We’re Talkin’ Proud, Buffalo! Unlike back in the 80’s when the City of Buffalo found it necessary to wallpaper the street signs and other public areas with this campaign, big-time Buffalo businessmen and city officials are claiming that we really do have a reason to be proud again.
The talk all over town recently has been about the Buffalo Waterfront area- and for good reasons, too. In recent decades this part of the Queen City has been largely abandoned while centuries of history rotted away and precious wildlife was neglected where it needed tending. However, a new revitalizing spirit has struck a chord with developers and preservationists around the area and in the state that has begun to sow the seeds of change.
One of the latest signs of this redevelopment process hatched this past June. According to The Buffalo News, four men from Frontier Industrial Corp. teamed up to purchase 12.5 acres of land along the waterfront at 1515 Fuhrmann Boulevard. David and Dennis Franjoine, Craig Slater, and Rob Zuchlewski paid $475,000 for the property that includes 66 tall grain silos and a Cargill, Inc. grain mill from the 1920’s. Due to the location of the land at the outer harbor, the new owners also gained access to 6.5 acres of deep-water, not to mention all of the transportation amenities made available by the city itself.
However, this sale does not come without controversy. After acquiring the land early this summer, the men declared a vague plan for the South End Marina that has sparked what has become a very heated argument. They intend to preserve and use the grain silos going forward, possibly by converting them into high-end commercial, residential, and recreational purpose facilities. To history buffs and Buffalovers who see the grain silos as a rich part of this city’s past, news of a hopeful conservation of their landmarks caused jubilation and drew a lot of support. For those who see the grain silos as massive, ugly, concrete barriers blocking the view of the harbor, this was not such welcome news. It seems that there are just as many people who want to demolish the rusty eye-sores as there are those who want to keep them a part of the skyline of outer Buffalo.
Regardless of this ongoing debate, the mere purchase of 1515 Fuhrmann Boulevard is just another sign to city officials that Buffalo is on the upward swing of things. Howard Zemsky, the co-chairman of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, thinks this, the establishment of the first state park in Buffalo along Gallagher Beach and Small Boat Harbor, and the Harbor Center are all part of a positive trend that has only just started and that will escalate into the future.
So, while they’re at it, maybe the City should consider restoring the campaign signs, because Buffalo is talkin’ proud.
