Local individuals and businesses continue to come to the aid of the Central Terminal in big and small capacities, chiseling away at the building and the complex in order to add to the mounting momentum. The most recent handiwork comes in the form of Kevin Biddle of Mader Construction who paid a visit to the Terminal, and upon witnessing the undertaking that lay ahead decided to volunteer to remediate the uncovered speed tile that will one day be covered by historic Botticelli Marble. Until that day comes, there’s plenty of work to be done to prep for the end result. It was Biddle who decided to take advantage of an apprentice training program for carpenters and drywallers that would provide free labor to fix a section in the main concourse alongside the restaurant area. “Places like this don’t exist anymore,” explained Biddle, “and with the reuse plan of the Center for Restoration Arts & Sciences and the concentration on skilled craftsmanship, it was hard to say no to this project.”
“The project covers speed tile throughout the Main Concourse that allows for a crisper look similar to when the original marble was in place,” said Marilyn Rodgers, the Terminal’s Executive Director. “It also provides additional safety to our visitors in case they might brush up against the rough texture of the speed tile. Mader Construction has also allowed for a space to be covered in plexiglass so visitors can see the workings of the original window cranks usually hidden behind the wall. This also enhances our new programming for school-aged children to learn about adaptive reuse and the construction of older properties in their city.”
As the construction projects continue to unfold, there’s a flip side to the Central Terminal that is being addressed – the marketing of the site is a key component that goes hand-in-hand with the rest of project. To that end, Buffalo Website Design, owned by Philip Hasting. is pitching in pro bono to enhance the Central Terminal Restoration’s website features and capabilities (user-friendly features with stronger search engine optimization capabilities and online information including donation and merchandise enhancements). Without the ability to successfully tell the story, the CTRC misses opportunities to attract the right people to the table. “We take a great deal of pride in helping small businesses in Western New York leverage the web and market themselves in a virtual domain,” said Hasting. “We firmly believe that the restoration of this Buffalo landmark represents the reemergence of Buffalo, New York.”
“More and more, local businesses lend their hand to assist us in the redevelop of the Terminal to the Center for Restoration Arts & Sciences. We welcome anyone to give us a call and see how we can partner for our region’s benefit in this reuse project,“ continued Rodgers.
If any businesses are interested in becoming involved, please contact Marilyn Rodgers at 716- 440-1106 or by email at mrodgers@buffalocentralterminal.org.