Buffalo Rising Online

the Westside ends and Black Rock begins at Forest Ave as I understand it which means that it is flanked by Richs/HealthNow to the south, Contract Pharmaceuticals/Buffalo State and GM Powertrain/Dunlop/Dupont to the north. THESE ARE NOT MINOR REGIONAL ASSETS BY ANY MEANS. INFACT THE FUTURE OF THESE AREAS ARE AT A CROSS ROADS RIGHT NOW FOR THEIR VERY EXISTENCE! 1) an expanded plaza could cripped the westside just as the initial Peace Bridge Plaza and Niagara Expressway caused the initial downward spiral. 2) the ambassador bridge and its plaza could cripple Black Rock but not just cripple black rock but cripple Contract Pharmacueticals and Buffalo State in the process by removing land for future growth and surrounding both with truck fumes/exhaust and 24 hour noise. 3) as well as destroying Niagara Street and its future as a Gateway to downtown, to the westside, to Black Rock, Riverside, Kenmore and Tonawanda. TO WHICH HAVE TO PUT A HUGE BLAME ON PRESIDENT HOWARD OVER AT BUFFALO STATE. HAD SHE ANNOUNCED THE SAME COMMITMENT TO GROWTH 40% AS BUFFALO STATE EVEN IF IT WAS OVER A LONGER PERIOD.....THE ENTIRE DYNAMIC OF MANY OF THESE DECISIONS IMPACTING THE FUTURE WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT FRAMEWORK....... ADDING 5,000 STUDENTS TO BUFFALO STATE PLUS DORMS AND PLUS SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATORS WOULD INFUSE $150 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO THE WESTSIDE AND BLACK ROCK...TO WHICH BOTH COMMUNITIES WOULD HAVE ENTIRE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS. The more one looks at the future.....the more one cannot come to any other conclusion except that we need to either wait for shared border managment to put the US plazas in Canada or build these bridges to Canada in Grand Island or risk making decisions that will demolish the future of Niagara Street, the westside and Black Rock (along with the signicicant economic engines) forever! Dont take these issues lightly....just because these areas are depressed now.....dont make economy killing conclusions that will destroy these areas forever.

Absolutely right, Chris69.

I often disagree with you, but respect your passion. Buffalo: the suicidal city. Willingly it goes into that dark night when it has so much to offer. I am already down, but kick me. I'll bend over.

The next up and coming area. Well its going to sound ridiculous but if I were to put money for the future here is where I would bet, wait and avoid

Existing areas: 1) West Village

2) Allentown / Symphony Circle

3) the District between Delaware and Elmwood expanding to Linwood and Richmond.

4) Upper Parkside area (Jewitt Ave)

5) Hertel Ave

6) Cobblestone / Erie Canal Wharf Area, especially if the Albright Knox decides to build a new museum of modern art in the proximity to the new Great Lakes Museum, Bike Museum, Lower Naval Museum, Air& Naval Museum creating a 2nd cultural district.

7) Larkin District

8) North Park area obviously

My BETS for the up & coming area: 1) the area between Linwood and Main Street, especially the Linwood, Oxford, Harvard, Lafayette.

2) the parkside area closest to Main and Humboldt

3) Cold Springs, Masten, Hospital Heights, Fruit Belt will start to follow allentown but look for residential to stay primarily in allentown and the area east of Main Street will continue to develop medical, office and light industrial space....with very very gradual mixed use.

Wait and see: 1) the neighborhood across from the Richards is waiting for the Richardson & commitments from Buffalo State to grow

2) the Grant, Amherst, Tonawanda, Niagara...thats waiting for commitments from Buffalo State to grow and the abandonment of the Ambassador Bridge and it depends on Contract Pharmaceuticals to a large extent

3) the Westside between between Niagara and Richmond to a large degree depends on whether the expanded truck plaza can be stopped. If it isnt...forget about this area. The hopes for an international gateway, turning Niagara Street into an olmstead like parkway, quality of life, etc...will all doubtfully recover....because a loss here will place every investor (homeowner, business owner or developer) on notice that its only a matter of time before homeland security changes the rules and demands more demolitions for an even larger plaza. Infact, I would not be suprised if D'Youville decided to relocate.

4) the area surrounding ECC downtown campus is waiting for ECC

5) the Central Terminal area has potential if it was deveoped as a logistics center preferably with a Center for Excellence in Logistics and Trade

6) the South Park area will come alive when the Olmstead Park Conservancy announces they will not just start restoration of South Park but expand it along the vacant railroad land to connect it to the Union Ship Canal as Olmstead originally hoped.

Areas to avoid: 1) Riverside 2) Kensington 3) Eastside

No comments on: 1) Polonia 2) Kaiser Town 3) Willert Park 4) Bailey Lovejoy

TWO THINGS: 1) THE ENTIRE DYNAMIC OF THE EASTSIDE WILL CHANGE IF THERE IS A LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION TO THE AIRPORT. ALL BETS GO ON THE TABLE IF THAT HAPPENS.

2) THE BIG FUTURE SUPRISE WILL BE THE RESURGENCE OF THE FIRST WARD AND SOUTH BUFFALO WHICH BELIEVE IT OR NOT! WHY? CHEAP HOUSING! ITS ONE OF THE SAFEST SECTIONS OF THE CITY! ITS TOLERANT FOR THE MOST PART....MAY GAYS TIRED OF ALLENTOWN, PARKSIDE, ELMWOOD AND DELAWARE PARK ... TIRED OF PRICES, TAXES ETC ARE TRADING IN THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES FOR SOUTH PARK AND ABBOTT....TRADING DELAWARE PARK FOR SOUTH PARK AND CAZENOVIA.

Chris69- Sadly, I think you are correct about Riverside. My friend and I have had an apartment there for some time and I’ve noticed an increasing number of low income west-siders moving to the neighborhood because of rising rent in the west side. Riverside is very inexpensive because it’s kind of in the middle of no where. Good for the west side sprucing itself up, too bad for Riverside. I'll take the trade though.