Author: Bernice Radle, Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara
Jane Jacobs once said, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” That spirit is alive and well in Buffalo, where preservation has always been a community effort.
On Thursday, May 28, Preservation Buffalo Niagara will host the 2026 Preservation Awards in the stunning ballroom at the historic Richardson Olmsted Campus, celebrating 10 extraordinary award winners helping shape the future of Western New York.
This year’s honorees prove that preservation is anything but boring. From the adaptive reuse of one of Buffalo’s iconic grain elevator complexes to the restoration of historic gargoyles at 800 W. Ferry and the community-led efforts to reconnect the historic Humboldt Parkway corridor, these are stories of imagination, reinvestment, and civic pride.
And this work matters to our WNY economy. Heritage tourism brings 13.4% of Buffalo’s visitors here specifically for our history and architecture, generating more than $658 million in annual local spending and supporting over 8,000 jobs.
Preservation is not about freezing the past. It is about creating vibrant neighborhoods, fueling small businesses, and keeping Buffalo distinctly Buffalo. The Preservation Awards celebrate exactly that.
Join us for the fun! Tickets include open bar, appetizers, and dinner, plus an evening with some of Buffalo’s most passionate civic leaders, architects, developers, preservationists, and community champions. Best of all, every ticket supports Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s advocacy work protecting historic places across our region.
If you love Buffalo’s architecture, comeback stories, and bold ideas, this is your event.
Join us on Thursday, May 28 at the Richardson Complex ballroom and celebrate the 10 people and projects helping write Buffalo’s next chapter.
Get your tickets here: givebutter.com/2026-preservation-awards
Read about the 2026 Awardees here:
We would like to shout out a very special thank you to our Robert. T. Coles Sponsors: BSK, Carmina Wood Design, Hodgson Russ and Lawley.
See you at the Preservation Awards!