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Buffalo Place Rocks The Harbor
Check the concert schedule for this summers events!
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Photos by Adam Hudson :: Thursday At The Square :: Buffalo, NY
Let me start with a self congratulation. I was right. Bass Pro has not been coming for some time. They simply made it official today.
But Congressman Brian Higgins was wrong, when he says they never were coming. He’s wrong because we’ll never know, because CBA peddlers, lawsuit artists, professional obstructionists and Buffalo Common Council gave them an out. Buffalo never had the chance to call their bluff, and we let them off the hook. We’ll never know how long its been since we were in the running.
The post-mortem on Bass Pro will predictably combine several relevant questions into one Pacific gasp: “Who’s fault is it?” That question is obvious, but your answer to it probably reveals more about your political bent and general snootiness than yields a constructive answer. So let me parse it further.
The immediate question is: “What killed Bass Pro?” Or, to put it another way, “What killed Bass Pro today?” It has been mentioned today ad nauseum that Bass Pro has been toying with Buffalo for nine years. Implicit in that critique is the fact that Bass Pro could have pulled out of this deal any time in the last nine years, but didn’t. They made (weak) positive noises through environmental reviews, Tim Tielman grandstanding, endless redesigns, a Great Recession, the Aud being knocked down, Marine Drive parking ramp NIMBYism, and a funding juggling act. They could not survive a late stage living wage monkey wrench to the head, the Common Council balking at a “drop the CBA” bribe funding plan and a lawsuit who’s hypocrisy is only matched by its irony. Some may try to blame Congressman’s Higgin’s ultimatum for today’s announcement. With all due respect to the Congressman, he holds none of the cards in a lease negotiation between a private company and a New York State authority. He could bluster and cajole, but Bass Pro was free to ignore his deadline as well. In the end, it provided some drama to the timing, but little else.
Note that the “What killed Bass Pro?” question is very different from the other questions being asked (and jumbled together) today: “Who’s to blame for this not working?” or “Was Bass Pro a good idea in the first place?” or “Should $35 million be given to retail?” or “What should happen now?” or “Why does Buffalo suck at doing anything?”
Let me take those one at a time. The answers are professional obstructionists, yes, no, shrug, and small mindedness, petty rivalries, and general incompetence, in that order. I am generally sympathetic to Jordan Levy and Larry Quinn, who are at least in the arena battling, rather than cowardly chirping critiques from the side, taking no risk and choosing the status quo FAIL over any plan not perfectly in line with their insulated self-important ideals. The CBA pushers got their wish: non-existent theoretical jobs that will pay no one any wage, rather than actual jobs that will pay someone a lesser wage. The few successfully ruined it for the many. As Alan would say, this is why we can’t have nice things.
Bass Pro was never a perfect fit, and the deal did seem to be getting worse as the bloom came off the “destination retailer” rose. That being said, I was looking forward to trying out a canoe or kayak on the water downtown before I bought one, and the idea of putting a boat/fishing store on the Great Lake that has some of the best bass fishing in the world does seem to make some intuitive sense. I know rednecks don’t get a vote on the intertube commentary to complain, and I’m sure Hamburg would be happy to host a store like this instead (oh the BRO wailing and gnashing of teeth – the only thing worse than a Bass Pro downtown is one in the SUBURBS!).
So what happens next? My first prediction in March, that Canalside will remain a vacant concrete hole for years, may be too close to the mark. Jordan Levy acknowledged today that the quotes currently out for construction have plenty of work that no longer needs to be done, and the ECHDC may have to go back and reopen the environmental review process because the removal of Bass Pro constitutes a major change. Expect every Tim Tielman, Donn Esmonde and other self-appointed spokesman of the people to have their own opinion about what cultural/retailer/restaurant should occupy that space, and what portion of the $35 million their pet project should get. This process will drag on years, and the Peace Bridge may be built before its sorted out. That $35 million is too big of a prize to not be fought over. Consider this suggestion from the CBA-leading Bass Pro slayers:
Micaela Shapiro-Shellaby of the Coalition for Economic Justice said she hopes the $35 million in subsidies that were earmarked for Bass Pro could be spent in ways that have broad long-term benefits for the region.
“[The money] could be put toward some of the things that we would like to see in a Community Benefits Agreement, such as promoting local entrepreneurship,” she said.
She added that the latest twist in the Canal Side saga might be opportunity to promote greater public input.
Yes, because all those small business incubators, job programs and training sites (read: patronage pits) have done wonders to turn Buffalo around and build a thriving middle class and small business culture in this city. And CLEARLY what this project has lacked the last nine years is sufficient community input.
It’s a victory for Native American smoke shops but a setback for Native American mail order cigarette companies. A federal judge has ruled members of the Seneca Indian Nation will have to comply with some, but not all provisions of the pact act while they fight to have the law struck down.
A beer tent and food vendors will keep the parched and hungry crowd sated as the day's great line-up unfolds, providing ample entertainment.
The event runs from noon - 8pm on Saturday. Here's the schedule:
12:00 PM - Ladies First Big Band
1:00 PM - Charles Reedy Jazz Quartet
2:00 PM - Jazz Line
3:00 PM - Cadenza
4:00 PM - Sabu Adeyola Band
5:00 PM - Taylor Made Jazz
6:00 PM - Rodney Appleby and his All Star Band
7:00 PM - Will Holton Project
For more information about the event or The Colored Musicians Club, check out their website www.coloredmusiciansclub.com or call the CMC at (716) 855-9383.
He had his fingers crossed...
Hot news from Hot Carl dumped on our chest when everyone’s eyes were on Bass Pro’s No-Go:
“I am so confident of victory in the New York Republican Primary that I spoke hastily this week on “Inside City Hall” and said I would be gone if I did not win the Republican Primary. Many in the Tea Party movement and more of my supporters expressed extreme displeasure immediately. They want me to carry the fight for reform into the Fall with the Taxpayers Line. I owe it to them and our State to examine the circumstances after the GOP primary, when I believe this issue will be moot.
The fight for reform is bigger than any party. It is tragic that the New York State Conservative Party violated their birthright by designating a liberal Republican, so the formation of the Taxpayers line is required. Therefore I will preserve all my options until after the Primary.”
Chris Hayes was filling in for Rachel Maddow on her MSNBC show yesterday and during their story on Republicans trying to out-crazy each other over manufactured Islam-o-fear and he forgot Carl’s name even though they just featured an audio clip from him! (Well worth watching, and compliments what Alan has been writing about on this issue.)
So, what does this mean? That we can hopefully look forward to more laughs from Carl and Co. well into the Fall! And after this whole Bass Pro thing, we need more laughs!
It’s a no from Bass Pro. The outdoor retail chain is not coming to Buffalo’s downtown Canal Side project. Our Ryan Burgess has the details.
Just after Bass Pro’s announcement, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown issued a statement saying the Buffalo Common Council is to blame. YNN’s Doug Sampson explains.
Genesee Community College is saying goodbye to one of its founders. Dr. Stuart Steiner is believed to be the second-longest serving, community college president in the United States. He began his career as the college’s president 36 years ago.
Latest edition of The Tommunist Retort is here! Yay? Tommunist Retort #6
The Buffalo Bills have an open quarterback competition in training camp this season. While obviously none of the QBs on the roster are household names outside of Western New York, the Bills have an interesting choice to make in the short term on who will be the leader of their offense in 2010. The Bills choices are Trent Edwards, Brian Brohm and Ryan Fitzpatrick. While sentiment has been torn on who would make the most sense for the Bills in the upcoming season, I think Edwards is far and away the choice for the Bills in 2010.
Trent has a lot of work to do to get Bills fans behind him again
Trent was the third round selection out of Stanford for the Bills in 2007. He came recommended by Bill Walsh, a guy who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks. In his first season he was the second string QB behind starter J.P. Losman, who was coming off an impressive end to a 2006 season in which he threw for 3,051 yards and 19 tds with an 84.9 rating. Losman fell victim to a cheap shot courtesy of Patriots’ thug Vince Wilfork, and Edwards was pressed into duty. He led the Bills to a touchdown in his very first NFL possession against the hated Pats, and showed skills that made him the darling of Bills’ fans. They were impressed by his poise in the pocket, his ability to be patient and not force throws into heavy traffic, and his ability to not sound like a 12 year-old girl in his postgame press conferences. Edwards was named the starter and Losman was sent to the bench.
Trent’s second season got off to a terrific start, where he guided the Bills to a 4-0 record, averaging 232.5 ypg on almost 8 yards per passing attempt, an impressive number. He threw 4 touchdowns to 2 ints, and had Bills fans calling into local sports station WGR, debating whether or not they would sign up for the 3 seed in the AFC (many people said no, believe it or not). Then came the game that many people felt ruined Trent. He suffered a concussion in a game against Arizona, where both his season and the Bills’ season started to come off the tracks. The most confusing part of this theory to me is that Trent started the following week against the San Diego Chargers, where he completed 25 of 30 passes for 261 yards and 1 td, with no ints in a 23-14 win. This may have been the finest performance I’ve seen Edwards have. However, in the next 4 games, Trent threw 8 ints and was sacked 9 times as the Bills lost four in a row. He has never seemed to recapture his confidence since.
I think a lot of what impacted Trent was the Dick Jauron approach of trying to not lose games. This approach is apparently the blueprint to going 7-9. While taking the underneath throw and not turning the ball over are both sound approaches to playing successful football, teams need to stretch the defense and score touchdowns to win (seems obvious, no?). When Turk Schonert tried to put in an expansive, aggressive offense at the start of last season, Jauron fired him and installed untested Alex Van Pelt as coordinator. Needless to say, the rest of the season did not go well for Trent and the Bills’ offense. Trent was eventually supplanted as starting QB by Ryan Fitzpatrick, who interim head coach Perry Fewell and many Bills fans felt gave the team the best chance to win. Despite Trent’s shattered confidence and ineffectiveness, he may still have been the Bills’ best last season.
Fitzpatrick completed just 55.9% of his passes on 6.3 yards per attempt. He threw for 9 tds and 10 ints and had a 69.7 rating. Edwards completed 60.1% of his passes on 6.4 yards per attempt, with 6 tds and 7 ints and a 73.8 rating. Fitzpatrick’s numbers were pretty consistent with his career statistics, whereas Edwards had a much poorer season than his 2008 campaign.
Edwards has shown glimpses of being an effective starting NFL QB, and now has a head coach with a reputation for getting the most out of even the most limited QBs (Jay Fiedler, anyone?). Fitzpatrick is a backup QB at best in this league. While a case could be made for Brian Brohm, that may just be because he’s the most unknown entity. He was a 2nd round draft pick in 2008 who the Green Bay Packers gave up on pretty quickly, and they were only trying to groom him to be a backup to Aaron Rodgers. Based on Rodgers’ success, it appears that team has a pretty good handle on what a QB needs to be successful.
Under Chan Gailey, let’s hope Edwards can regain the poise and confidence that made him such an effective QB for the Bills at the start of the 2008 season. If he can’t, the Bills are on the fast track to the Jake Locker sweepstakes in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Forty-five years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed a contract between America and our seniors, ensuring health care and peace of mind for millions of older Americans.
It’s hard to imagine how significant that impact was on people of previous generations. Before the start of Medicare, so many older Americans lived out their last days without any reliable or affordable health care.
Signing this bill into law changed the dynamic. The inherent promise, that if you work hard when you retire you will have stability and economic security, is a hallmark of this nation.
Its most immediate benefits were felt by many low-income Americans but the truth is all seniors gain from contract – and it is appropriate that today we pause to honor its birth.
Medicare has made lasting improvements to our nation’s health care system and the quality of life of seniors by making health care more affordable and accessible. It has become the foundation of care in our nation, and none of us can imagine an America without it.
Medicare provides health care to more than 47 million Americans. It’s a simple program that kicks in when someone turns 65 and offers support at a time when many people are easing away from work and toward retirement.
Now, 45 years after becoming law, we are still celebrating health care and its potential to improve our lives.
The Affordable Care Act passed in the House and signed into law by President Obama promises the same transformative significance. This bill is a critical step forward toward ensuring that everyone can get that same excellent care. It emphasizes preventative care through free vaccinations, mammograms and colonoscopies, increasing long term health and reducing long term costs.
In addition to increasing affordability and access to health care, we shored up holes in Medicare by closing the so called “donut hole,” a gap in coverage that left many seniors covering part of their prescription drug expenses out of pocket. Every year, 9,000 residents in my district reach the donut hole and are forced to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs. Our seniors should not have to choose between their medication and food on the table. The health care law prevents that kind of gut-wrenching choice.
I encourage everyone to visit healthcare.gov to learn more about the important reforms we’ve made, or visit medicare.gov to learn more about your benefits.
After nearly ten years of study, site shifts, and lease negotiations, Bass Pro has dumped plans to open a store on the waterfront. On July 19, Congressman Brian Higgins issued an ultimatum to Bass Pro giving the retailer two weeks to act on a lease for a Buffalo location. Bass Pro president Jim Hagale notified Congressman Higgins today that it "cannot respond favorably to the lease draft forwarded to us by the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation within the fourteen day time period you requested in your letter."
We wish you and the ECHDC every success with the Canal Side project.
- Jim Hagle, Bass Pro Inc. President
Bass Pro was envisioned to anchor the Canal Side project and was expected to be a year round draw to a waterfront that can best be described as desolate and sleepy, particularly in winter months. ECHDC Jordan Levy tried to put a smiley face on the situation. From The Buffalo News:
At a news conference this afternoon, a disappointed Jordan Levy, the harbor corporation's chairman, said he learned today of Bass Pro's withdrawal from company founder and chairman Johnny Morris, but expressed confidence that the planned mix of restaurants, retail and hotels will move forward.
"This canal is, and always has been, bigger than Bass Pro," Levy said. "Canal Side is under way, and we remain absolutely committed to the redevelopment and revitalization of Buffalo's waterfront.
Bass Pro's interest in Buffalo was a costly one. The company is said to have invested well over one million dollars in working with ECHDC and its supporters on due diligence. From an ECHDC statement:
ECHDC will move forward with our development partner, Benderson, as it continues to play a critical role as the development escalates. Benderson has already identified several potential tenants who are interested in locating in this mixed use waterfront development. The Donovan and Webster blocks offer opportunities to increase downtown critical mass and we will seek other unique destination retailers.
However, we must clear any remaining doubts on whether ECHDC will have title to the property in order to develop the site; we will not have a serious partner stepping forward otherwise. ECHDC must clear the last remaining hurdles to finish what was started and we will work closely with the Buffalo Common Council to complete this critical step in transferring the land.
The past six months have seen the Canal Side project reach several major milestones: the adoption of our SEQRA findings and the General Project Plan, the approval of a Project Labor Agreement with local trade unions and the signing of the historic NYPA agreement which provides $105 million for the development of the Inner Harbor.
We have come too far in this critical juncture in developing our waterfront to let this enormous opportunity to transform our city, create jobs and celebrate the heritage of our canal and our history slip through our fingers. ECHDC recognizes that this news is disheartening, but we want to make it very clear to the citizens of Buffalo and Western New York that Canal Side is underway and will continue to move forward - ECHDC remains absolutely committed to the redevelopment and revitalization of Buffalo's waterfront for, not only Buffalo, but for the great people of this region.
More:
Buffalo Pundit take.
Buffalo News' editorial.
Buffalo Firefighters responded to a two alarm fire at a vacant house on Schreck Road Friday afternoon.
Walking up the front steps onto the rebuilt porch, it is the beanboard above that really shines. From there, the house's foyer makes a major impact with operable oversized pocket doors that look and function the way they once did when the house was built. I was surprised to see that so much of the original woodwork had been saved since the amount of water damage to the house had been so significant. Of the 4200 sq.' house, it was hard to find any flaws. Everything looked original when observing the living areas except for the Energy Star windows. Updated amenities include bathroom outfitted with Jacuzzi tub, shower with body sprayers, granite counter tops and sleek subway tiled floors. The kitchen has been overhauled as well. All of the updates brought a sense of luxury to the dwelling that had, at one time, been subjected to tragic '80's remodeling decisions. New plumbing, electric and zoned heating were par for the course.
The house boasts three bedrooms, a sprawling dry basement, laundry hookups, natural sunlight, front porch, upper porch, back patio, parking pad for up to two cars, quaint backyard, finished attic (one large room and two smaller rooms), tons of closets, new roof and over 50% replaced clapboard, 2nd floor carpeting (makes the house very quiet) and a fireplace. I have to hand it to Jim and Matt - these guys really put their hearts into this project. They told me that in the 20 years that they have been in the business, there was only one other project that was as difficult to pull off. Had they known what was in store for them, I'm not sure that they would have tackled the project. You can see it in their eyes - the trouble that they went through. At the same time, you can see the pride that they share in the accomplishment. I hope to see more from these two in the near future.
The house is being listed for sale at $299,000.
