Recently, I read a review of the Caz Coffee Cafe on Buffalorising. Rarely is south buffalo ever mentioned on that elmwood-centric forum so I thought it was siginificant. Rarely is South Buffalo mentioned in any forum that targets Buffalo or WNY as a whole.
Doesn't South Buffalo need to reconnect somehow with the rest of Buffalo in order to preserve its stability or even to attract businesses and residents that are looking again to locate in the city?
Good point Tube...
As a Contributor to BRising, I can tell you that we realize we don't cover all of the City, its not on purpose, just don't have the time. I'm pretty downtown-centric, but am trying to cover developments elsewhere, particularly the east side.
If you'd be interested in contributing, private message me.
Good or bad I don't know, but if you look at a map it is pretty obvious why S Bflo is isolated from the rest of the city. The Buffalo River and all the industrial areas of the past century have made a natural barrier.
S Bflo is a great family area. The Irish still dominate this area an have NOT moved to the burbs. This is in large contrast to the Italians who have abandoned the west side and the Poles who have ditched E Bflo. and moved to Cheektowaga.
Seneca St and S Park Ave will be the place to be within the next 10 years. It's a good time to but real estate there.
It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. (Sir Winston Churchill)
While it is true the Irish dominate South Buffalo there are many Italians living there. The Hickory woods and the Streets off hopkins were all Italian. Folger, Payne, Garvy, Allegany, and Pries were about fifty- fifty Italian and Irish. St. Agatha's was an Italian Parish at it's inception. Most Italians in South Buffalo were from Calabria.
When every one outside of the community thinks of South Buffalo they always refer to it as "Irish South Buffalo". That's not entirerly correct.
"If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."
By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.
All the Irish flags flying on Sececa St. may lead to that conclusion.Originally Posted by citymouse
That's cause some ignorant people can't tell the difference between the Irish flag and the Italian one -- or maybe they're just color-blind!!!
Your right to buy a military weapon without hindrance, delay or training cannot trump Daniel Barden’s right to see his eighth birthday. -- Jim Himes
Nostalgia aside, flags or no flags. With all of the unoccupied space on Seneca Street and unkept store fronts I have to wonder if South Buffalo is still economically or culturally relevant?
I'm not sure if much of south Buffalo is percieved as family-friendly anymore especially along Seneca Street or South Park Avenue.
I agree with bflonum1fan about the natural or industrial barriers that divide our city. If there was a strategy to reconnect us to rest of this city, it may not have to be entirely a phyisical connection. We can reconnect ourselves through the media, we can connect ourselves politically and economically (that connection is eroding fast). We can connect ourselves culturally also. The Burchfield Penny Art and Nature Center is located on Union near Clinton. Its unfortunate that South Buffalo couldn't be the home of such a relevant cultural intersection of nature and Art. What about Architecture? We can capitalize off of the Grain elevators and other industrial relics with a creative strategy.
We need to get ourselves back on the radar screen.
Hope the rejuvenated South Buffalo Business Association will re-energize the business strips. Unlike the Chamber, it is specific to South Buffalo, not an election district, as the Chamber is.
The Caz coffee shop is a fine example of the businesses we need in SB!
Not rent to own shops
Not "No snitching" t shirt/show knock off stores.
Not "urban gear" stores
Not Crackphone stores.
BF
What will the association do to attract businesses to that strip?
Are they doing any marketing to national chains to get some form of franchisie type businesses there?
Are they putting togeather a statistical brochure to give to prospective businesses on why they should open up in SB?
Does the association have any data of household income/population data so a business could make a decision to open there?
I would start off with an over head map and compile a full list of available buildings for businesses. I would also include in that map the current businesses there to see if some business would compliment what is already there.
Also, seeing the burbs use IDA's to pull businesses from one wny area to another try to use that to your advantage. Are there any programs available for your area?
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This may be part of a South Buffalo integration plan. I have emailed this to all our politicos with no response. Maybe it's time to resurrect it ..
Here goes and sorry it's so long; maybe it should be a separate thread.
Buffalo River Park
Geography :
The area proposed is generally in the vicinity between South Buffalo and the old 1st ward. The boundaries of the park would extend from Elk Street to and across the Buffalo River and South Park Avenue and include the area which was part of Republic Steel (currently owned by Modern Disposal of Lewiston, NY). It would be adjacent to the roadway being planned by NYSDOT as part of the Southtowns connector project to connect the I190 to Tifft Street.
Proposal :
I propose a new park to cover the area of the unused Exxon/Mobil land (north side of Buffalo R.), from Elk Street to the river, across the river to and including the already mitigated land on both sides of South Park Avenue. This land is currently held by Village Farms (NJ) on the north side of South Park Ave., and Modern Disposal of Lewiston (this is part of the former Republic Steel site) on the south side of South Park. As far as I can tell, nothing is happening on the south side of South Park Ave (Republic) and very limited business activity is happening at Village Farms. There was some talk about wind farms on the old Republic site but nothing has happened yet. Probably a good thing, since the winds there are inconsistent at best. Also it would ruin our new park.
The park would feature easy access from South Buffalo (Tifft St), the old 1st ward, and could for the 1st time in the history of the City of Buffalo, link these traditional areas by means of this new park. I propose at least one pedestrian bridge (preferably two) over the river to link both sides of the park. We could even have a fishing dock here. Two years ago the NYS Dept of Fisheries planted several thousand walleye fingerlings in the Buffalo R. It was the general thinking that after 50 years of relative industrial non-use, the water quality has improved enough to make this feasible. Walleye fishing in Lake Erie/Buffalo River would bring immense tourism interest. After all, fishing in Lake Erie in the '50s was probably among the best in the world (if not the best). With any luck, this will enhance the walleye population in the eastern part of the lake.
Also imagine a future riverwalk that would be able to link the natural aspects of the river and park with the historic part of the Buffalo waterfront. It's all part of a forward looking plan to tie together the outer harbor, the Erie Canal Harbor project, the new Buffalo River Park, as well as the inner harbor. It could certainly reinvigorate South Buffalo and this long neglected area of the city.
I would hope that Mobil/Exxon with the profits from our gas purchases in the past year would be more than happy to clean up and sell the site adjacent to the still used storage tanks (north side of Buffalo R.). They could perhaps be encouraged to be corporate sponsors of this project (but please don't name the park after the company).
These are my ideas. I'd be happy to work with you on helping to make this a reality. The area of the park could be at least 1/2 square mile (a rather large park by Buffalo standards). The beauty of this plan is that almost all the land is vacant and waiting for something to happen. I'd like to see it done within 3 years. It could be a state park, a county park, or a city park. Whatever it takes to get it done is OK with me.
It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. (Sir Winston Churchill)
Not to sound Negative.
What about those heavily used railroad mainlines? The heavy metals in the ground at the republic steel and other industrial sites? The toxic ponds of all the colors in the rainbow?
This is an area I know well having worked, and as a child, played in all my life. I fished in the harbor, swam at the grainmills, shot pigeons with a bb gun under the tifft street bridge, and played hockey on those ponds back there (that weren't so full of chemicals they still would freeze).
I jumped on and of slow moving trains (very stupid) and worked on those same trains as an adult.
I think I can say with some degree of expertise, this is no place to invest in a park.
"If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."
By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.
Oh Mouse.
You still can't "imagine the possiblities."
Not a park.
A theme park.
Set up black lights and really make those chemical dumps shine.
Run golf cart tours through the sights.
Charge people for a view of the Peter Max version of America's industrial heritage.
Truth springs from argument among friends.
Land has been cleaned
Mouse, I was there about the same time you were shooting pidgeons under the Tifft St Bridge. I didn't swim in the Bflo R however; L Erie was my preference.
I can say that the land at R Steel has been cleaned up and Mobil is in process as we speak. Furthermore, the park would be for day use only like most of our parks, and any residuals would be a minimal if non-existent threat to daily casual use. I mean we were not planning to build homes there; but what about the homes right across the (new) street ?
It would take about 10,000 yards of good dirt to get the desired foliage.
I agree with the Biker; it's time Buffalo starts thinking forward instead of dwelling on the past all the time. The Buffalo R Park is very possible. I'd personally prefer to spend negative energy on the casino.
It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. (Sir Winston Churchill)
That republic Steel site hasn't been touched. The only place that was ever "reclaimed" was the parking lot on the north side of South Park and it was used as the Tomato Factory that was dismantled and removed on a moonless night.
During the big storm a few years back the city was dumping snow on the South Side property. It was a mess. The buildings were removed when the plant was demolished but the land is laden with heavy metals.
Are those new houses you speak of on Abbey Street? They are on the periphrial of the plant and are the infamous "Hickory Woods" development. Ask those people how clean the area is.
Modern diposal owns the land on the South side of South Park now.
We mostly swam at Cargill at the foot of Tifft, by the way. Back in the mid and late sixties. Also at the foot of Michigan from time to time.
I heard mobile is in the process of pulling out of New York State. One of their Drivers told me he is losing his job. I would be amazed if they clean that site up before they lock the gate.
"If you want to know what God thinks of money just look at the people he gave it to."
By the way, what happened to biker? I miss the old coot.
Stop Snitchin
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