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1999

Transit North Update

This is an update to a previous post.

Transit North, the collaborative effort of the City of Lockport, Town of Lockport and the Town of Pendleton to transform the stretch of Transit Road from Tonawanda Creek to the Erie Canal, has released a comprehensive website detailing their project.


Concept Rendering. TransitNorth.com

What I found to be most interesting is the 14-page Design Guidelines document. It seems that some communities in Western New York can come together, decide what they want and create a path to achievement. Are you paying attention Buffalo?

Build-out to the street with parking in the rear.

Comprehensive landscaping.

Pedestrian friendly environments.

I will surely be following this closely and will be very interested to see how this progresses. Will the stringent guidelines hinder development? Or will the destination nature of this plan act as a catalyst to bring in businesses looking to get their seat at the table. Time will tell.

Spend a few minutes checking out the website.

Transit North Historic Canalway Corridor

Hello Buffalo!

Meet Buffalo's newest resident....




Name: Clearwater's Tequila Moonlite (aka Lucy!)
Born in Ohio: March 3, 2008
Welcomed to Buffalo: April 26, 2008
Consuming my every waking hour: Currently

When the dust settles...

Consider this my stream of consciousness post.

Where will Buffalo be... when the recession ends? Recovery?

We need to shape our city for tomorrow... not just today.

This isn't a roll of the dice. Not a weather forecast. It's a given.

We've been through this before... the nineties. Remember Bill Clinton. Economic boom.

The nation prospered. Well... not everyone.

Buffalo fucked it up then. Is there anyone who can think more than two blocks ahead?

Medical Campus... great start. Proud of that. OK... next.

Let's invest $100 million dollars and wire this city... the right way.

see Click!

Show me a city that positioned itself to prosper coming out of a recession...

see Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma? That's ridiculous! The rain... the snow... why would anyone want to locate there?

Besides their bridges seem a little unsafe.

see Tacoma, Washington ...part 2

I'm a business. Give me a reason to locate in your city.

...umm... we have a Bass Pro!

Not good enough.

...umm... lots of beer and chicken wings.

Sorry - I'm a wine cooler and rib eye kinda guy. Anything else?

...umm... we are now one of the largest technology and data hubs in the country. By locating here in Buffalo, it will put you miles ahead of your competition. Not only can we meet your technology needs, but we can guarantee you fresh water and affordable housing for your employees when they relocate.

Bingo. Where do I sign?

So where will Buffalo be when the dust settles?

Here's a thought... let's hire a consulting firm to establish Buffalo's current ability to meet the needs of future industry. When they finish... and tell us what we already know... let's establish a focus group in city hall... made up of tech experts, planning experts, government experts... lots of people who know lots of stuff... and get this city on the right track.

I'm all for Canal Sides and Bass Pros... but I don't think the masses will be flocking back to Buffalo for fishing lures and whipple bridges. High paying tech jobs... that's a different story.

So I wonder... where will Buffalo be when... did I leave the iron on?

Yes, We're Open

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."
- Abraham Lincoln

There is no better time than now.

This city should be doing everything in it's power to voice to the nation that we are ready to welcome all who desire a new... affordable... place to call home.

-----

It's OK if you left for a promise of higher paying jobs and warmer weather. If you're a former Buffalonian... we're waiting with open arms. We don't blame you for leaving. It's OK.

Never been to Buffalo? It's OK. Let me tell you a little about our fair city.

We have great weather... believe it or not. Our summers are some of the best in the Northeast.
Don't believe me... well believe the facts. The snow is not really that bad. Besides... we don't require you to purchase snow insurance.

We have lots of homes ready and waiting... on the cheap too! Buffalo has one of the lowest median home prices, for a metropolitan area, in the county. If you're coming to visit, check out all of our new upscale downtown living. That may be more of what you're used to.

Check this out... most of the time you'll be able to get to work in under 20 minutes! Just think of the money you'll save in gas! Besides, you're probably paying more now than you would here.

Tired of conserving water? Look no further! We've got lots of it here! Feel free to hose down your driveway... let you're sprinkler run for hours! Oh... and it's cheap also!

-----

Buffalo... your time is now.

So where do we start?

Viral videos. Websites. Full page newspaper ads throughout the country.

Is it beneath a city to employ tactics that major companies use, most often successfully, to draw consumers to their product? I don't think it should be.

Come on Buffalo... let's get creative!

Let's try to be realistic...

Nothing to do with Buffalo... just thought I would share. Enjoy.

Exhibiting Buffalo

I consider myself very fortunate to live in one of the most architecturally significant cities in the country.

I have had a lifelong love affair with buildings and it has only grown deeper over time. As a kid, my walls were covered with drawing of every building I wanted to construct as an adult. My dream home... my parents vacation home... the ultimate football stadium...

While my life has taken me down a different career path, I haven't forgotten where it started. Even as an adult, I still find myself spending a great deal of time obsessing about structure.

I yearn for new episodes of Build It Bigger. I have 23 episodes of Holmes on Homes DVR'd. I just spent an hour on Google Maps browsing Buffalo from above. I love satellite view.

One of my favorite websites is Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. Not only have I spent many hours browsing Buffalo's past... but I also find it very handy as a reference tool. When I need to find out more about a building being discussed on other websites, the info I need is only a favorites list away.

While websites serve a very useful purpose, imagine being able to step inside the lobby of one of Buffalo's historic theatres as it was the day it opened. Imagine being able to view original blueprints of Buffalo buildings as they sit under glass.

Which brings me to the point of this post... #4 on my Buffalo Wishlist...

The Buffalo Museum of Architecture

Location: Let's create an amazing reuse of the Connecting Terminal Grain Elevator.

- It will serve as a gateway to Buffalo's future, as well as it's past
- Multiple floors of exhibit space
- A room dedicated to Frank Lloyd Wright as well as E.B. Green
- Recreations of Buffalo landmarks.
- etc.

Museum of Architecture; Stockholm, Sweden

The BMA should also serve as a place to preserve Buffalo's architectural past. It could serve as a permanent home for the Central Terminal clock, as well as other historic city artifacts. We could also display the remnants of the Larking Administration Building in the FLW room. Although it has been restored, the lone pillar which still stands today remains exposed to Buffalo's winter weather. Let's bring it in out of the cold! While we're at it, let's take a little bit of all the Buffalo landmarks which will soon face unfortunate demolition.


The last remianing piece of the Larkin Administration Building

We must face the fact that we will continue to lose a little bit of Buffalo's history as time goes by. While we must act to save our great buildings where they stand, the painful truth is that many will continue to suffer the fate of so many before them. Cities evolve and landscapes change. It is up to us to make sure that we preserve and honor the path our city has taken.