While on my way home today, it was a such a nice and unexpected surprise to see that an old painted sign was being restored at the corner of Main Street and West Ferry. As part of the HOME project, it was decided that rather than sandblast the paint off the brick wall, it would ultimately be cheaper and easier to repaint the old ‘Touraine Paints’ sign. In my opinion, I really like the look of these old signs, as they lend urban character to the buildings and historic fabric to the neighborhood. This building in particular really calls out for some neat signage on the side.
The painter way up high in the bucket truck (see photo) is Kevin Goodwin of Lamparelli Construction. And the sign? I am told that this was the former home of Touraine Paints, so it’s not just a random wall that the company chose to broadcast its name. This type of improvement is an excellent example of what we should be doing when we are looking at Main Street as a whole. All of the little details that make up a street broadcast an image to visitors. Are there trees? How is the lighting? Is there litter? Is there graffiti? Main Street needs some sort of a block club for the section that runs between Canisius College and the Medical Campus. There needs to be a concentrated effort… an outspoken communal voice when it comes to what the street looks like and how it behaves.
If leading by example is a start, then HOME is off to a good one.