Just thinking about the economic benefits of our historic assets, our culturals, and architecture have we regionally sat down to identify the places we want out of towners to see? Have we really prioritized the places of significance instead of just knowing about them ni our own back yard? After recognizing our true treasures we want out of towners to see, our preserved gems, have we led travelers to them while they trabvel? Have we developed a comprehensive plan for tourism signage in the area? When I moved away a little more than a month ago now the only good signage we seemed to have was for entarnce and exits and for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and a few sights along the 33 like the science museum. the 33 is fairly local when you consider the amount of out of state traffic that bypasses Buffalo on the 90 heading east or west. do we have signage 5-10 miles out to lead these people passing through into something that would attract them to making a stop. For instance I had no idea Frank Lloyd Wright had a piece of architecture in Washington DC area until I saw signage for it along I-95. I followed signage to Madison's Montpelier for like 10 miles before i found it. I had no intention on going until signage called me there and it seemed like a cool place to go. I think Buffalo keeps many of its treasures hidden and its part of the reason the gems arent capitalized on to the extent they should. Yeah you can drive down the thruway and stop at rest stops that mostly focus on Niagara Falls, etc. or you can be just passing through and be intrigued by your proximity to FLWrights DDMartin House and stop by or the hard to access Lake erie Waterfront at Erie Basin Marina, a tucked away asset for sure that many out of towners dont know how to get to and even locals have a hard time. I wonder how many people try to get to Erie Basin Marina every year and end up on the skyway instead? If preservation and economic development are an aspect of Buffalo's economy then efforts should be put in place to see a comprehensive signage plan for tourism related resources.

First off sorry for not maknig nice paragraphs here but i'm just writing thoughts as they come to me in a blog. I'm not trying to write a book. Secondly in saying preservationists i'm referring to those who cant stand change, those who want to preserve everything the way it was and is and "should" be. I refer to an obstructionist mentality and I fear that in some instances have been very difficult to relate to by the overwhelming majority of people because some of them have taken an almost radical special interest platform. Most people just go to work all day and come home to their families only to read the paper and hang their heads after reading what some radical thinking is obstructing next. I realize that it may not have been a particular prservation group or preservationist who screwed the Elmwood Hotel up but it was this resistance to change mentality that pushed the research to locate some BS to kill such a project. We all know there was a group fighting that project and that all the sudden it died miserably. The project would have added some density at that corner, added some mixed use, defined the corner, and catered to the college community and yet somehow it died. That project would have been a good addition, its in an urban commercial corridor dammit. If there was a restriction you would think that someone would go out of their way to work with the developer to make the project work. Instead its dead. Gates Circle is another project hassled by an obstructionist "not in my backyard" mentality. For a movement be made to suddenly get that ok building next door designated historic is a perfect example. Its obvious there was a movement afoot to get Gates Condo tied up in red tape as well. I never said preservation is the cause of Buffalo's urban problems. My first comment on this subject said that jobs and economic growth werer the thing to address and that preservation on a large scalereally cant occur unless we start getting jobs and opportunities to the masses around Buffalo. Right now I think preservation efforts apply to an elite group with the means to do it and that was my point. There are many many poor people or working poor in that city that cant afford to improve their homes. Also there are many asses in the city these days who dont give a rats you know what and live like pigs but thats another story.

Let me clear another thing up and say that I am very happy to see that someone took the time and is making the effort to rebuild that home, it looks great! I'm not against the project and yes belive it is a positive step but as my point has been Bufalo needs more money, it needs to jump on the economy and start growing population or all these preservation efforts will be in vain i fear because day in and out more people leave and there will be less money to keep upkeeping the neighborhoods. Those that will be left will be the lucky ones who have good paying jobs or the poor who are trapped.

Ok cool al-alo. I understand how such long text might be a bit tedious. I will break it up a bit going forward for y'all because at the end of the day I think we're all passionate about Buffalo. Hell, I had to move away but it doesnt mean I dont care anymore. I visit this site often even though I have days like today where I run into people who tell me good riddance because i left. Nice

how can u guys afford a boat, im just treading water here!!!

Never once did I say that i left Buffalo because I didnt love my hometown. Never once did I say "Buffalo sucks". Since I was very young i have always been fascinated with Buffalo and the surrounding area. I recognized the beauty in its architecture, the natural resources, change of seasons, proximity to other great places, and the value I had in family and friends and great places to grab a beer! The city of Buffalo and its issues were what inspired me to pursue an education in planning, to try to contribute positively and be a positive energy locally to help get the ship bailed out and moving again. During my middle school days I used to cut out newspaper clippings and scrap book the damn things about stories of Buffalo history, economic progress, economic decline in the area like the closing of Trench Manufacturing, Trico, the ConAgra Mill, etc. As a friggin hobby I was an amateur photographer around town taking pictures of new construction projects downtown and on numerous occassion I was approached and asked why I was taking pictures as if I was a terrorist or something. Damn it was just my hobby. I attended Thusday in the Square often, stayed in town to get both my bachelors and masters degree, took internships in Buffalo but could never find a job here other than right out of college when I accepted something on the outskirts of what I actually want to do, i could apply what i knew but wasnt doing what I wanted in the long run, i wasnt in an economic dvelopment or planning or urban design capacity. For those of you who think i am anti-preservation i would like to inform you that i volunteered for the illinois street cobblestone project and did the big dig this past year up at the tonawanda landfill. I recognize the value of preservation but also recognize that to some extent "radical" preservation isnt helping this area all that much. i refer you to the proposed hotel development at Elmwood and Forest? or how a movement was put in place to try to block the gates circle condo by designating that ok historic building next door a historic place? I see how people fought Starbucks on Elmwood and created a big to do about nothing really. How badly hasthe Elmwood Strip been hurt by that Starbucks???? I dont think it has and frankly it seems to fit in over there pretty well. I dont agree with the suburbanization of the historic city but I am pro development, nifill development, new large scale development. I heard the HealthNow headquarters building referred in one of the comments and lets not forget that it was fought as well because the decaying gas plant would be removed. Were we really gonna save that entire building in the economy Buffalo has? Really? I think itr was a great idea to preserve that facade and incorporate it into the redevelopment scheme but again it is a success story that was fought. Why must everything be so hard? How many projects were fought and ended up dying because it became finacially unreal? Lets face it, preservation is expensive and i am saying that this town isnt necessary living in the lap of luxury, it takes alot of money and it seems only an exclusive group can play while the rest of the neighborhoods continue to decline. Lovejoy might still be a strong knit community but its aging and is showing its age and the lack of money to imrpove and upkeep as an example. I cannot believ and m deeply disheartened by you who say good riddance because i had no choice but to move. you know life is short and we're only here on this earth for a little while so i'll be damned if i'm going to just sit around and wait to see if smoething will happen for me in Buffalo. The opportnity wasn't there as it isnt for many others and WE HAD TO MOVE! Competition is extremely fierce for work in Buffalo and because of that fact employers can underpay workers because they know someone else would love to jump in and fill their place. I remember the story about Bethlehem Steel closing and the line that wrapped around American Brass to get work when only a few positions became available back in the 70's 80s. Its very hard to start a career in Buffalo because employers also know that they can get experienced workers over newbies. Good luck finding an entry level job that actually pays a livable wage. or those examples of you that have I say good for you but alot of us could not and its not because we are idiots, its because there are too many cooks in the kitchen, the economy will not support us and we left. Also, did you find a livable paying job in your field or did you accept second or third best just to stay? Lastly i would like to say to those of you who say good riddance that your attitude is ridiculous. the Buffalo area could be double its size and your arrogance says good riddance? Are you for real? Its a very dumb thing to say. I'm not calling you dumb but it is a dumb statement. How can you say good riddance to HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people who have left the region? There is a herd of Buffalo all over this country and many didnt leave thinking Buffalo sucks.

There were a few bashers of me in this blog actually. I just hope you have a great life in Buffalo! I hope you never end up in the situation I and many others have been faced with. Obviously you dont know what its like and how hard it is to make a decision to look outside the area for employment and opportunity and then take interviews and accept the job and pack up all your worldly belongings into a van with car in tow and leave your family, friends, places behind 500+ miles. I'll tell you it teared me up the night before I had to move. I had a bad month gettiing to that point as well but its something I had to do. The process involves a great deal of emotion to move to a new place and a new job all at once. I have been and will continue to be a Buffalo supporter for those who understand where i'm coming from. For those of you who let your arrogance get the best of you I say "good riddance to you, the contributors of Buffalo's downfall"

Preservation works if you have the money to do it. Last I checked the majority of city folk werent doing all that well so to be one who preserves such homes ends up being an exclusive niche in the market for those with the resources and know how to do it. Meanwhile other areas of the city continue their downward spiral into decay. It ultimately still comes down to jobs. I think boy last year I had just graduated UB with a masters degree and was hoping to stay in Buffalo to live near friends, family, places I know and enjoy, the streets I know so well from Niagara Falls to Amherst and Lancaster and Tonawanda, And Cheektowaga, downtown, north Buffalo and everywhere pretty much and now I find myself in Virginia because I couldnt find employment. I'm doing well down here but i'm another Buffalo boy gone. I was born at Sisters Hospital and here I am living in Virginia. I think of it as a new perspective, a means to gain experience and meet new people and learn about a new area. But Buffalo honmestly if you want to keep the money in the area to support business and "preservation" you really need to shape up and become a pro business place and get that city moving progressively. Things need to be built on a large scale because the rest of the country continues to grow. Just drive down I-95 and you'll know what I mean. Stop the petty BS tying evbery large development proposal and killing it. Do something, you cant preserve everything and i'm one less person in the area with the earning power to help in that process. The town I know and have loved so much my whole life effectively booted my ass. I'm not bitter but I am. I'm also very homesick but thats how it goes and there are plenty of Buffalonians down here I have met to back me up.

Hey Flyguy, why don't you stay in Virginia and hang out with Bruce Smith. Don't expect me to host an Old Home Week and beg you to move back. You left, so long. If you couldn't build a career here, then you are more of the problem and most likely not capable of being part of the solution. When we speak of preservation, one fellow mentioned it being an economic stategy. That's one way to look at things. The other is that if something is of value, and doesn't always mean monitarily, if it's of value, that could be artistically, historically, or culturally, then it is worth saving. If it makes a contribution to improving society, then it's worth repairing, restoring, refurbishing, etc etc. There are people that leave, people that return, and those that stay. Give my regards to Bruce !!! Maybe you can find a Buffalo Bar to hang out at on Sundays.

im just kidding around, flyguy! well not about clear historic preservation guidelines.

or was i? hmmm?

These guys on the project are THE BEST around. This structure couldn't be in better hands. Joe & David are very experienced Architects, and John is an excellent craftsman. I can't wait to see the results.

the big issue is a lack of a coherant preservation code and flyguys lack of paragraphs. sorry, but i cant read a giant block of text like that.

we need to create and adminster a plan that spells out what does or does not qualify for manditory preservation EXACTLY. without clear guidelines we will just repeat the preservation arguement every freaking time somebody wants to tear down a shed or a masterpiece. all this does is cost time and money. and perhaps in that code we should place a word limit on any new posts on this thread.

Thanks al-alo. Everyones a critic. I give up.