reading. You may also have seen his freelance byline in Artvoice, where he writes under the name his daddy gave him [Ed: Send me a check, and I might reveal what that is]. When he's not writing, RaChaCha is an urban planner, a rehabber of houses, and a community builder. He co-founded the Buffalo Mass Mob, and would love to see you at the next one. He represents Buffalo Young Preservationists on the Trico roundtable. If you try to demolish a historic building, he might have something to say about that. He is a proud AmeriCorps alum. Things you may not know about RaChaCha (unless you read this before): "Ra Cha Cha" is a nickname of his hometown. (Didn't you know that? Do you live under a rock?) He's a political junkie (he once worked for the president of the Monroe County Legislature), but we don't really let him write about politics on here. He helped create a major greenway in the Genesee Valley, and worked on early planning for the Canalway Trail. He hopes you enjoy biking and hiking on those because that's what he put in all that work for. He was a ringleader of the legendary "Chill the Fill" campaign to save Rochester's old downtown subway tunnel. In fact, he comes from a long line of troublemakers. An ancestor fought at Bunker Hill, and a relative led the Bear Flag Revolt in California. We advise you to remember this before messing with him in the comments. He worked on planning the Rochester ARTWalk, and thinks Buffalo should have one of those, too (write your congressman). You can also find RaChaCha (all too often, we frequently nag him) on the Twitters at @HeyRaChaCha. Which is what some people here yell when they see him on the street. You know who you are.