Earlier today, Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) released a statement regarding the Trico Plant #1 Building. The Trico building, as most Buffalo Rising readers are aware, sits on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). The BNMC is the designated developer for the building.
The BNMC has declined these offers of assistance. We recognize and regret that, since the building is not protected by local landmark designation, the designated developer’s stated desire to demolish the building will likely occur without requesting in permission from the city’s Preservation Board. We understand that an agreement for a phased demolition of the building has been executed and may soon be implemented. It is also our understanding that no plans have been made for the immediate reuse of the site. We are disappointed that this decision has been made without the availability of a reuse study determining the feasibility of a historic preservation rehab of the building. Preservation Buffalo Niagara feels strongly that expending the time and resources to determine ways to preserve historic buildings in our community should be a priority when deciding the future of such buildings. Furthermore, we believe that a larger community discussion regarding decisions of this nature is required given the designated developer’s standing in the community as well as the historic significance of the Trico Plant #1 Building.
We wish that we would have had the opportunity to participate earlier in the discussions so that we could have provided access to such information before the decision for demolition was made. We continue to offer our assistance to provide education to the BNMC and any other building owner regarding preservation and preservation related matters such as historic preservation reuse studies.
This release was picked up and published by most other media outlets including Buffalo Spree and Artvoice.
In response to the PBN’s statement, Matt Enstice, President and Chief Executive Officer of the BNMC, said “I was surprised to see some of the comments in the statement released by Preservation Buffalo Niagara earlier today. I have met with PBN and other preservation organizations regularly over the past 2 1/2 months, shared everything requested and feel like we are working as good partners. We were in the middle of discussions when this was released. Until we speak with these partners, we will have no further comment.”