A petition has been launched that would see to it that a significant plot of land within the African American Heritage Corridor would be preserved as a place that further strengthens the history and heritage of the corridor.
Terry Alford, Executive Director of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission (MSAAHCC), stated in a letter that coincided with the petition, that the space of land surrounding the historic Michigan Street Baptist Church and the Nash House should not be sold off to a developer that would be insensitive to the reuse of the property.
Alford is asking the community to reach out to Council President Darius Pridgen and Mayor Byron Brown, to ask that a moratorium be placed upon the lots in question, while naming the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission as the designated developer.
In the request, Alford states that the parcel of land has been the “epicenter of African American History in Buffalo for well over 180 years,” which is why it’s imperative to proceed in a sensitive manner, instead of selling to “outside developers” that don’t have the community’s best interests at heart.
Along with the Nash House and the Michigan Street Baptist Church, the corridor is also home to The Historic Colored Musicians Club and Museum.
In June of 2020, the restoration of 509 Michigan Avenue was announced, and this past April, WUFO Radio owner Vision Multi Media Group was selected as the anchor tenant. While this is welcome news for the corridor, it also signals that the vacant City-owned plots are ripe for the taking.
Instead of seeing random developments disrupt this progress, MSAAHCC is hoping to create a campus that builds upon the past and recent strategic successes.
Click here to learn more about the “Save Our Spaces” initiative.