All roads lead for a new Bills stadium in downtown...Cars return to lower Main St

[DetDannyWilliams]

WASHINGTON – The city of Buffalo has won an $18 million federal grant to fund the return of cars to lower Main Street near Canalside.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the funding on Monday.
“This has been a top priority for Buffalo and Mayor Byron Brown and we worked very hard to get this one past the finish line,” Schumer said. “This $18 million award – along with the $15 million we previously secured – have been a game-changer for Buffalo’s Main Street and downtown, and it will help create hundreds of good-paying construction jobs.”

Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat who joined Schumer in pushing for the funding, said the project will involve returning traffic to Main Street from Exchange Street to Scott Street, thereby opening up more of the area to development.

“This will give us everything we need to have a beautiful lower Main Street that stimulates additional investment and job creation,” the mayor said.

Since 2005, money became available for construction for return traffic to the 700, 600 and 500 blocks of Main Street. Cars were removed from the street when Metro Rail opened more than 30 years ago, but urban planners quickly learned that the move was a mistake because it hurt business along Main Street.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/downtown-waterfront/city-wins-18-million-grant-to-return-cars-to-lower-main-street-near-canalside-20151026?sp-tk=439BA0513286A459A67D39F960410B97A7A63D67F727B9A59E1CF95DC4197C5926935B02B04479390B6D33A0AECF3094EF898E1EDE971B79867349A64FE6492E7AF6D703EF6B60BE926E990B0C8DBC317EAB4AF9BCBE3BCEFA876783014B6AF9E573F4CA38AC254394AFCFC5E48786E1A1999265DCA5C1E54B9C475672065A921468D87E924B511D2BCAD05B43CB7677B6DD93E0

If the new Bills stadium is built in downtown opening Main St. to traffic eases traffic coming into and out of the City if you look at a map of Buffalo all major routes hit Main St.

[BillsImpossible]

Cars....of all things. They finally learned.

Or did they?

"Extend the metro rail!"

That is the latest cry from people that know nothing about business.

The NFTA is a giant taxpayer funded, corrupt piece of transportation crap.

Face palm.

[BillsImpossible]

Does anyone understand how long it has taken the city of Buffalo to open up Main Street to vehicular traffic?

How long does it take to transform a 1.8 mile stretch of metro rail in to a modern day Main Street?

A privately owned company could have gotten the job done in less than a year.

Over 5 years, and $200 million and counting later, Main Street, Buffalo is still waiting.

That's how long it takes to get things done in the city of Buffalo, and the project still isn't complete.

In order to build a new stadium downtown, major roadwork renovations need to be completed before the construction of a stadium even starts.

You know the new bridge being built on the 290 by the Big Blue water tower and Cleveland Drive?

How much money did that cost? It's late October and it's still not finished.

The, "You didn't build that," crowd controls the road infrastructure scene in WNY because their government pals grease their palms and milk the taxpayers as much as possible.

They could care less about private property, or small business owners.

[Skooby]

By the time the unions get through with this, there will be 3 gum wrappers on the ground and several fingers to point. Anyone see those guys actually work for more than an hour versus sitting in a parked car ??

[HHURRICANE]

I was just in Buffalo. To be frank the city is doing better but Elmwood looks like **** and the waterfront that everyone is bragging about is somewhat disappointing.

We still have a long way to go.

[gebobs]

You could turn the old Marine Midland Center into a parking deck.

Or have they ripped that ugly piece of crap down yet?

[WagonCircler]

You could turn the old Marine Midland Center into a parking deck.

Or have they ripped that ugly piece of crap down yet?

Nope. Same eyesore as it was 40 years ago.

[BillsImpossible]

Nope. Same eyesore as it was 40 years ago.

Tallest building in Buffalo, and it sits empty.

The Bills are the only NFL team in New York State.

Why do the New Jersey Jets and Giants play in Jersey, not New York?

Probably for the same reason businesses leave New York.

New York State is so corrupt and dysfunctional because there's no political competition.

New York City dominates the entire state, Albany enforces the rules, and every New Yorker that doesn't live in the Big Apple suffers because of their mess.

[Mace]

I think they more want to renew Main St, as well they should. Besides pockets of life and the Chippewa St. area, it's a pretty feeble downtown because that stupid rapid transit system murdered it neatly as I remember. I had a front row seat because I started working at the huge eyesore right around it.

With the rapid transit system as it is and scaled for marginal renewal traffic, it will be holy hell if they do put a football stadium downtown unless they address the skyway and such around there, for which, as I understand they could probably easily get federal money for infrastructure.

I always figured if they did intend a stadium down there, Schumer and the local pols would pretty much throw all their weight behind killing two birds with one stone.

I suppose the one thing I'll always remember though is how Griffins rapid transit system basically gave people a more limited way to get to an desolate area it killed. A limited shiny pathway from nothing to nowhere.

[stuckincincy]

WASHINGTON – The city of Buffalo has won an $18 million federal grant to fund the return of cars to lower Main Street near Canalside.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., announced the funding on Monday.
“This has been a top priority for Buffalo and Mayor Byron Brown and we worked very hard to get this one past the finish line,” Schumer said. “This $18 million award – along with the $15 million we previously secured – have been a game-changer for Buffalo’s Main Street and downtown, and it will help create hundreds of good-paying construction jobs.”

This doesn't make sense to me. Why would Schumer waste even a paltry $18 million on folks that would vote for his political party to their grave?

[Mace]

This doesn't make sense to me. Why would Schumer waste even a paltry $18 million on folks that would vote for his political party to their grave?

He loves chicken wings.

[Ingtar33]

This doesn't make sense to me. Why would Schumer waste even a paltry $18 million on folks that would vote for his political party to their grave?

it's to keep him safe from challenges inside his own party


I was just in Buffalo. To be frank the city is doing better but Elmwood looks like **** and the waterfront that everyone is bragging about is somewhat disappointing.

We still have a long way to go.

I spent a week in buffalo, first time in years. last time i was downtown was before the harbor project started. I can see the potential, with what they're starting down there. I got to walk around the area a bit and it's a nice improvement. The rest of the town is pretty much exactly as i remember it, though it looks like Amherst got a bit more development.

When i was flying in i got a good look at the south side waterfront from the air, and there is plenty of room for a stadium and parking down there, if they blow out the whole skyway and take out the old piers. it would make a gorgeous location for a new stadium. With a rework of the roads it would be pretty accessible, and the best part is it would bookend the undeveloped pit of a waterfront with two big beautiful projects (the harbor center on the north, and a new stadium in the south), which would leave just a mile or two left for someone to step in and recover for the city.

I am not in the camp that thinks buffalo is a waste. It's small, it's easy to get around, rush hour is a joke. There is more culture per square mile then most other cities could boast in their whole boarders. But there is a lot more that needs to be done. doing a waterfront stadium would only be a 2nd step for a revitalization of the city and there would need to be a lot of follow through which WNY is singularly bad at doing to make it a reality.

[Night Train]

As an area resident, it's getting far better. Once a hopeless ghost town, you now have Canalside,Cobblestone,Larkinville and many people moving back into downtown.

If you haven't been down to see it, just stop talking.

[gebobs]

And a casino! Don't forget the casino! LOL What a disgusting place.

[Night Train]

And a casino! Don't forget the casino! LOL What a disgusting place.

Agreed. I hate casino's.

Ignore it and walk south a block down Michigan to the corner of Ohio and enjoy great food and drink at the Swannie House.

[gebobs]

Agreed. I hate casino's.

Ignore it and walk south a block down Michigan to the corner of Ohio and enjoy great food and drink at the Swannie House.

I thought it closed.

[WagonCircler]

I thought it closed.

That was The Malamute.

Swannie House will be there for another 100 years.

It's Buffalo's McSorley's.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Tallest building in Buffalo, and it sits empty.

The Bills are the only NFL team in New York State.

Why do the New Jersey Jets and Giants play in Jersey, not New York?

Probably for the same reason businesses leave New York.

New York State is so corrupt and dysfunctional because there's no political competition.

New York City dominates the entire state, Albany enforces the rules, and every New Yorker that doesn't live in the Big Apple suffers because of their mess.

When I think "free from corruption and graft", I immediately think "New Jersey."

[BuffaloRedleg]

I was just in Buffalo. To be frank the city is doing better but Elmwood looks like **** and the waterfront that everyone is bragging about is somewhat disappointing.

We still have a long way to go.

Wow I couldn't disagree with you more.

Elmwood looks fantastic and the waterfront is wonderful.

Why are some of you just itching to **** on Buffalo?

[BuffaloRedleg]

This doesn't make sense to me. Why would Schumer waste even a paltry $18 million on folks that would vote for his political party to their grave?

There is a lot of money to be made right now in Buffalo in development.

It's not always about votes. The money is there in a big way now.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Nope. Same eyesore as it was 40 years ago.

It's not that simple. You can't just tear it down. And you can't force the owner to demolish it.

I can't even handle the negativity in this thread. I live in the city and it's ****ing awesome.

This old self-loathing mentality of people who live in the suburbs or moved away drives me insane.

The last generation **** all over Buffalo and all they do is complain. Leave it to the 30somethings to fix it.

[SpikedLemonade]

It's not that simple. You can't just tear it down. And you can't force the owner to demolish it.

I can't even handle the negativity in this thread. I live in the city and it's ****ing awesome.

This old self-loathing mentality of people who live in the suburbs or moved away drives me insane.

The last generation **** all over Buffalo and all they do is complain. Leave it to the 30somethings to fix it.

Right on buddy!!!!

You tell those *****s.

They should update this video and I want you to be the lead singer. I bet you can strut better than her.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Ive-dRXVo

[WagonCircler]

It's not that simple. You can't just tear it down. And you can't force the owner to demolish it.

I can't even handle the negativity in this thread. I live in the city and it's ****ing awesome.

This old self-loathing mentality of people who live in the suburbs or moved away drives me insane.

The last generation **** all over Buffalo and all they do is complain. Leave it to the 30somethings to fix it.

Ummm, am I missing something?

Where did I say 'tear it down'?

I ****ing love the city. I live in it too It's a city full of world class architecture. Unfortunately, the tallest building we have, and its little brother, the Buffalo News building, are hideous examples of late sixties architecture.

There are plans out there to wrap it in glass. I'm all for it.

Self-loathing? Better than self-absorbed navel gazing azzwipes like your generation.

**** you, Red. **** them and **** you.

Want somebody to blow sunshine and rainbows up your ass? You've come to the wrong place.

[swiper]

LOL.

Ridiculed by Spiked.

Straightened straight out by wagon.

I might add that the 30-somethings aren't smart enough or wealthy enough to do any of that.

So the whole post was stupid.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Ummm, am I missing something?

Where did I say 'tear it down'?

I ****ing love the city. I live in it too It's a city full of world class architecture. Unfortunately, the tallest building we have, and its little brother, the Buffalo News building, are hideous examples of late sixties architecture.

There are plans out there to wrap it in glass. I'm all for it.

Self-loathing? Better than self-absorbed navel gazing azzwipes like your generation.

**** you, Red. **** them and **** you.

Want somebody to blow sunshine and rainbows up your ass? You've come to the wrong place.

Lol well I served in the Army for 8 years so I'm not some naval gazing emo azzwipe.

I'm a person that gets hyper-defensive about my city and I don't appreciate it when people only focus on the negative things about the city. It's always the older generations that are ****ting all over the city, the ones who moved to North Carolina or Amherst. The city was abandoned for dead by previous generations and it took the younger generation of professionals moving back to the city to revitalize it.

Maybe I shouldn't have overgeneralized an entire generation (like you are doing to mine) but my point still stands that the city was abandoned by generations past and most of the people who talk **** about the city tend to be older. Just take a stroll around **** hole cheektowaga and ask people what they think about the city. You'd think it was a place where black people run around shooting and raping everything that moves, with closed up restaurants and shops all over the place.

I refuse to stand idly by while people say incorrect things about the city anymore. I shouldn't have generalized an entire generation, but there must have been a time when you were full of piss and vinegar and sick and tired of the bull****. I know you aren't one of those people, you have made it clear many times you love the city. It wasn't directed at you at all, even though it came off that way.

[BuffaloRedleg]

LOL.

Ridiculed by Spiked.

Straightened straight out by wagon.

I might add that the 30-somethings aren't smart enough or wealthy enough to do any of that.

So the whole post was stupid.

Classic Swiper fitting as many cacks in his mouth as possible.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Right on buddy!!!!

You tell those *****s.

They should update this video and I want you to be the lead singer. I bet you can strut better than her.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Ive-dRXVo

You're just salty because every day you get older the world passes you more and more by. You want to bring everything down to your level of garbage. You spend a significant portion of your waking hours left in this world on an internet forum being sarcastic and ****ting on people and the things they are passionate about.

Some life. Some of us choose to have a positive outlook on the world and do good things. Some of us want to make the world a better place, you are not one of those people.

[WagonCircler]

Lol well I served in the Army for 8 years so I'm not some naval gazing emo azzwipe.

I'm a person that gets hyper-defensive about my city and I don't appreciate it when people only focus on the negative things about the city. It's always the older generations that are ****ting all over the city, the ones who moved to North Carolina or Amherst. The city was abandoned for dead by previous generations and it took the younger generation of professionals moving back to the city to revitalize it.

Maybe I shouldn't have overgeneralized an entire generation (like you are doing to mine) but my point still stands that the city was abandoned by generations past and most of the people who talk **** about the city tend to be older. Just take a stroll around **** hole cheektowaga and ask people what they think about the city. You'd think it was a place where black people run around shooting and raping everything that moves, with closed up restaurants and shops all over the place.

I refuse to stand idly by while people say incorrect things about the city anymore. I shouldn't have generalized an entire generation, but there must have been a time when you were full of piss and vinegar and sick and tired of the bull****.

Again, **** YOU.

I moved to North Carolina because my ex-wife was permitted to move my kids there, whether I liked it or not.

I was born in the City of Buffalo. I live in the city of Buffalo. I have never lived in the suburbs. I've had more jobs in there city limits than you have ******* hipster friends with beards and ponytails.

I know more about Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan and the Saarinens than any young douchebag friend in your drum circle.

I have read more books about Buffalo history than you know exist.

My family worked as grain scoopers in the First Ward, Steamfitters who built that hideous monstrosity at the door of Main St. My people literally built this city.

You know jack ****.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Again, **** YOU.

I moved to North Carolina because my ex-wife was permitted to move my kids there, whether I liked it or not.

I was born in the City of Buffalo. I live in the city of Buffalo. I have never lived in the suburbs. I've had more jobs in there city limits than you have ******* hipster friends with beards and ponytails.

I know more about Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan and the Saarinens than any young douchebag friend in your drum circle.

I have read more books about Buffalo history than you know exist.

My family worked as grain scoopers in the First Ward, Steamfitters who built that hideous monstrosity at the door of Main St. My people literally built this city.

You know jack ****.

Lol calm down dude. You responded before I could edit my post. I'm not questioning how much YOU love the city. You've made it clear on many occasions and defend the city all the time.

This has to do with the people who move away and talk **** about the city in tired cliches and refuse to acknowledge the improvement that has taken place.

Just for clarity, I am 100% sure that I know more about the Darwin Martin House than you do. So I wouldn't go there, that "young people are stupid" well will go dry pretty quick if you try and use it on me.

Not every person in their 30's is a hipster. I don't know what planet you live on, but you clearly have an axe to grind about kids these days. So yeah, you had more jobs than I have hipster friends. Because I don't have any hipster friends. Come on dude.

[SpikedLemonade]

You're just salty because every day you get older the world passes you more and more by. You want to bring everything down to your level of garbage. You spend a significant portion of your waking hours left in this world on an internet forum being sarcastic and ****ting on people and the things they are passionate about.

Some life. Some of us choose to have a positive outlook on the world and do good things. Some of us want to make the world a better place, you are not one of those people.

I'm crushed.

I will always cherish our beef on a weck together at Anderson's in August 2007.

[swiper]

Stupid is as Redleg does. The beat just goes on.

[BillsImpossible]

The biggest problems facing the city of Buffalo right now are their public schools, and crime.

Riverside is an absolute nightmare to live in. People are moving out in droves. It used to be a nice place to live, now it's not, and the problem isn't getting better.

The public schools in the the city are a disgrace to education.

Two kids (19 and 20 years old) just got shot to death on Filmore Ave. last night.

It's cool to move in to the city and rent a trendy loft apartment when you're 20 something, but when you're 30 something and married, that's a different story.

Woman want a safe place to live, and a good school system to help educate their children. It's pretty simple.

Good schools, low crime = the suburbs.

That's why Ralph Wilson, Jr. built the stadium in Orchard Park.

If Ralph Wilson took the bribe and built a stadium in downtown Buffalo in the late 1970's, the Bills would not be in Buffalo today.

The key to any business is location, location, and location.

For those who are married with children today, I ask you this: What would your wife say if you said you wanted to move in to the city?

She'd probably want to cut your balls off and get a divorce.

[BillsImpossible]

This old self-loathing mentality of people who live in the suburbs or moved away drives me insane.

The last generation **** all over Buffalo and all they do is complain. Leave it to the 30somethings to fix it.

The last generation was smart enough to run to the hills instead of purchasing property that would be practically worthless today.

Their property values are higher, and their kids are smarter for moving away.

How can you blame them?

Was it the, 'self-loathing mentality,' that caused people to move away, or was it something more specific, like schools and crime?

If I saw kids pissing on my lawn every night (Riverside), was afraid to mow my own lawn, and knew I might get shot if I stood up for what I believe in, I'd sell my house too.

[Mace]

I bet you can strut better than her.

No one ever did or could, that was some world class strut.

[Mace]

Again, **** YOU.

I moved to North Carolina because my ex-wife was permitted to move my kids there, whether I liked it or not.

I was born in the City of Buffalo. I live in the city of Buffalo. I have never lived in the suburbs. I've had more jobs in there city limits than you have ******* hipster friends with beards and ponytails.

I know more about Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan and the Saarinens than any young douchebag friend in your drum circle.

I have read more books about Buffalo history than you know exist.

My family worked as grain scoopers in the First Ward, Steamfitters who built that hideous monstrosity at the door of Main St. My people literally built this city.

You know jack ****.

Then you'd ****ing realize he's on the same ****ing side you are so get a ****ing grip on yourself. I've been here the better part of my ****ing life and know the same ****ing **** you do and maybe more, and my ****ing family did about as much and maybe more to try and make it into something.

He's right, past generations bailed on Buffalo and failed it and you know it too. There's tons of junk left over and they're trying to make something of it, and in most cases they are.

Get off your ****ing Mr. Buffalo high horse, you aren't the only ****er on one.

[Mace]

No one ever did or could, that was some world class strut.

FYI, I spent years trying to mimic it and always fell over backwards.

[SpikedLemonade]

FYI, I spent years trying to mimic it and always fell over backwards.

Better to try and have failed than to have never loved to try....

[Mace]

Better to try and have failed than to have never loved to try....

I always figured it was my footwear's fault. She had to be wearing some special strutting shoes.

[SpikedLemonade]

I always figured it was my footwear's fault. She had to be wearing some special strutting shoes.

Of course she did.

Did you see how fast she was strutting?

She knew that if she slowed down they would have stole the shoes off her feet while she was walking slowly.

[SpikedLemonade]

This has to do with the people who move away and talk **** about the city in tired cliches and refuse to acknowledge the improvement that has taken place.


We've gotta hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love we'll give it a shot.

[swiper]

LOL. Why didn't you just post that video too?

[YardRat]

Again, **** YOU.

I moved to North Carolina because my ex-wife was permitted to move my kids there, whether I liked it or not.

I was born in the City of Buffalo. I live in the city of Buffalo. I have never lived in the suburbs. I've had more jobs in there city limits than you have ******* hipster friends with beards and ponytails.

I know more about Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan and the Saarinens than any young douchebag friend in your drum circle.

I have read more books about Buffalo history than you know exist.

My family worked as grain scoopers in the First Ward, Steamfitters who built that hideous monstrosity at the door of Main St. My people literally built this city.

You know jack ****.

I've been wondering who to blame for the Skyway.

Not really something I would brag about, but whatever...

[YardRat]

And what's wrong with Elmwood?

[Famous Amos]

It was hard reading all the vitriol in this thread but one question popped up in my mind, following the idea that car traffic could return all the way to the FNC is: the light rail train runs under the HSBC tower, would cars and other vehicular traffic be able to do so without having to do anything to the tower?

[DetDannyWilliams]

http://awsmedia.dtsph.com/sites/wgrz.com/files/imagecache/story615/635817380560205229-Still1029-000010png.png


BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After previously describing the 500 Block of Main Street as "Beirut", local developer Rocco Termini says the neighborhood has made an amazing transformation in a short period of time."It now looks like a historic block in New York City," Termini said, as he sat down with 2 On Your Side in the same spot as he did exactly four years ago.

Car traffic is expected to return to the 500 Block by December 1, according to city officials."[It was] getting the cars back on Main, but also just redoing the entire design. It was dated. It was worn," said Brendan Mehaffy, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning.

http://downtown.wgrz.com/news/news/254071-after-decades-decline-500-block-main-st-back-business (http://downtown.wgrz.com/news/news/254071-after-decades-decline-500-block-main-st-back-business)

[DetDannyWilliams]

http://archive.wgrz.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=4586711704001

[DetDannyWilliams]

Ummm, am I missing something?

Where did I say 'tear it down'?

I ****ing love the city. I live in it too It's a city full of world class architecture. Unfortunately, the tallest building we have, and its little brother, the Buffalo News building, are hideous examples of late sixties architecture.

There are plans out there to wrap it in glass. I'm all for it.

Self-loathing? Better than self-absorbed navel gazing azzwipes like your generation.

**** you, Red. **** them and **** you.

Want somebody to blow sunshine and rainbows up your ass? You've come to the wrong place.

http://wnyheritagepress.org/photos_week_2008/lehigh_valley_terminal/1934_photo.jpg

the Elegant White Marble Lehigh Valley R.R. Terminal was where the Buffalo News building sits today, in a railroad book that I have "History of Railroads in WNY" a quote "when the station was being demolished someone asked why demolish it? why not have another business move into it...the construction workers answer to the question was it's too drafty"

[WagonCircler]

You know the hilarious thing about a azzhole Millenials pissing all over previous generations? Everything special about Buffalo, and most of what's referred to as "progress" is actually just rediscovery.

Watch the very cool Chamber of Commerce videos, like Buffalo, for Real...they're all about how Buffalo has been called "The Best Designed City in the World". Well, that happened over 100 years ago. The majority of those videos are about Buffalo's rich history and the parkway system and the Olmsted parks.

And most of the "new" progress was created by a benevolent, 50-something fanboy (and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense) who has made of hobby of spending his set-made fortune to spruce up his adopted home town. Virtually none of the Canalside development happens without Terry Pegula.

But like all self-absorbed piss-pots, Millenials think that they invented anything they come in contact with. Cobblestone? Suuuure! That was us! Craft beer? Absolutely! We Millenials invented craft beers! (So what if there were dozens of local breweries at one time).

But wait...there's more! BIKE LANES!!! There's progress for you!

Please. Give me a ****ing break.

Everything unique or special about Buffalo, and there's plenty, is a direct result of the efforts and talents of generations with real talent and real work ethic. Not a bunch of ponytailed, bearded douchebags who stare at their phones all day.

[Mr. Pink]

Buffalo's problem is they can never tear down something that is now rendered pointless and redevelop and repurpose the area. So this city is perpetually stuck in 1985, the land that time forgot. Things that represent progress are either dragged through the political ringer until they're afterthoughts, Bass Pro, new Peace Bridge or buildings are just left up to decay and be an eyesore, but aren't those grain silos pretty?

Seriously, the waterfront could be developed, but leaving up grain silos that are an eyesore is more important. Leaving up the mostly vacant Bethlehem Steel plant is more important. Leaving up the Skyway that everyone around here has complained about for decades is more important.

Buffalo in 2015 reminds me of Cleveland in 1982. Unused, undeveloped, run down, forgotten. A place where there is no reason to go unless it's to Chippewa on bar night or if there's a Sabres game after 5pm. And that's just the downtown area, you could level the entire east side and it would be an improvement over what it is now.

People talk about putting the football stadium downtown like it's a good idea...the infrastructure could never accommodate a 60-70,000 seat stadium downtown. There are 3 major ways into the city. The 33, which is ridiculous on normal days. The 190, which on weekends gets packed up as it is, since it's the way to get to the Peace Bridge. Then there's the skyway, which ends up being closed half the winter for weather. That doesn't even touch on the parking aspect, which is woefully inadequate. Plus, lets be honest, things will have to be town down to put up a stadium, and we just don't do that sort of thing in this city.

[WagonCircler]

Buffalo's problem is they can never tear down something that is now rendered pointless and redevelop and repurpose the area. So this city is perpetually stuck in 1985, the land that time forgot. Things that represent progress are either dragged through the political ringer until they're afterthoughts, Bass Pro, new Peace Bridge or buildings are just left up to decay and be an eyesore, but aren't those grain silos pretty?

Seriously, the waterfront could be developed, but leaving up grain silos that are an eyesore is more important. Leaving up the mostly vacant Bethlehem Steel plant is more important. Leaving up the Skyway that everyone around here has complained about for decades is more important.

Buffalo in 2015 reminds me of Cleveland in 1982. Unused, undeveloped, run down, forgotten. A place where there is no reason to go unless it's to Chippewa on bar night or if there's a Sabres game after 5pm. And that's just the downtown area, you could level the entire east side and it would be an improvement over what it is now.

People talk about putting the football stadium downtown like it's a good idea...the infrastructure could never accommodate a 60-70,000 seat stadium downtown. There are 3 major ways into the city. The 33, which is ridiculous on normal days. The 190, which on weekends gets packed up as it is, since it's the way to get to the Peace Bridge. Then there's the skyway, which ends up being closed half the winter for weather. That doesn't even touch on the parking aspect, which is woefully inadequate. Plus, lets be honest, things will have to be town down to put up a stadium, and we just don't do that sort of thing in this city.

You have zero concept of what it costs to tear these things down.

Do you seriously think that the remains of Bethlehem Steel are being preserved for some reason?

Do you know how much it would cost to tear down a grain silo?

People in New York State are taxed to DEATH. Where is the money going to come from?

When people talk about building a new stadium, it's one will would be at least half privately funded. The stadium itself would be an actual revenue generator. RWS paid for itself many times over.

And the thought of a Bass Pro where the Aud was is still repulsive. Maybe you want Buffalo to look like every pre-fab Southern hellhole. Most people don't. They're right. You're wrong.

[Mr. Pink]

You have zero concept of what it costs to tear these things down.

Do you seriously think that the remains of Bethlehem Steel are being preserved for some reason?

Do you know how much it would cost to tear down a grain silo?

People in New York State are taxed to DEATH. Where is the money going to come from?

When people talk about building a new stadium, it's one will would be at least half privately funded. The stadium itself would be an actual revenue generator. RWS paid for itself many times over.

And the thought of a Bass Pro where the Aud was is still repulsive. Maybe you want Buffalo to look like every pre-fab Southern hellhole. Most people don't. They're right. You're wrong.

Yeah, I'd rather have an empty lot of nothing than an actual business that would represent some kind of progress and bring jobs to the area. Apparently Bass Pro wouldn't have been a good enough revenue generator in your opinion.

So over the course of 50 years, there hasn't been a way to scrounge up the funds to take down the grain silos? I don't think they've been used since at least the 50s. Or the Bethlehem Steel plant that's been sitting there over 30 years unused? These things need to be torn down to effectively bring about change and progress...and yet they still stand there as eyesores. By your logic, NY is overtaxed, it's too expensive, they'll remain standing there like eyesores for decades to come. BTW, I'm not singling out your logic on that, those things will never go anywhere. If they were gonna be torn down, it would have happened years ago.

So is Pegula going to privately fund a new viable way to go downtown to get to the stadium? Is Pegula going to privately fund parking garages and inevitably tearing down other useless unused buildings to do it? A downtown stadium is never going to happen because politicians in this area will drag whatever infrastructure improvements need to be done to accommodate it through the mud, because we're poor and overtaxed or whatever other reason they can come up with.

Buffalo is a nice area, but it's not the downtown that makes it nice. Go outside of downtown and there's some progress. There's culture. There's beauty. Downtown is a cesspool that has been neglected for 40 years.

[stuckincincy]

So over the course of 50 years, there hasn't been a way to scrounge up the funds to take down the grain silos? I don't think they've been used since at least the 50s. Or the Bethlehem Steel plant that's been sitting there over 30 years unused? These things need to be torn down to effectively bring about change and progress...and yet they still stand there as eyesores. By your logic, NY is overtaxed, it's too expensive, they'll remain standing there like eyesores for decades to come. BTW, I'm not singling out your logic on that, those things will never go anywhere. If they were gonna be torn down, it would have happened years ago.

Buffalo is a nice area, but it's not the downtown that makes it nice. Go outside of downtown and there's some progress. There's culture. There's beauty. Downtown is a cesspool that has been neglected for 40 years.


I suspect the area around the silos and Bethelem has some geological problems. That naturally water-logged area has been worked and worked over the many years. I would also guess there are environmental issues.

There's an excellent book - Against the Grain, by Timothy Bohen, that is a fascinating history of the First Ward.

Also, the riverfront housing has long been suspected to be patronage awards for many a retired county or city employee.

[WagonCircler]

A downtown stadium is never going to happen because politicians in this area will drag whatever infrastructure improvements need to be done to accommodate it through the mud, because we're poor and overtaxed or whatever other reason they can come up with..

You're so naive, it's actually comical.

Ignorance is bliss. You must be the happiest man on Earth.

[BillsImpossible]

The soil that Bethlehem Steel corrodes upon is so contaminated that the cost to clean it up would exceeed over $100 million alone, not counting the cost to tear it down and ship the waste to who knows where.

Instead of cleaning up the problem, the city should just invite Praxair to build upon a radioactive mess like they did with Linde in Tonawanda.

That wasn't meant to be taken literally.

For those who don't know, Linde had a huge roll in the manufacturing of uranium used for the atomic bombs that helped win WW2.

Linde was part of the Manhattan Project.

Praxair and a golf course currently reside there.

So much of the WNY waterfront was used to bury radioactive waste in the early 1940's.

That is the reason why our waterfront is underdeveloped, and that is the reason WNY has one of the highest cancer rates in the entire country.

http://westvalleyfactsofwny.org/linde-gw.htm

[stuckincincy]

The soil that Bethlehem Steel corrodes upon is so contaminated that the cost to clean it up would exceeed over $100 million alone, not counting the cost to tear it down and ship the waste to who knows where.

Instead of cleaning up the problem, the city should just invite Praxair to build upon a radioactive mess like they did with Linde in Tonawanda.

That wasn't meant to be taken literally.

For those who don't know, Linde had a huge roll in the manufacturing of uranium used for the atomic bombs that helped win WW2.

Linde was part of the Manhattan Project.

Praxair and a golf course currently reside there.

So much of the WNY waterfront was used to bury radioactive waste in the early 1940's.

That is the reason why our waterfront is underdeveloped, and that is the reason WNY has one of the highest cancer rates in the entire country.

http://westvalleyfactsofwny.org/linde-gw.htm

Huh?

You'd better substantiate all of that...

[BillsImpossible]

Huh?

You'd better substantiate all of that...

I grew up in Tonawanda. My neighbor worked at Linde. He's dead now, along with everyone else that worked there.

http://www.paulpratter.com/niagara/lindehooker.htm

UF6-DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATOMIC BOMB (WW II) IN NIAGARA FALLS

[BillsImpossible]

http://www.investigativepost.org/2013/02/12/health-review-finds/

A “cancer crisis” in Tonawanda? (http://www.investigativepost.org/2013/02/12/health-review-finds/)

They talk about the air, but ignore the water.

The DEC study prompted the Health Department to conduct its health review (http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/tonawanda/docs/info_sheet.pdf), which included Sheridan Park, Brookside Terrace, Riverside and Grand Island.
Using the state (excluding New York City) as the comparison, the Health Department found:


Statistically significant elevations of lung, bladder and total cancers among men and women.
Elevated levels of esophageal cancer among men and uterine cancer among women.
Elevated levels of oral/pharnyx cancer among men in one sub-area labeled “high potential impact area” marked in yellow in the map below, and elevated levels of leukemia among women in the Sheridan Park area marked in purple below.

[stuckincincy]

http://www.investigativepost.org/2013/02/12/health-review-finds/

A “cancer crisis” in Tonawanda? (http://www.investigativepost.org/2013/02/12/health-review-finds/)

They talk about the air, but ignore the water.

The DEC study prompted the Health Department to conduct its health review (http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/tonawanda/docs/info_sheet.pdf), which included Sheridan Park, Brookside Terrace, Riverside and Grand Island.
Using the state (excluding New York City) as the comparison, the Health Department found:


Statistically significant elevations of lung, bladder and total cancers among men and women.
Elevated levels of esophageal cancer among men and uterine cancer among women.
Elevated levels of oral/pharnyx cancer among men in one sub-area labeled “high potential impact area” marked in yellow in the map below, and elevated levels of leukemia among women in the Sheridan Park area marked in purple below.


From your cited source:

..."The review states that although the chemicals detected in the Tonawanda air have been associated with some of these cancers —chiefly leukemia and pharnyx cancer — other factors can be contributing factors. Other factors include smoking, family history and exposures at work.

“This type of study cannot determine whether there is a casual link between possible past exposures from living in the Tonawanda study area and the excesses of cancer shown in this review,” the report states. “In this type of review, conclusions about the cancer excesses are limited due to the lack of information about potential individual exposure histories and individual cancer risk factors such as smoking and occupation.”"...

[Mace]

I think Buffalo's biggest issue was always political gridlock and the apathy of the population. For most of my life they cared about preserving small things out of context, leaving most others as they were and endlessly brainstorming fantasy concepts that never even left the ground. Most people didn't care, they put up with it like most people always do, or shifted their habits to the suburbs, or just left.

I'm not a big Byron Brown fan, but have to admit this is as close to long term evolutionary progress as I've seen in my lifetime. Moves slower than molasses, but at least it's moving.

[Mace]

So over the course of 50 years, there hasn't been a way to scrounge up the funds to take down the grain silos? I don't think they've been used since at least the 50s.

Well, they are using them. Silo City, all kinds of stuff goes on there ...

http://herald-review.com/silo-city-rises-in-buffalo/article_dcda4cf4-a950-52ae-8a56-9908eb906e55.html

[DetDannyWilliams]

Light Show on grain elevators every night from dusk till 11pm year round...


BUFFALO, NY - Over the past few weeks, the Erie Canal Development Corporation (ECHDC) has been lighting things up on the waterfront with little fanfare. They have been using the overnight hours to test out their new $3.1 LED multicolored kaleidoscopic light installation on the Connecting Terminal grain elevators. They are silos directly across from Canalside. On Wednesday night, the lights finally went live.

The installation will feature a series of four 20 minute presentations, one reflecting each of the seasons. The show will go on year-round, from dusk until 11 p.m. ECHDC President Tom Dee said the main point is to turn this hulking relic of our past into a blank canvas and a unique feature that will continue their efforts to make Canalside and the waterfront a year-round destination.


http://www.wgrz.com/story/life/2015/11/04/canalside-unveils-light-show/75144174/