For real...

_________________
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

He can make an accurate guess it seems.

_________________
"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Yeah, because saying that nothing is going to get done in Buffalo is a totally unique and far fetched concept.

_________________
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Touchy touchy Phil. I'm just expressing my opinion, the way I see it. That story I posted sure does back my view a little bit. Money that have been set aside for projects that would only help the city and WNY in general have been sitting stagnet for up to 19 years?!?!?! That should be a wake up call for the citizens of WNY that what the politicians are doing is keeping a great area down....I love WNY/Buffalo and I am proud to say I'm from their but sad to see that nothing ever changes.....
In general, people in WNY resist change. Perfect example is the whole comptrollers report on how the volunteer fire companies in WNY can consolidate and save a large amount of money for their areas. Instead of taking that report seriously and looking at ways to save money, the volunteers get all up in arms to save their kingdoms.

_________________

How exactly? Because it seems the only things that have been getting done is old buildings getting torn down, talks of new buildings getting built for ten or more years and then, nothing ever happening to get these projects underway.

People are leaving Buffalo and finding cities that build buildings, major highways, and lots of houses to live in, and for better weather.

_________________

its not just NY state politics, its like that everywhere. someone creates a project, and its buried under miles and miles of red tape, and it doesnt get done. and this time, it appears the funding is in place, so whats the hold up? there is no hold up other then initial here, sign here, and sign here. but guess what? those papers are under 7399 other papers that say the same thing, and it will never get done. my rage wasnt at state politics, its at the process of getting stuff off the ground. its not enough to have a plot of land and funding for the project, theres so many other bullshit sequences that they have to jump through. theres so many ladders to climb now a days, most developers give up out of pure stress.

a guy in grand rapids bought a surface lot in down town (by the way, surface lots are almost ALWAYS city owned land for sale. its just a way of saying, well, rather then have this sit here, plop some parking spaces here, and make money in the meantime.) so this developer wanted to build a 450 foot mixed use building (first 10 stories office, next 27 residential) and had funding, bought the land, cleared all city ordinances, and the city had 4 hearings, 2 a year to decide if it would happen. through 3 hearings, it was, this is going forward. then the carpet was pulled from under him.

this may be state money for state funded projects, but its the exact same thing.

_________________

They managed to build HSBC Arena. They managed to uncover the Commercial Slip. They managed to knock down the Aud. They managed to move the Naval Park. They managed to build a new Federal courthouse. They managed to clean up the area where the Naval Park was to get it read for development.

But yeah, nothing ever happens around here. It'sa cesspool that everyone should just leave.

How about re-developing the waterfront (which was talked about when HSBC was built) or the peace bridge. I've been gone for 10 years now and they have been talking about some of these projects 10 years before I left....Major projects that would only help the area never get done.....never

_________________

I won't deny that things take way too long. The Peace Bridge thing is a joke.

However, shit is starting to move. The waterfront by the Arena isn't just being talked about right now. They're down there working on a daily basis, and have been all summer. They're re-building the roads for that area. They're prepping the Donovan building for demo.

Yes, things take too damn long around here. But, it really chaps my ass to see people who aren't here anymore (or have never lived here) say nothing is happening. I respect that you were here once, and you know all too well that these projects should have been done YEARS ago.

But they're moving now. Slowly, but moving.

but is that really the point... yes they have gotten some things done... but in all they could be doing so much more and it just gets buried... its simply assigning that they have been talking about the waterfront for the better part of 20 years and things are JUST starting to happen... the peace bridge is another one that has been buried for well over a decade... they have made some great saves, with some of the loft projects and buildings that have been refurbished... but there is so much bureaucratic bull shit and so many miss steps through out the years that its no wonder the city is in the shape it is... and the population has moved primarily into the suburbs and/or out of the area...

Pittsburgh reinvented its self in the 80s and 90s... they moved to a technology base, they have gotten 3 new stadiums built, a new convention center, and turned an old mill area into a thriving place with shopping and lofts that i couldn't even think about living in.... this has all been done just outside of 10 years... Im not saying its the end all be all... and im not saying they don't have their miss steps (casino) and poor areas (the hill) but they get shit done... they had a plan to grow when the steel industry died....

Its not that Buffalo has done nothing... its that its takes them to freaking long to do ANYTHING! .... How long was the Aud sitting there rotting away before they took it down last year? figure HSBC opened in 96.....

_________________

Let's not forget the urban community farms that are popping up like wildfire, helping families who can't get to grocery markets keep their cupboards stocked and teaching the kids lessons on agriculture. Or (as I've previously mentioned) developers like Termini who promise to do things and then do (first up, the lesser AM&A's building. Next up, the flagship AM&A's building and the Hotel Lafayette, which he's already working on). Or the Cobblestone District next to the arena becoming habitable again with offices and apartments and restaurants. Or finally connecting the inner and outer harbors. Or the boutique hotel that's going up downtown that tore down the Continental (*sniffle*) to put in its loading dock recently. Or the absolutely BOOMING Waterfront Village, with townhomes, apartment buildings, and condos (where Sabres and Bills players apparently like to live). Or the (I know it's just a plan) plan to tear down Freezer Queen and begin transforming the outer harbor area into office parks.

Nothing ever happens here, I'd say.

I get defensive because it's the same old story from people who left or have never lived here. "The signature bridge? They're still talking about that? Nothing ever gets done!" "They still haven't developed the waterfront? What the hell, nothing ever gets done!" Just keep parroting what you hear instead of really paying attention, everyone. That way you don't have to do the hard work reading the paper online and seeing what's really going on.

_________________
mechaphil

even though you didnt quote me, you know damn well thats not what i meant. so i really hope you arnt using his post to encapsulate several posters in this thread.

my point is it takes way too long to get shit done. and in that time, worthy projects that could help cities hurting are abandoned because frankly, the process has become a joke. and THATS what pisses me off.

the thought process with this money is, i think, they want to hit a home run. they want to build something, or put the money into something thats going to be source of pride and maybe even jobs. a single or a double wont cut it. they wont spend it just because its there, which is good, but at the same time, you have to do SOMETHING with it. thats how it is here, and i guess thats the way it is with you guys.

im not bashing your fair city at all, im pulling like hell for you guys, as i hope you are us. but shit has to happen. shit has to move forward, and the red tape bullshit prevents these cities from building some great doubles or triples projects. (baseball reference) yeah, great stuff is happening around the city, as phil pointed out, great stuff. but more stuff could be done.

if im in the wrong, ill take my bow and admit it, but i dont think im wrong here nor does my current residence in a different region, because i have a fairly good understanding how this stuff works, and i read around on projects in buffalo (and other cities around me)

for what its worth, i feel a second peace bridge span has to be built to relieve the current bridges stress. thats from a strictly engineering point of view. a new span would allow them to close the current one and renovate the hell out of it.

_________________

Ya know how shit happens? Young people need to stay and see the value in their home, and they need to want to fix it, and they need to feel that drive to change the political landscape of the city so that it moves forward. But people would rather move away then try to be an agent of change.

_________________
mechaphil

I'm glad their moving but is should never take this long and how much longer will it take for them to finish it????? Also, I read the Buffalo News and check out the three new channel websites daily. I have friends and family who still live their and visit the area several times a year. I may not live there now but I DO keep up with the area. I hope and pray that things will change sooner than later. I hope and pray that someday I can go back to Buffalo and be able to go downtown and spend days down there doing different things and supporting the WNY economy.....

_________________

BOOSH! they dont have the guts to stick it out and make change. i agree.

though, the reason i want to move south is because frankly, winter depresses me, and i dont know if i can do it the rest of my life.

so i guess maybe i dont have the guts either.

self realization just took place, nice going phil! dick!

_________________

young people get frustrated because it take such a long time to one thing changed. Why wouldn't you get fed up and move to some place that has already begun to change where their ideas are not put on the back burners for decades.....

_________________

Sounds to me like a case of impatience and instant gratification rather than the rewards that come from doing something great. Me, I'm gonna tough it out and fight to make this a better place for my boy and his family and further generations of my clan. And I'm gonna inspire Joshua to do the same. It might not happen in my lifetime, but it'll happen in Joshua's, of that I have total faith. But it'll take the children of Buffalo staying put and realizing there is greater worth in making their hometown a beautiful, vibrant place again than moving away and bitching how nothing gets done.

_________________
mechaphil

Way over your head.

_________________
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Sorry but waiting 10-20 years for a project to get off the ground is ridiculous. Impatient, I guess it is if you call waiting 20 years impatient.... I keep tabs on the progress and happy to see changes like the cobblestone area. It's about time things are done and I hope people start flocking back to Buffalo to live and raise a family. I loved growing up there and would have loved to raise my family in WNY but I can't....not now with what I do, it's impossible. I respect people like you that are willing to stick out the decades of turbulence to try and make the area great again.

_________________

^^^ What he said.

I truly do WANT to move back. There aren't any jobs for what I do.

_________________