Canisius College has purchased a building at 1716 Main Street that will help to draw more students and creative types to the street. The previous owner was waiting for The City to sell him a small parcel adjacent to the building in order to secure the sale. The Canisius deal was contingent on that acquisition as part of the overall purchase. It’s being said that Canisius will continue to operate the first floor as a gallery and will use the second floor as a residence for out-of-state collegiate dignitaries.
The sale of the gallery will help to stabilize a section of the street that could seriously use some help. This is an opportune time for The City and the college to reexamine the urban fabric of a block that has no rhyme or reason. There’s the big blue wall at the corner of Main and Delavan, which continues to be an eyesore. Then there is the Koessler Athletic Center on the east side of the street that is well maintained and draws students on a regular basis. There are some boarded up buildings, a few sprawling parking lots, a couple of legit small destination businesses such as the Book Outlet. There are also a ton of opportunities if a plan was to be drawn up, and the right investors were to follow Canisius’s lead. Here’s the interior of the gallery:
My wish list:
-Get rid of the Canisius blue wall
-Music Plus (Record Theater) puts a new facade on the building – or sells to Canisius (that would make the owner happy)
-Put bike lanes on West Delavan from Main to Delaware – Also put them on Main Street ASAP
-Fix up the boarded building at the corner of Main and Masten (see below)
-Replace the cobra lamp standards (see below)
-Plant many trees on Main Street (see below)
-Hold property owners accountable for vacant boarded up buildings
-Ticket the vehicles that use the sidewalks as personal parking pads
^ Clockwise from top left: Corner of Main and Masten. Bike lanes, cobra removal and plant trees. 1689 Main Street needs to be developed – vacant Platinum Nightclub (New Pink) is located in back. Eddie’s House of Blues (former Blue Note) needs a tenant.
There is finally some action down towards the corner of Main Street and West Ferry thanks to Sinatra (see news) and HOME. While there is progress being made, there are still a handful of boarded up buildings that need to get out of current owners’ hands. It would be nice to see The City put some pressure on those property owners. I hear that the Metropolitan Lounge may open as a jazz club sometime down the line, and that would be welcome news if the rumors are true (see below).