Preservation in Progress

Outer Harbor

As part of the Our Outer Harbor Coalition, PBN joined fellow Coalition members in hosting a public meeting on October 29^th. The standing room only crowd heard from PBN as well as representatives from the Western New York Environmental Alliance, Niagara Greenway Commission, Partnership for the Public Good, and 21^st Century Park with updates on Outer Harbor development in preparation for the upcoming Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) public meeting which is scheduled for November 19^th. The Our Outer Harbor Coalition also released the newly completed cultural landscape report “The Buffalo New York Outer Harbor as a Cultural Landscape.” Completed by kta preservation specialists, this extensive report details and creates an overview of how the Buffalo Outer Harbor region has been developed and used by people, including industry, commerce, recreation, and shoreline modification. A copy of the full cultural landscape report is available on PBN’s website.

The Fruit Belt

Since securing landmark status for 238 Carlton Street in April 2018, PBN has been working with Fruit Belt residents and community groups to find the next and best use for this significant yet vacant structure, specifically as the permanent location for the African Heritage Food Co-Op (AHFC). AHFC has made numerous offers to purchase the building but have been rebuffed by current owner, Borderland Advantage LLC. Built c1876 as a neighborhood grocery store, PBN is continuing to work with community partners including the AHFC, Fruit Belt Advisory Council, Community First Alliance, and Fruit Belt/McCarley Gardens to support the rehabilitation and reuse of this long vacant building.  

The Fruit Belt Cultural Resource Survey is in the final stages of completion by project consultant Preservation Studios. Once completed, the first-ever full-scale survey of this historic neighborhood will also provide recommendations for future preservation efforts. In preparation for the completion of the survey, PBN and Fruit Belt/McCarley Gardens Housing Task Force has been awarded a Spark Grant by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. The Spark Grant will help us produce a brochure to not only highlight the information discovered during the survey but also to encourage continued neighborhood conversations about future steps to celebrate and preserve the Fruit Belt.

Broadway-Fillmore Historic District

After over two years of community organizing and outreach alongside the Historic East Side Neighborhood Imitative (HESNI), the Broadway-Fillmore Historic District was designated a local historic district on May 29, 2018, making it the first neighborhood historic district since the Hamlin Park Historic District was designated in 1998. This local level designation will provide the residents extra protection from demolitions and development pressures. But the celebrations don’t stop there. We are very proud to announce that the Secretary of the Interior has certified the district! This means that property owners will now be eligible to access historic tax credits on eligible rehabilitation expenses.

Linwood Historic District

The Secretary of the Interior has been active certifying Buffalo historic district recently. In addition to the Broadway-Fillmore Historic District and the expansion of the 500 Block of Main Street Historic District, the Linwood Preservation District expansion was also certified.  Previously, only the original boundaries of the Linwood district were certified but this re-certification now includes the 2014 expanded boundaries. Certification of a local historic district means that the district successfully meets all the requirements of listing in the National Register Historic Places and while not actually listed on the National Register, properties within the district can be eligible for historic tax credits. PBN will be working with the Linwood Preservation District & Friends to schedule a tax credit workshop in the coming months. 

Erie County Outreach

PBN was privileged bring our “Landmarks 101” program to Cheektowaga on DATE and East Aurora on DATE. Providing an introduction to the basics of historic preservation, “Landmarks 101” includes information on the different types of designations possible, available financial resources, and the beneficial impact preservation can have within communities. Cheektowaga Historic Society invited PBN as a part of their continued outreach towards the adoption of a preservation ordinance, and the East Aurora Historic Preservation Commission hosted the program as a part of their continued outreach and education efforts.

University District Survey

The University District Community Development Association, Inc. (UDCDA) and consultant kta preservation specialists, are is in the final stages of completing a reconnaissance-level survey in University District. The survey, supported by a 2017 Preserve New York grant, is focusing on the Summit Park, Kensington Heights, and Kensington Park neighborhoods. Once completed, the survey will not only provide information about these historic neighborhoods which originally developed between 1900 and 1940, but also recommendations for potential nominations to the National Register of Historic Places.

Richardson Olmsted Campus

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the nation’s preeminent preservation organization, announced that the Richardson Olmsted Campus has won their prestigious award. The Buffalo landmark shares the 2018 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award with two other adaptive reuse projects, in Memphis and Oklahoma City. The National Trust awarded these three projects from over 50 nominated projects with a jury lead by Paul Goldberger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic. Congratulations to our friends over at the Richardson Olmsted Campus for their well-deserved award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation!

Elmwood Village

PBN has partnered with the Elmwood Village Association to bring in the National Main Street Center (NMSC) through its UrbanMain program to conduct a market analysis and commercial district planning process. Once completed the plan will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the commercial assets within what is NYS’s largest National Register Historic District and build a framework for moving forward. The funding for this project is being provided by PBN and the generous support of Assembly member Sean Ryan and Buffalo Common Council member David Rivera. On DATE we hosted our first community-wide meeting. NMSC consultants will continue to collect and analyze market data, survey community members, and meet with stakeholder through the fall and winter, with final recommendations expected in January 2019.

North Tonawanda’s Sweeney Estate Historic District

Supported by grants from the Preservation League of New York State and the NY State Historic Preservation Office, the North Tonawanda Historic Preservation Commission is moving forward with survey work for the National Register nomination of the Sweeney Estate Historic District. Sometimes referred to as the “Lumber Baron” neighborhood, the survey area is centered around Goundry, Tremont, and Christiana Streets. Project consultant kta preservation specialists will begin surveying the over 400 included properties in November 2018 and anticipates the completion of the Sweeney Estate Historic District nomination in spring 2019. Once listed on the National Register of Historic Places, properties within the historic district will be able to access state and federal historic tax credits.