The census clock is ticking down on Buffalo’s future

[kernwatch]

COPY: http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/a...ry/117113.html

Another voice / Population loss

The census clock is ticking down on Buffalo’s future

By Robert T. Coles, Updated: 07/11/07 6:57 AM


Recent population statistics on the decline of cities in the Northeast should give us pause for concern. With a population of 580,000 in 1950 as the 15th largest city in the nation, Buffalo had a population of 276,000 people in 2005, dropping to the 66th largest city in the nation.

In 1900, with 350,000 population, it was the eighth largest city. Some recent statistics indicate that the city’s population is now below 250,000.

We are about to lose the critical mass that makes a city viable, and our major cultural and recreational activities are truly at risk. It is already evident that the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Historical Society, the Science Museum, the Studio Museum, the Buffalo Zoo and the African-American Cultural Institution are facing severe financial shortages. There also has been recent talk about the fate of the Buffalo Bills, and the Buffalo Sabres may also be threatened.

The flight to the suburbs has left the city with masses of poor and underprivileged people, and the suburbs, where not only the middle class but many of its institutions fled, have been unwilling to assist the city in any meaningful way, forgetting that without Buffalo they would not exist.

We need to act, and to act now to save our Buffalo. The answer now is the same as it was 40 years ago when our population was twice as large as it is today. Then, only the university and its size and magnitude could stem the decline of the city. Now a multibillion-dollar engine for the growth of suburban Amherst, the University at Buffalo needs to be truly become the University at Buffalo.

Shortly after his arrival in Buffalo, UB President John Simpson made a major decision in putting on hold a proposed $300 million commercial center on the Amherst campus, recognizing the harm that it would do to Buffalo. The university now is considering where to put 10,000 new students and 2,500 new faculty members. Amherst, the fastest-growing town in Western New York, doesn’t want them and surely doesn’t need them, but Buffalo does.

Put them on the waterfront downtown, near the rich cultural and historical resources Buffalo has, so they can gain an appreciation of urban values.

Buffalo has another major jewel — the underused, unappreciated billiondollar light rail rapid transit system. Coupled with this should be efforts by our elected officials to extend the light rail rapid transit system to both Amherst and to the waterfront. Student and faculty housing should be built around the transit stations. This would allow both students and faculty easy access to the rich cultural venue that is the city. Then the university could truly call itself the University at Buffalo.

The clock is ticking down on Buffalo. The time to act is now.

Robert T. Coles is a Buffalo architect who served in 1966 as chairman of the Committee for an Urban University, which sought to site the new university campus on the waterfront.

[Achbek1]

YES! We need to do something to build this region back up again!

AND PEOPLE NEED TO STOP FREAKING OUT AND PROTESTING ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT IDEA THAT COMES ALONG!

[raoul duke]

AND PEOPLE NEED TO STOP FREAKING OUT AND PROTESTING ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT IDEA THAT COMES ALONG!

yeah... no. maybe if there was effective leadership that proved trustworthy people wouldn't be so apprehensive about development. how many duds or lost oppotunities has this area "developed"? more than i care to think about.

[Linda_D]

I saw this article yesterday, but thought I'd not raise it since I have nothing but bricks to throw at this guy. Well, since Dick brought it up, I'll bring it down.

1. Coles is full of BS.

... a ... In 1966-1967, Buffalo's population was no where near 500,000. It was under 400,000 in 1970 IIRC.
... b ... talk about the city vs suburb divide, this guy defines it ... apparently people who live outside the city limits do not support cultural institutions or sports teams.
... c ... putting the new UB campus downtown or on the waterfront was a "silver bullet" in 1966-67 and it's a silver bullet forty years later. I refer you to all the "development" around Buffalo State that's directly attributable to the college and not to its proximity to good residential areas of North Buffalo.
... d ... the waterfront (by which, I assume, he means the Outer Harbor, but who knows, since Coles doesn't describe which part of the waterfront he's talking about) is not near any "rich cultural and historical resources" in the city but rather stuck out on a cold, isolated former industrial area.
... e ... the last I knew, colleges and universities seldom build faculty housing

2. Rather than siting the new university site out on the waterfront miles from either UB campus, I have an alternative: why not site the new campus on the East Side?
... a ... there are large areas of nearly empty blocks ... and the homes that are still occupied are mostly rentals, and most owners would gladly take any reasonable offer.
... b ... there are many fine old churches, now or soon to be vacant, from the early part of the century that might be rehabbed and turned into university buildings (lecture halls).
... c ... the area is already laced with bus lines so that the subway wouldn't have to be expanded. It would be much easier to get to the northern campuses, to downtown, to cultural events (most downtown or along Delaware/Elmwood) than from the waterfront.
... d ... commercial areas like Broadway-Fillmore, Main Street, and Bailey might see some increases in business.
... e ... faculty and students who gush about the "urban experience" can get a real "urban experience" by actually living in the city rather than by living in exclusive, gated enclaves or in the suburbs.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

2. Rather than siting the new university site out on the waterfront miles from either UB campus, I have an alternative: why not site the new campus on the East Side?
... a ... there are large areas of nearly empty blocks ... and the homes that are still occupied are mostly rentals, and most owners would gladly take any reasonable offer.
... b ... there are many fine old churches, now or soon to be vacant, from the early part of the century that might be rehabbed and turned into university buildings (lecture halls).
... c ... the area is already laced with bus lines so that the subway wouldn't have to be expanded. It would be much easier to get to the northern campuses, to downtown, to cultural events (most downtown or along Delaware/Elmwood) than from the waterfront.
... d ... commercial areas like Broadway-Fillmore, Main Street, and Bailey might see some increases in business.
... e ... faculty and students who gush about the "urban experience" can get a real "urban experience" by actually living in the city rather than by living in exclusive, gated enclaves or in the suburbs.

I really like this idea. I have always dreamed of the Central Terminal being a corner stone of a high tech complex but maybe it should be UB.

WOW, this is strange.... I just agreed with Linda. I am feeling a little light headed. LOL

[Timmy]

Actually, a friend of mine talked with a UB professional about the Cental Terminal and they talked to the Central Terminal and to BERC as well.

They got the Central Terminal listed on the BERC website with the CTs permission as a center for logistics and world trade.

They also talked with UBs Center for Global Enterprise Management which could very easily be Buffalos 2nd Center for Excellence. Global Enterprise Management would include logistics, transportation, distribution, import/export, customs, law, trade, supply chain management, software applications, etc.

They also talked with various local companies like ROAR logistics, Speed and others who would join in creating another center for excellence.

As of yet though....no one is taking the leadership at UB or in the private sector or at the Central Terminal to really bring the parties together.

The Central Terminal could both return to being a train station but it could also be anothe Fruit Belt or Larkin District.

[Deerhunter]

knock down all the houses and empty buildings from Downtown to the Central Terminal in order to utilize that structure. And probably continue over to Bailey, just to be sure to wipe out the bad element. Nobody with any brains would put anything of value in that area.

[mikewrona]

I saw this article yesterday, but thought I'd not raise it since I have nothing but bricks to throw at this guy. Well, since Dick brought it up, I'll bring it down.

1. Coles is full of BS.

... a ... In 1966-1967, Buffalo's population was no where near 500,000. It was under 400,000 in 1970 IIRC.
.

I'm pretty certain the population of Buffalo in 1970 was about 450,000 and didn't drop below 400,000 until the 1980 census.

At the same time and routinely ignored by the anti-Buffalo crowd frequenting SUWNY, is the fact that the population of Erie County is only slightly larger today than it was 57 years ago in 1950. I think it was 950,000 +/- in 1950 and 980,000 today.

People have fled the county as a whole and not just the City of Buffalo. But, Buffalo is a nice easy target for fairly obvious reasons.

[VegasDude]

I'm pretty certain the population of Buffalo in 1970 was about 450,000 and didn't drop below 400,000 until the 1980 census.

At the same time and routinely ignored by the anti-Buffalo crowd frequenting SUWNY, is the fact that the population of Erie County is only slightly larger today than it was 57 years ago in 1950. I think it was 950,000 +/- in 1950 and 980,000 today.

People have fled the county as a whole and not just the City of Buffalo. But, Buffalo is a nice easy target for fairly obvious reasons.

Top out-of-state destinations for those from Erie County:

1 Mecklenburg, NC 1,697
2 Maricopa, AZ 1,442
3 Clark, NV 1,191 (11 for Monroe)
4 Pinellas, FL 1,057
5 Hillsborough, FL 1,025
6 Broward, FL 841
7 Los Angeles, CA 794
8 Palm Beach, FL 786
9 Orange, FL 715
10 Lee, FL 680
11 Cook, IL 670
12 Cuyahoga, OH 664
13 San Diego, CA 657
14 Wake, NC 630 (5 for Monroe)
15 Allegheny, PA 623
16 Sarasota, FL 566
17 Fairfax, VA 547
18 Franklin, OH 482
19 Middlesex, MA 469 (10 for Monroe)
20 Pasco, FL 469

[300miles]

There are several inaccuracies in that article... For instance, Amherst is not the fastest growing area in WNY. In fact it's growth is flat compared with the eastern burbs.

It also is exagerating the threat to sports and culturals. The metro area is over 1 million people that support the bills, sabres, and albright-knox.

[mikewrona]

Top out-of-state destinations for those from Erie County:

1 Mecklenburg, NC 1,697
2 Maricopa, AZ 1,442
3 Clark, NV 1,191 (11 for Monroe)
4 Pinellas, FL 1,057
5 Hillsborough, FL 1,025
6 Broward, FL 841
7 Los Angeles, CA 794
8 Palm Beach, FL 786
9 Orange, FL 715
10 Lee, FL 680
11 Cook, IL 670
12 Cuyahoga, OH 664
13 San Diego, CA 657
14 Wake, NC 630 (5 for Monroe)
15 Allegheny, PA 623
16 Sarasota, FL 566
17 Fairfax, VA 547
18 Franklin, OH 482
19 Middlesex, MA 469 (10 for Monroe)
20 Pasco, FL 469

Quite a big variety isn't it? My family has settled in the highlighted locations.

Big industry with big pay is gone. The Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, Buffalo Chamber of Conference and the various industrial development agencies have wasted 25 years trying to land other manufacturers. I think by now we recognize that was the wrong way to go.

I only mention this as a different strategy that could have been used for a number of different developments over the years. I'm not going to get into the ongoing Bass Pro nonsense. A smart strategy, at least to me, would have been to take the $60 million to construct Bass Pro downtown, would have been to find ask any and all locally own sporting goods operators to submit a business plan to win a $60 million project to take the unused Pier Restaurant on Furhmann Blvd and turn it into a sports themed tourist destination.

But, that's just me. I'd invest our money in our businesses. But, what does a Progressive Democrat know about business?

[mikewrona]

There are several inaccuracies in that article... For instance, Amherst is not the fastest growing area in WNY. In fact it's growth is flat compared with the eastern burbs.

It also is exagerating the threat to sports and culturals. The metro area is over 1 million people that support the bills, sabres, and albright-knox.

Well, then write the Buffalo News to point out the accuracies. Your rebuttal here doesn't reach 1% of it's readership. It is your city and you usually speakup very well for it!!!

Area population growth is when you grow. The suburbs aren't really in a pattern of growth when a resident of Buffalo moves 10 miles to Marilla. If the new resident came from Pittsburgh, then the area is growing (including Marilla).

[Linda_D]

I'm pretty certain the population of Buffalo in 1970 was about 450,000 and didn't drop below 400,000 until the 1980 census.

At the same time and routinely ignored by the anti-Buffalo crowd frequenting SUWNY, is the fact that the population of Erie County is only slightly larger today than it was 57 years ago in 1950. I think it was 950,000 +/- in 1950 and 980,000 today.

People have fled the county as a whole and not just the City of Buffalo. But, Buffalo is a nice easy target for fairly obvious reasons.

I think that you are probably correct about the 1970 census. Mea culpa.

My complaint with the article is the idea that putting another UB campus on the waterfront is going to somehow "save" Buffalo (ie, by which Coles clearly means the city and not the metro area). It's a proverbial "silver bullet" proposal from an individual who thinks in the city vs suburbs mold and who doesn't comprehend that the city's population loss is intertwined with the general loss of population in the entire metropolitan area -- and that goes back to massive job losses.

[mikewrona]

I think that you are probably correct about the 1970 census. Mea culpa.

My complaint with the article is the idea that putting another UB campus on the waterfront is going to somehow "save" Buffalo (ie, by which Coles clearly means the city and not the metro area). It's a proverbial "silver bullet" proposal from an individual who thinks in the city vs suburbs mold and who doesn't comprehend that the city's population loss is intertwined with the general loss of population in the entire metropolitan area -- and that goes back to massive job losses.

I very definitely agree with you on UB downtown not being the answer. The city already has the answer. In spite of the protestations of individuals on Speakup who see absolutely no tourism value to this community, it exists out there. And a truly historic recreation of the Erie Canal on the actual site and foundations will bring people in.

Ever here of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal? NO, I didn't think so. And yet it is a National HIstoric Park that has millions visit annually. If millions will visit a canal that did not play the role of the Erie and be a tourist draw, what's wrong with our imagination?

From C & O web page:

Preserving America’s colorful Canal era and transportation history, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park is 184.5 miles of adventure. Originally, the C&O Canal was a lifeline for communities and businesses along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, grain and other agricultural products floated down the canal to market. Today millions of visitors hike or bike the C&O Canal each year to enjoy the natural, cultural and recreational opportunities available.

[Curmudgeon]

But, what does a Progressive Democrat know about business?

Based on 30+ years of Progressive Democrats running WNY into the ground, I'd say Progressive Democrats know nothing of business.....