The City of Buffalo has granted ADM’s request for demolition of the Great Northern Elevator on Ganson Street which suffered a facade collapse in last weekend’s storm. The emergency request comes twenty years after ADM initially tried to demolish the structure but refused to agree to terms of the demolition such as documenting the site, creating a monument to honor the historic structure, and put up a bond to ensure its talked about construction of a new elevator complex was legitimate.
Add the Great Northern to the list of historic structures a spineless City Hall has allowed to crumble with impunity.
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Members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers Local 36G have expressed interest in determining the feasibility of purchasing the endangered Great Northern Grain Elevator and re-purposing it as a Union Hall to serve their members as well as a public museum space.
“This building represents a profound part of Buffalo’s place as center of grain milling, and we would love to be part of bringing it back to life for a new use to serve Buffalo’s future,” stated Anthony Barker, President of Local 36G, which represents workers at ADM who currently owns the structure. “We wouldn’t be able to do it on our own, but with the right community support, we think we can be part of the solution for saving this part of Buffalo’s history for future generations.”
The Great Northern has suffered decades of neglect, and last week’s windstorm caused a portion of the north wall to collapse. In response, the building’s owner has filed for an emergency demolition permit. The brick walls surrounding the building are not structural, however, some preservationists dispute the need to demolish and request that the City order the owner to make repairs to the wall and explore opportunities for new stewardship for this local landmark.
“Over the last two decades, preservationists have proven their case that saving rather than demolishing buildings is profoundly good for our community,” stated Jessie Fisher, Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara. “Our historic structures have resulted in international press coverage, hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism revenues, and over a billion dollars in private investment. The Great Northern is an irreplaceable treasure, unlike any existing structure in North America. We hope that the City and ADM will give the Local 36 time to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether this building fits their future needs. In the meantime, we urge the City of Buffalo to order ADM to make structural repairs to ensure the safety of the building and the people around it.”
The Great Northern has been a local landmark since 1990 and has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.