Splendid article Al!
Loved your article yesterday too!
Welcome aboard BRO....got a feeling it's going to be great working with you! You're a partner in kicking up our good histiory dust...and realise the past shows exciting times ahead.
--Bill
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bghahn
Oct 3rd 2007, 21:14how much space is there? would it be enough to serve as a competitive convention center? if so, it would be perfect as a new convention center. waterfront access, metrorail, LOTS of nearby parking, etc. it would really help the cobblestone area as well.
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Zombo
Oct 3rd 2007, 21:17I thought that the impetus for its demolition (aside from neglect and the metro) was that the building suffered substantial structural damage due to an impact of some sort (other than a wrecking ball). Also, if I’m not mistaken the shadow cutting across the large window is the skyway.
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chris69
Oct 3rd 2007, 21:45Ok lets think big picture 1) We have an expansion of the waterfront residential community with a new tower 2) we have a newly relocated air and naval park 3) we have the potential for a lift bridge at Erie Street to the outer harbor 4) we have plans to extend the Western Terminus of the Erie Canal all the way to Washington Street with Bass Pro right at the intersection of the Commercial Canal, the Erie Canal & the Main & Hamburg.
then just a short distance away we have....the location of the old DL&W concourse and office building.
5) and just after the former DL&W concourse is the new Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino.
NOW THINK BIG PICTURE FOR BUFFALO AND THE SENECAS. WHAT WOULD BIG PICTURE TRANSLATE TO:
A) a light rail extension to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the Niagara Falls Airport and downtown Niagara Falls
B) a reconstructed DL&W concourse to serve GREAT LAKES CRUISE SHIPS that dock in Buffalo with excursions to sites in Buffalo and Niagara Falls and each cities casinos.
C) an extension of the light rail to the Ohio Basin and a new 400,000 sqft convention and conference center
D) a study on what it would it would take to bring rail back to the DL&W (though I think the Central Terminal is a better option.
E) a reconstructed DL&W concourse would in essence create one of the longest wharf districts stretching from the Erie Street all the way to the Michigan Street Bridge (and that doesnt include the waterfront along the City Ship Canal or the Outer Harbor).
slice it anyway you want but a reconstructed DL&W concourse should be a critical part of linking the Wharf District with the Cobblestone District if not then the DL&W train sheds remain isolated from both districts.
Think about it....the best way for a Great Lakes Cruise ship to visit Niagara Falls is to dock at the DL&W....it would spawn yet another tourism venue for our waterfront, our casino, our entertainment district anda whole host of other opportunities.
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al-alo
Oct 3rd 2007, 21:47I too had hear about a rogue bulldozer doing some structual damage to the passenger area. unfortunately, i was unable to find any documentation, so i only included events that i could verify.
if anyone has more info on this, id love to hear about it.
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bradon
Oct 3rd 2007, 21:53I spent a lot of time exploring and taking pictures of the DL&W as a teenager. I'll see if I can find and scan some of those pictures for you. I was in the terminal once in the early 80s when a huge section of the ceiling collapsed onto the main concourse, it scared the hell out of us.
There was a Buffalo at the base of the main staircase; I have heard that this Buffalo is now on the UB campus. Can anyone confirm or shed light onto what happened to that statue?
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georgethomasapfel
Oct 3rd 2007, 22:46Outstanding work, Al! My grandfather worked there as Ticket Agent when it opened in February of 1917, passengers were serenaded by his trained songbirds which he displayed at the terminal and at businesses all through downtown Buffalo.
There is still quite an interest in this line, the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society's website has a page of links to DL&W resources ... their annual convention is coming up Oct. 12-14 near Elmira.
When I was on the Gold Medal on Foot tour during Buffalo Old Home Week this year, I took this picture showing where this grand terminal used to be::
-George Thomas Apfel
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RisingDamp666
Oct 3rd 2007, 23:35Stabilize this structure, restore its shell and let people dream. There is another life for this rough gem and with some time it can be realized.
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JohnMarko
Oct 4th 2007, 08:10The passenger side of the terminal - the beautiful "station" in the pictures - waiting room, etc. - was in a very contentious scrap on whether to save it or demolish it.
The station had taken severe detrioiration - but not such that it could not have been renovated.
A construction company was handed an injunction to stop the beginning of any demolition work one weekend, but overnite, a bulldozer parked in the lobby was "accidentally" run amok and demolished much of the interior grand staircase, etc. - so much so that the injuncion was removed and the station promptly demolished.
I remember reading about it in the Courier Express and Buffalo Evening News back when I was a youngster.
I'm sure some enterprising individual could find the original stories. I'm sure the story received major airplay on the TV at the time, too.
It was only much AFTER the fact - after the city decided to build a light rail line instead of the original proposed "heavy rail" subway, and after the station had long been demolished, that the NFTA decided to incorporate the remaining structure for their light rail maintenance facility.
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JohnMarko
Oct 4th 2007, 08:11Opps - a few spelling errors - is there any way to edit a post afer it was posted?
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MeliQ
Oct 4th 2007, 08:25Al
Fascinating article! I had no idea there was another building there originally. As a kid, we used to take our boat down the canal there and all I ever thought it was is the building that still stands. Man, to think how right now, in our sort of mini-renaissance of reuse, what someone could be converting that building into right now. As for what's left, I truly believe it needs to be utilized in some capacity where we can get the most variety of people there, as in a market or art space, music venue, something. To make it into something where only a select group of people would go there everyday, such as an office building, would be a waste of a great river view/patio and its interesting past. Too bad this couldn't be incorporated into something like the South Street Sea Port in NYC where there could be a train/industrial grain mill/shipping type museum with some sort of food venue where people can sit outside on the second floor overlooking the water. There's a ton of potential there.
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