Considering the National Trust for Historic Preservation is coming in four months, the logical thought would be that developers and others would be scrambling to show their recent preservation efforts. Not so much for a row of commercial buildings along Michigan Avenue near the recently rehabilitated Alling and Cory Building.
Although the details surrounding the demolition permit are not known, the Buffalo Preservation Board had tabled a demolition request from property owner Crestline Development in March. Beginning this past Saturday, this historic stretch of buildings fell prey to the wrecking ball in order to likely provide more parking despite sketchy plans for future development of the site referenced in its demolition application. Considering half of downtown Buffalo is currently parking lots, and scores of downtown buildings finding new life in part thanks to a healthy demand for downtown living and preservation tax credits, the loss is unfortunate.
A concerned citizen who cares deeply about preservation took the “This Place Matters” message of the National Trust and put a smart spin on it, leaving a sign stating, “This Place Mattered.”
Michigan Avenue east of downtown has been decimated over the years and replaced with swaths of unmaintained open space and suburban-style development. This was the last remaining full intact block of historic buildings and could have easily provided a great walkable space for the nearby student residents of the Lofts at 136. It wasn’t a great stretch of the imagination to picture this block of buildings reused and repurposed constantly being frequented by people, but now that potential has been squandered.
Entry and Bottom Photos by Bernice Radle