fixBuffalo

A neighbor tipped me off to a deal at Buffalo ReUse the other day, an incredible price on plywood - $8/sheet. So I stopped over to the store at 298 Northampton Street and stocked up for a number of projects.
Kevin Hayes, the store manager, showed me his new business cards that had just been delivered.
If you haven't stopped by and checked out the deals you should before you head off to any of the traditional retail outlets for building products. I spotted this amazing laundry tub out back.
I had a chance to talk with these two ReUse customers who are opening a vegetarian restuarant on Delaware Avenue in the spot that used to be one of my favorite local bars, Prespa. Here, they're picking out some reused shelf brackets for their new business.
Kevin reminded me that in a few short weeks, Buffalo ReUse will be hosting the 2008 Great Lakes ReUse Conference. Youngstown, OH Mayor Jay Willams will be one of the keynote speakers. I first mentioned Jay Williams - Visiting Youngstown - in a series of posts last year. This should be an amazing event.

Buffalo Ideas is a daily read. Paul Wolf, the blog's author, was formerly the Common Council's Chief of Staff and is currently General Counsel at the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.

One of Paul's recent posts - Let's Talk about Leadership - is a short review of Barbara Kellerman's book, BadLeadership - What it is, How it happens, Why it matters.

Paul has a loyal following and is the only person I know in local public service who blogs. If you know of anyone else in local government who blogs, please send me the site. Thanks.

When I bought a neglected and vacant row house in the City's Cold Springs neighborhood 12 years ago I developed an interest in the remaining sets of row houses in the area. The Emerson Row and the Woodlawn Row (then occupied) were just a block away and were the last remaining row houses in the immediate neighborhood, a neighborhood that once contained 15 sets of row houses and maybe the largest concentration of this type of housing in the City - see map. Fifteen sets had dwindled to three.

A fixBuffalo reader sent the following link this morning to another set of row houses, a few blocks away at the corner of Laurel and Michigan. I remember this row and despite it's successful nomination and placement on the National Register and its designation as a local landmark, it was demolished in 1997.
I re-read the nomination package for this property recently and was struck by the high level of architectural detail that was described. The wrapped 'L' shape was unique. I also remember riding past this corner one morning 11 years ago wondering why construction crews were out shortening and shrinking the window openings. I called the building inspector and asked if a permit had been filed and whether the Preservation Board had approved the exterior changes. A permit had been approved for the window shortening.

This was probably my first direct lesson in the lack of institutional oversight and protection for the City's architechural and cultural heritage. Years later I learned that the Woodlawn Row experienced the same City Hall disconnect as building permits were approved on two occasions for exterior work - here and here - without the Preservation Board's approval for the installation of blue vinyl siding.

I spoke with a neighbor of mine later this afternoon about the 'L' shaped row at Laurel and Michigan. She told me that after a series of drug busts three bodies were found in the vacant structure, the place was demolished.

I'll keep track of my Saturday morning pics - Walking around Artspace - and update the series every two weeks.

Here's the schedule for the rest of 2008, rain or shine. Meet-up is at the Sonice Cafe at 9am, right across from Artspace. Here's the map.

So here's my first re-construction photo which shows the former front lawn, along Best Street, and the location of the two new additions.

Check out the City Honors archive for additional information and regular updates.

Here's the link to last year's Saturdays around the neighborhood and the map for this season. If you're interested in additional information check out two sections of my 'Building & Issues Index' - Coe Place and Artspace.

This Saturday at 11am Our Lady of Lourdes will be auctioned. Here the details from Cash Cunningham's site.
Our Lady of Lourdes was one of the first Catholic Churches sold off by the Diocese back in the 90's and is located on Main Street just a few blocks south of Artspace, at Best Street. I noticed this afternoon that at least one of the boards securing a window in the church's apse had been removed.
George Thomas Apfel, a former Lourdes parishoner, has provided additonal details about the church and the social history of the parish - here and here in two recent Buffalo Rising posts. Additional pics are available here on his website.

According to City of Buffalo records, the current owner purchased the property three years ago for $65,000. When I peeked through the front door, the interior looked like a disaster. A number of long time residents next door told me that the place has been vacant for at least 15 years.

Make sure to check out the 10 additional real property auctions that Cash is holding here in Buffalo and Lackawanna on Saturday, September 13th.

Today's Buffalo News carried the following announcement that may be of interest to fixBuffalo readers.

If there's a podcast, I'll make sure to follow-up with another post.

I had a chance to catch up with Anthony Armstrong - LISC Buffalo - recently for the latest numbers in what's become the leading indictor of vacancy and abandonment here in Buffalo, NY - the quarterly HUD/Postal Service data indicating the trends around undeliverable addresses.

The staggering data sets - see spreadsheet - are clearly depicted here in these two graphics that Anthony has prepared. That spread sheet is organized by census track for Buffalo and includes data on surrounding towns, too. Both pics, representing numbers at the end of the second quarter - June '08 - clearly show what's happening and how the city's neighborhoods are hollowing out. The first pic is the current snap shot and the second shows the changes over a four year period, 2005 - 2008.
Links to Anthony's previous work is available here - Undeliverable and Unbelievable - Unstoppable? - from this past June. If you're a new reader or old, I'd like to know what you think of these trends and what's happening, or not, in your neighborhood.

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