The Canterbury Woods building at Gates Circle is running into some heated opposition. A number of residents, block clubs and neighborhood associations are rallying together to oppose the development’s current design plans. The coalition is appealing to Buffalo’s Planning Board because it feels that the current design does not fit the context of the historic landscape. Specifically, the group feels that the metal panels on the top three floors, and the profound cantilever roof, don’t fit in with the rest of the building, and don’t mesh with the Olmsted Parkway and the Elmwood East Historic District.
Those opposing the current design of the building are looking to Common Council President Darius Pridgen as an ally, in light of Canterbury Woods representatives being asked to reach out to the community. During a recent community meeting, Pridgen voiced that Gates Circle is a “gateway to the City, and we only have once chance to get this right.”
Other activists voicing their concerns are historian and business owner Mark Goldman, and Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s Executive Director Jessie Fisher.
“We must ensure that new buildings that seek to come into our historic landscapes and communities live up to our legacy of important buildings in Buffalo – creating the next generation of preservation-worthy structures,” wrote Fisher, in a letter to the Planning Board. “Until such time as the Developer is willing to come to the table with a site plan and building design as important as the location, this plan should be rejected.”
A Community Meeting will be held on Monday, January 4 – 5:30pm at Burchfield Penney Art Center to discuss the current design, and its context within the neighborhood.