Category: PostEvents

When I was a young boy, my toy store was Clayton’s on Elmwood Avenue. Going to Clayton’s with my parents was a magical experience – one that I still vividly remember to this day. I recall standing in front of the glass cases, filled will all sorts of fascinating toys. To leave with a coveted prize… there was nothing else quite like it.

When Clayton’s (since 1916) eventually closed up shop on Elmwood, and moved to Williamsville, I was distraught. Not that I was interested in toys anymore. Rather, it signaled that the city was going downhill, which frightened me. How could a city that I loved so much be losing so much? What would become of Buffalo, as more stores closed, or relocated to the outskirts? Would I even stick around to see the bottom fall out?

Thankfully, the bottom never fell out, although it was pretty darn close. The city was miraculously saved by the diehard people that fought tooth and nail to protect it. The other day, I was talking to a girl from Pittsburgh who told me that she absolutely loved Buffalo because everyone was so upbeat about the city, which she said was its best attribute. I told her it was because we lost half of our population – the people that left weren’t the biggest fans, so what we have remaining is a city filled with residents who are diehard supports and activists. She found that fascinating.

Getting back to the Clayton’s story, eventually Buffalo landed TreeHouse toy store, which also became a Buffalo institution. But as we are all aware, TreeHouse recently closed its doors on Elmwood Avenue, resulting in, once again, a city without a quality toy store.

Clayton’s is the oldest continuously run toy store in America.  

It is interesting to note that Clayton’s did attempt an urban comeback in 2015, when they established an outpost at HarborCenter. Unfortunately, that part of Buffalo was not ready for a toy store, although if they had waited a few more years… you never know, with the advent of the children’s museum, the carousel, the Ferris wheel, etc.

Regardless, I am happy to report that Clayton’s has signed up for a second retail location on Hertel Avenue, where they will reportedly open at the former ‘room’ location. ‘room’ is heading across the street, reopening as The Monocle. That move will leave 6000 square feet available, which will be divided into two separate spaces – Clayton’s Toys will occupy 1500 square feet, while the rest is being leased to Monroe MedSpa.

Hearing that Clayton’s will, once again, be open in a dedicated, full-fledge space in North Buffalo… well, it brings back a lot of nostalgic memories of a place that was always mystical and magical. I can’t bear thinking about a Buffalo without a toy store of this nature. Good for Clayton’s to buck the trends of internet shopping. Now, it’s going to be up to us, as a city, to wholeheartedly get behind this legendary Buffalo business, to support them in any way that we can. That means, walking, biking, or driving (away from our computers) to champion a business that has ‘got our back,’ again.

And for all of the children that will actually get a chance to walk into this wondrous setting, as I did when I was a child, I can already see the eyes widening, the smiles turning upwards, and the sounds of laughter as they romp down Hertel Avenue on their way to their next big shopping adventure.

One of the things that Buffalo could use a lot more of are, better landscapes. We have a dynamite park system, miles of waterfront, aspiring commercial corridors, but there is a lack of professionals that are adequately prepared to take care of it all.

Thankfully, the Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology (BCAT) is collaborating with the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (BOPC) and The Riverline to provide motivated people with access to a Landscape Maintenance Technician training program. The program – funded by KeyBank, the First Niagara Foundation, and a national foundation – offers tuition-free training in middle skills careers, thus providing a work-ready pipeline of candidates. 

“BCAT’s partnership with the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and The Riverline demonstrates a successful collaboration between three Buffalo-based nonprofits committed to our community’s economic and social growth,” said Gina Burkhardt, CEO, BCAT. “This unique program creates job opportunities that strengthen the local workforce and provide essential work-readiness skills to City of Buffalo residents.  We appreciate KeyBank’s continued investment in our community.”

“KeyBank and the First Niagara Foundation are proud to support this program and this unique collaboration between two dynamic, important organizations in our community,” said Elizabeth Gurney, Director of KeyBank Foundation and the First Niagara Foundation. “This program directly aligns with KeyBank’s commitment to education and workforce development that improves the lives of program participants. We applaud the efforts of Gina Burkhardt and Stephanie Crockatt who designed this creative collaboration.  It is a great example of how we can build on the strengths of existing programs and work together to create opportunities for our community to gain productive and meaningful employment.”

With more public landscapes coming online all the time, including waterfront parks and The Riverline, not to mention the existing parks that always need round the clock landscape upkeep, Buffalo needs to step up its game when it comes to how it’s all cared for, and how it is presented to the public. The expectation is, that by providing these workforce candidates with the knowledge and tools that they need to get the job done, Buffalo as a whole will be a benefactor in years to come.

The program includes:

60 hours of educational instruction offered in the classrooms at BCAT
In-field training and a 4-week paid internship within the City of Buffalo’s historic Olmsted park system, with support from Conservancy staff
The in-house curriculum includes technical coursework on the park system history, horticulture, landscaping techniques, safety precautions, plus equipment and material uses
BCAT provides a minimum of 20 hours of instruction on work-readiness skills to ensure students are equipped to enter the workforce and be better prepared for promotions and/or upskilling opportunities

“We were given hands-on education with a lot of equipment that I probably never would have seen in my lifetime had it not been for this program,” said Darren Cotton, Class of 2021. “I’m thankful for those skill-building activities as well as meeting people who are involved in the stewardship and care of the Olmsted Park System and seeing how much people are passionate about these spaces and the importance of them to the city.”

Have you ever visited a city that shows off its landscaped public areas? Between lack of funding and lack of trained professionals, Buffalo could use some help when it comes to how it presents itself. We should be taking more pride in our outward appearance. This program, now in its second year, is a good start towards reaching loftier goals. We need to get back to the days of greatness, when Buffalo was considered ‘The City of Trees,’ and our parks were glorious – not just great, but glorious.

It would be nice to see even more partners (like McKinley High School’s horticulture program) joining this group in years to come, in order to take the initiative to another level entirely. This is an excellent starting point, however.

“The Conservancy hires over 55 supporting field staff each year to help care for and maintain Buffalo’s historic Olmsted-designed green spaces,” said Stephanie Crockatt, BOPC Executive Director. “With park usage escalating, the need for skilled labor is high. Together with BCAT, we are strengthening the local labor force, promoting diversity and inclusion, and fulfilling the Conservancy’s mission of preserving and maintaining our historic park system for current and future generations. We thank all partners and funders for this proactive opportunity.”

“The Riverline is thrilled to be part of this exciting project this year,” said Nancy Smith, Executive Director of the Western New York Land Conservancy, which administers The Riverline. “Thanks to support from a national funder, The Riverline is part of a five-city pilot project that includes similar infrastructure reuse projects across the country. Since the early days of planning for The Riverline, one of our stated goals was the equitable development of the surrounding communities. This workforce development program, in partnership with BCAT and the Olmsted Conservancy, will go a long way toward reaching this goal.”

More information and applications for the Landscape Management Technician training program are available and can be found here. BCAT will be accepting 15-20 applicants in classes running from January to April in 2022. This training timeline will ensure that program graduates are work-ready and able to support the park and general landscaping season from April through October each year. 

For more information about the Landscape Maintenance Technician program, please visit buffaloartstechcenter.org/apply-now.

Lead image: MLK Greenhouse (circa 1907)

Some foods only taste right during certain seasons. There’s nothing stopping me from eating a hot dog in January, but it just tastes better with a side of warm summer breeze in mid-July. The same goes for apple cider paired with doughnuts; autumn just seems to bring out the duo’s true flavor. But somewhere along the line, someone committed an act of sheer genius by literally combining these two things together, and the result was sweet perfection.

Enter – the apple cider doughnut.

There are some variations, but a traditional cider doughnut has a cakey texture, flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. Apple cider is the star of the show, serving as the main wet ingredient mixed right into the batter. They’re fried and each side is generously coated with cinnamon and sugar.

#InTheBUF photo by @buffalobrummie

On a mission to find the best cider doughnut in WNY, I spent a crisp autumn morning doing some research with my significant other, who moonlights as a doughnut aficionado. The result was not one, but two spots where we enjoyed some of the best apple cider doughnuts WNY has to offer: Duke’s Donuts and Mayer Brothers.

Many western New Yorkers know Mayer Brothers’ 170-year old tradition of pumping out most of the apple cider sold in North America. The Mayer Brothers Cider Mill Store located in West Seneca is only open during certain months of the year, so the line at the door was filled with anticipation as the cider-deprived waited patiently. Inside, the payoff is big and apple cider-themed, including cases of fresh cider doughnuts. If variety is your thing, that’s exactly what you’ll get. Cider donuts are available in glazed, sugared, frosted with cream cheese or chocolate, as well as a generous assortment of non-cider doughnut options. My pick was the traditional sugar coated apple cider doughnut. It was soft with a drier texture, not too sweet with a hint of cinnamon. A crowd pleaser.

Photos by Duke’s Donuts

Duke’s Donuts  does not have a brick-and-mortar shop. Since 2013, owners Chad Longman and his wife Aimee have been taking their doughnut gig on the road all over western New York, so you’ll likely catch them at a farmer’s market, community event or even at a Buffalo Bills game. We tracked them down at a local outdoor market where we learned that Aimee’s grandfather “Duke” was the inspiration for their “Apple Cider Donut” (which is available all year round.) The Duke’s experience is less about fanfare and much more intimate. The batter for their two varieties, Old Fashioned Apple Cider and Raised Sugar is made on site, dropped into a portable fryer, sugar-coated by hand and presented to you in just a few minutes’ time. The end game is a warm, flavorful, velvety and just dense enough doughnut that (pardon the cliché) melts in your mouth. My personal favorite.

Go ahead and eat your turkey dinner in April. Just promise that you’ll reserve the cider doughnuts for when the leaves start to fall.

The post The Quest for the Apple Cider Doughnut appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

Today is a pretty big day for the Buffalo film scene. It’s the kickoff for the 15th Annual Buffalo International Film Festival (see full lineup).

In recent days, I’ve received a lot of emails pertaining to the films that are being screened. Therefore, I’ve been watching a number of trailers, and even got to check out an online pre-screening for one of the highly anticipated releases – the US premiere of her film Laguna Ave, which is being premiered this evening at the North Park Theatre at 9:30pm.

I recently learned that the producer of Laguna Ave, Alison “Ali” Barone, is not only a Buffalo native, she’s also the daughter of Tralf owner Tom Barone.

“I am back home here in Buffalo promoting, and looking forward to seeing my movie at a such a gorgeous theater from my childhood,” said Ali. “We just premiered (in London) at the end of August.”

^ In this charmingly campy, lo-fi sci-fi comedy, a disaffected former musician is drawn into the mysterious and sinister world of his downstairs neighbor.

While I’m no film critic, I’ve watched my fair share of bizarro pictures, from Hardcore Henry to Singapore Sling to Tetsuo: The Iron Man. The stranger the better. When someone told me that Squid Games was off the chain, I told him that I was relatively unphased, due to my desensitization from watching so many crazy films over the years. Films such as The Lighthouse, Black Moon, Dogtooth, Bad Boy Bubby, Zardoz, Rubber, Spider Baby, Liquid Sky, Blue Sunshine, Greaser’s Palace, and so on. And those are some of the more toned down ones that I have come across. There’s some crazy stuff out there!

So when I was offered to pre-screen Laguna Ave, I took them up on the offer. Since I don’t want to give anything away – I love knowing zippo about a film before I watch it – I will only say that if you have a chance to make it to the screening this evening, you won’t be disappointed – especially if you love over-the-top films with wacko plotlines.

I would definitely add Laguna Ave to my zany film collection.

Critics have described it as if “John Waters directed Tetsuo” and a “cult classic in the making.”

OFFICIAL US PREMIERE FILM SCREENING OF LAGUNA AVE, WITH FILMMAKER Q&A

During a recent excursion to “Retro Block,” I came across a model train aficionado by the name of Peter Karlinski, who told me about “the train show of all model train shows.” At least in Western NY, that is. As we were discussing train setups, I asked him whether he attended the annual train show at the Central Terminal. His answer? “If you want to go to the best train show around, then you can’t miss the Batavia Train Show.”

THE place to buy trains for over 40 years!

While I’m a fan of model train sets, I must say that I don’t attend the shows, because I don’t have a train set anymore. But I’ve always been fascinated by train sets, and I still have a few old engines and cars proudly displayed in my garage. And whenever I come across a fascinating operational train set, such as the Buffalo History Museum or at The Mulberry Tree (where Peter is a shopkeeper, and model train set operator), I get a real kick out of examining the intricacies of the layouts. 

Peter’s setup at The Mulberry Tree in Tonawanda – He specializes in Lionel postwar trains and accessories

After Peter explained that the Batavia Train Show was the cat’s meow of train show, he told me that he would send me a letter (he’s old school) with a flyer inside. Keeping his promise, I received the flyer, and a handwritten letter in the mail, which provided me with all of the information pertaining to the show.

Batavia Train Show

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Richard C. Call Arena

At Genesee Community College

9:30am to 3:30pm

Donation: $6 | Under 18 years: $3 | Under 13 years: Free

This is the first big post-pandemic train show, with more vendors and model trains featured in a new modern facility, with plenty of parking and a snack bar.

Follow signs from Exit 48 on the NYS thruway to the College @ 1 College Road in Batavia, NY 14020

The show is presented by the Genesee Society of Model Engineers | PO Box 75 | Oakfield, NY 14125

Email: bataviatrainshow@gsme.org | Also visit www.gsme.org, or Facebook

Lead image courtesy Genesee Society of Model Engineers

Chateau Buffalo isn’t just known for their locally produced wines and ciders, they are also known for a variety of events, such as the Sweet 16 Cinema Series.

Every Friday, the urban winery and cidery screens 16mm vintage films, many of which are in black and white. Considered antiquities, and even oddities due to their obscurity…

“Our Xenon projection system offers a rare and unique cinema experience by simulating the arc-lamp brilliance of yesteryear.” – Chateau Buffalo

Freaky Fright Fridays!

Chateau Buffalo presents vintage films extracted from within the deep vaults of horror (for the month of October). Brilliantly conceived classics, combining horror, comedy and romance. We will enjoy these films with the ambience of candle lit pumpkins, wine and hard cider. 

Get Tickets for the following:

Friday, October 8 @ 7pm | Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Friday, October 15 @ 7pm | Son of Dracula (1943)
Friday, October 22 @ 7pm | Carl Theodor Dreyer’s VAMPYR (1932)

All guests must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Tickets include a special wine tasting flight upon seating. Preorder cheese plates with ticket purchase. Drinks and other small snacks will be available for purchase at the bar upon entering and during intermission breaks. Doors open at 6:30pm and movie starts promptly at 7pm. Tickets are $12.

Chateau Buffalo

“It’s an amazing day at Sunshine Vegan Eats!” This is how Chef Nikki, a firm believer in spreading kindness and positivity, always greets her customers at her restaurant Sunshine Vegan Eats, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in early March of 2021.

It all began with a car accident that prompted Nikki, born and raised in Buffalo, to try a new diet and lifestyle for 21 days to support her health and healing. When she realized that the 21 days were easier than anticipated, she decided to just keep going. That was five years ago.

Photo courtesy of Sunshine Vegan Eats

Veganism has been on the rise for years, with a variety of vegan restaurants opening all over the country. For vegans, it’s no surprise when they travel to our country’s largest metropolitan areas and find an abundance of vegan restaurants. Chef Nikki noticed this when traveling and realized just how few vegan restaurants we had in Buffalo. Thus, Sunshine Vegan Eats was born.

Her experience with meal prepping for others and juicing made creating a restaurant a natural evolution for Nikki. When she stumbled upon the open space on Jefferson Ave at just the right time, it all came together like it was meant to be.

“I wanted to bring something different to the neighborhood. My goal was to bring something healthy into the neighborhood,” Nikki explained when talking about how Sunshine Vegan Eats came to be.

With fresh juices, smoothies and vegetable-based dishes, the restaurant is certainly full of healthy options. But there’s also so much more than that.

“We’ve got breakfast, we’ve got lunch – we’ve got whatever you want!” Nikki is rightfully proud of what she offers. The extensive menu boasts items such as vegan fish tacos, vegan mac and cheese and even vegan wings that innovatively use sugar cane to act as a fake bone.

The top seller is the Impossible Nayah, a vegan steak hoagie named after Nikki’s granddaughter. Just like Nikki, Sunshine Vegan Eats has a lot of personality, which is evident in the spunky names of all of the dishes and the bright and welcoming décor.

Nikki is proud to be able to stand her ground as a black woman owning a restaurant in Buffalo, and the support she’s gotten from people in the neighborhood has made her feel like she’s doing something amazing – and she is. Sunshine Vegan Eats has become a haven on Buffalo’s East Side for vegans and non-vegans alike. It offers something totally new and important to the neighborhood.

Photo courtesy of Sunshine Vegan Eats

“I think everybody, whether you’re vegan or not, should come get vegan wasted,” Nikki says. She likes to refer to eating at Sunshine Vegan Eats as getting “vegan wasted” and has even created the social media hashtag to go with it.

And keep an eye out, because Sunshine Vegan Eats is expanding into a second location at 1412 Fillmore Ave, formerly Mattie’s Restaurant, sometime early next year.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get #VeganWasted at Sunshine Vegan Eats.

• • •

Sunshine Vegan Eats, 893 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo | sunshineveganeats.com
Facebook | Instagram

The post Vegans Can Have Wings, Too at Sunshine Vegan Eats appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

IV nutrition therapy has grown in popularity as many are looking to enhance their wellness in the wake of COVID-19. This type of therapy involves direct injection of fluid with doses of vitamins and nutrients that can assist with everything from improving athletic performance, to combatting symptoms of some chronic illnesses, to curing a hangover after a night of over-indulgence.

There’s a small business here in Buffalo offering IV nutrition therapy and hydration, and it is rapidly growing along with the trend. BFLO Hydration is owned by husband and wife duo Curt Cabotaje and Amanda Hicks. With Amanda’s history in medical administration and Curt having a background in business management with communication degree, this was the perfect area to combine their skills and experience, and provide a new wellness service to clients in Buffalo.

“IV vitamin therapy and hydration is popular across the country in bigger markets than Buffalo. We’re a bit smaller and less progressive here in Buffalo’s market, about five or six years behind with it,” Curt said. “But word of mouth is huge in Buffalo. Being a family-owned business offering something new and progressive, I think it kind of resonated with people here.”

They found a space to set up shop, partnered with a medical director, and launched BFLO Hydration in 2018.

“We decided that we were going to crawl a little bit and figure out our way, and expand as we could,” Amanda said. “We took a little bit of a risk last year and decided to expand, rebrand and leave the office that we were at inside a small medical practice in Amherst, and we got our own space on Hertel Avenue. That’s when things really took off for us. We then were able to find some office space in Orchard Park and in Williamsville. Our customers have tripled in the past year.”

While they are rapidly expanding in a field that has been growing in popularity across the country, Curt and Amanda pride themselves on being a small, local business with a mom and pop feel, and offering their customers services that are tailored to their specific needs.

“What’s really great about us is that we have something for everybody,” Amanda said. “About 85% of the population is dehydrated. You can drink water all day and still not get cellular absorption. With IV supplements, we bypass your digestive system. We’re giving them to you in larger quantities with 100% absorption. So for example, someone who has Lyme Disease and is taking a variety of supplements may not be getting the proper absorption of what they really need from a standard multi-vitamin. Some people’s digestive systems just aren’t as efficient as they should be – and they may not even know it.”

BFLO Hydration offers a variety of services, including injections, IV cocktails, and vitamin sprays. Every treatment at BFLO Hydration starts with a consultation with one of their nurses, to review a client’s health history and discuss any current ailments or wellness goals. They also collect basic health information to ensure that customers are appropriate candidates for IV fluids. From there, a treatment is selected from the menu or customized based on the client’s needs.

They offer a full menu of “IV Cocktails” designed to help with everything from kicking a hangover or migraine, to boosting energy or athletic performance and recovery. These treatments typically take about 30-45 minutes to complete, and clients can relax in a comfortable chair and listen to music while they wait. Services are rendered by trained registered nurses and overseen by a licensed, board certified Nurse Practitioner.

“Our cocktails include a full liter of fluids,” Amanda said. “We can put higher concentrations of all our supplements, too. One of the benefits we offer that a lot of IV companies don’t offer, is offering a full liter of fluids. It takes a little bit longer but you can get your supplements in higher doses, and you feel really fantastic immediately.”

For those who are looking for a quicker fix, BFLO Hydration offers intramuscular injection shots of various supplements. These are more affordable and only take about five minutes to administer, and offer a week’s worth of vitamins in one injection.

And for those looking to enhance their vitamin intake from home, BFLO Hydration offers 30 day supplies of oral vitamin sprays, which are absorbed sublingually, thus bypassing the digestive process and leading to better overall absorption.

Customers have the option to purchase packages for injections and IV treatments, which come at a discount and can enhance a wellness routine or provide consistent support for those dealing with certain illnesses. The range of individuals who can benefit from regular treatments is vast – from those who are in great shape and are looking to boost their athletic performance, to those grappling with symptoms of chronic illness who are trying to find holistic sources of relief.

“We do see a lot of athletes,” Amanda said. “We see a lot of people who are immunocompromised, people who have fibromyalgia or some sort of autoimmune disorder. For some reason, their cells aren’t absorbing nutrients the way they need to be, so they’re in every two weeks because that’s what keeps them going. We can also give elderly clients better quality of life, so they can carry on with activities that they weren’t able to previously.”

In addition to their brick and mortar locations, BFLO Hydration also offers their services on-the-go through their concierge service. You can schedule to have them come to your home, office, hotel, or event. This service has become popular with wedding parties in need of some hydration after their bachelor and bachelorette parties and wedding festivities. They’ve also taken their services on the road to pop-up at events across Western New York, including athletic events and festivals. They also host pop-up events with other small businesses at their Hertel Avenue location, too.

With illness being at the forefront of our minds and the media for the past year and a half, many have started using IV nutrient therapy to bolster their wellness from a preventive point. Now that Buffalo’s infamous cold weather season is steadily approaching, the therapies at BFLO Hydration can help you survive some of those inevitable seasonal illnesses, too.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to start thinking about their immune systems and not just managing disease, but preventing illness,” Amanda said. “Many illnesses – both chronic and acute – stem from dehydration. So just a bag of fluids alone can help bring you to that baseline where you’re starting to feel better if you’ve come down with some type of cold or flu. We have a couple IV cocktails that we put together with the help of our medical director that really target the deficiencies that are being noticed when you have any type of coronavirus – whether it be influenza or COVID-19 or just the common cold. A lot of people lose their appetite when they’re sick, and IV therapy can help with nausea, dizziness, headache and pain from sinus inflammation. We’ve been able to give those in high doses with really great success, not only in helping to prevent disease, but also to help kick a cold or a sinus infection, or just to give you a boost of energy.”

Having established themselves as the go-to place for IV nutrition therapy in Buffalo, Curt and Amanda now look forward to expanding their range of services at BFLO Hydration to incorporate other options that are neatly aligned with what they do, and becoming a sort of “one-stop-shop” for wellness.

Those interested in trying out one of the vitamin therapy options at BFLO Hydration can call to set up a consultation and appointment, or get started by visiting their website at bfloiv.com/

1205 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216 | 716-245-1045
Hours – Mon: Closed, Tues, Thurs, Sat, Sun: 10am-4pm, Wed, Fri: 10am-6pm
4203 North Buffalo Street, Orchard Park, NY 14127 | 716-245-1045
Hours – Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri: Closed, Tues, Thurs: 10am-6pm, Sat: 10am-4pm
4685 Transit Road, Buffalo, NY 14221 | 716-245-1045
Hours – Sun-Fri: Closed, Sat: 9am-1pm
Website | Facebook | Instagram

The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA) today announced it has finalized terms and signed an initial agreement with a team comprised of The Habitat Company and Duvernay + Brooks. The team can now begin the planning process for the revitalization and redevelopment of Marine Drive Apartments, and was in Buffalo Tuesday for meeting with BMHA officials and a tour of the development. The Habitat/Duvernay+Brooks team was selected as the developer for Marine Drive from a large group of national and local firms who responded to the Housing Authority’s request for qualifications issued in 2020.  Based on their experience and their innovative ideas about the future of Marine Drive, BMHA is excited to begin the first phase of this transformative project.

Marine Drive, a 616-unit family public housing development along the Buffalo River, is the last remaining New York State public housing development in BMHA’s portfolio.

BMHA Executive Director Gillian Brown said, “We are so pleased to begin the process of talking with the residents of Marine Drive, and planning with all of the stakeholders in this vitally important area of the City,” said BMHA Executive Director Gillian Brown. “We are confident that – partnered with Habitat/Duvernay + Brooks – we will be able to make Marine Drive an example of our commitment to re-imagining and transforming public housing in the City of Buffalo.”

“The BMHA is poised to begin the largest redevelopment in its history, reshaping the face of public housing in the City of Buffalo, and complements my Administration’s efforts to continuing creating quality, affording housing through the City,” Mayor Brown said. “With this agreement in place, Marine Drive Apartments is a major step closer to becoming a 21st Century public housing development.”

Residents of Marine Drive can anticipate meeting with the developers and planners over the next several months, and participating in planning exercises and public meetings, while various financing strategies and applications are prepared and submitted.