Category: PostEvents

A start-up business is leasing space downtown for its new headquarters and Douglas Jemal has bought another building on the 500 block.

Image by Iskalo Development

Top Seedz, last year’s 43North grand prize winner, is leasing 35,000 sq.ft. of space at 101 Oak Street from Iskalo Development according to Buffalo Business First. The company will join Big Ditch Brewing which recently opened a production space in the building. Top Seedz currently has a leased facility in Cheektowaga that it may retain as it grows.  The company makes organic seed crackers and roasted seeds that are sold online and in specialty and grocery stores. The move to downtown is expected in March.

On Main Street, Douglas Jemal purchased 525 Main Street for $774,000 under the Jemal’s Heiney LLC.  The seller, Vendome Theater Lofts LLC, purchased the property in 2018 for $486,000.  The three-story building has 7,800 sq.ft. of space.  Last year Jemal bought 529 Main Street and earlier this year bought 515 and 521 Main Street.  He plans to add apartments to the buildings’ upper floors.

He also purchased the Century Theater Lot at the northwest corner of Washington and E. Mohawk Street and sources say he is eyeing the former Burger King property at 495 to create an assemblage for a mixed-use development.  The 500 block properties are located between three other Jemal projects that include the Hyatt which is undergoing renovations, the expansion of the Mohawk Ramp to include additional parking topped by apartments, and the multi-phased redevelopment of the Simon Electric properties.

The post Done Deals: Jemal Buys on 500 Block, Top Seedz Leases on Oak appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Many of our readers may know her as a former contributor to Buffalo Rising or a community advocate who worked diligently on the West Village since the 1990’s. However, Marilyn Rodgers has been and still is a DJ, formerly working in a number of clubs here and on WBLK and 1077 FM and she’s now playing her sets on an international music company with online radio station, record label, events and DJ management that boasts DJs from around the globe. And, that’s where our story takes us.

4TheMusic, founded by Chris Haines from the UK, now brings a few of their DJs across the pond just for September 10 this year during Music is Art at RiverWorks. As we all know the MIA Festival is celebrating its 20th year and Robby Takac has always promoted all art forms and plans to make this anniversary celebration the biggest yet. So, why not continue bringing in talent from all over the world?

The 4 The Music International DJ Stage will be located on the balcony level right next to the Labatt’s Silos this year. DJs who have performed globally as well as throughout the States will be part of their showcase. Countries represented include the UK, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and, of course, the US. Their format includes all genres of House and Techno, from a 118 BPM Broken Beat and Lounge to 140 BPM.

And, that’s not all. Both Chris (UK) and Dmix, another 4TheMusic founder (The Netherlands) will also give you a taste of what’s to come the evening before at Fresh Catch Poke Company, 500 Franklin Street, from 5 – 8pm on Friday, September 9th. So, get your dancing shoes on and check them out along with other DJs at the 4 The Music stage on Saturday. 

DJs on the 4TM Stage Saturday include Chris Haines and Dmix, DJ Hector, John Ceglia, The Odessa Project, SIKE!, Paul Foxe, Christopher “Xotec” Moody, and Marilyn Rodgers with an incredible sound system and lighting by legendary DJ  Tony Spencer and Powerhouse Pro Systems.

It’s your chance to be part of the European Music Scene in your own backyard both on Friday, September 9th from 5-8pm at Fresh Catch Poke and from 11am – 11pm at Music is Art on September 10th.

You can also check out all the DJ bios on their Facebook Event Page which will also provide a map to the stage and the DJ Schedule for Music is Art.

The post European DJs to be featured at Music is Art appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

A Buffalo summer just wouldn’t be complete without some time spent on the water. Boats and kayaks are nice, but if you’re feeling venturesome than a water bike may be in your future.

Water Bikes of Buffalo are conveniently located on the boardwalk at Canalside and allow you to explore one of Buffalo’s most treasured waterways from a new perspective. Owners Lisa and Peter Florczak opened this aquatic bicycle company back in 2013 and have had nothing but positive feedback since. The strongest indication of this unique activity’s success is the expansion of their fleet, more than doubling from seven to about two dozen water bikes in a few short years.

Photo by Water Bikes of Buffalo (Facebook)

The couple also owns the popular Ice Bikes of Buffalo, paddle boats and their and made-for-kids pedal boards.

“The water bikes and the pedal boards are for people who are a little more adventurous,” Lisa said. “The paddle boats are great for families, and we have small ones just for children too. They love it because the wheel is open and they can see the water move around in it.”

You can rent a water bike seven days a week from 11am-7pm until Labor Day. Once you get set up with your bike, strap on your vest and start pedaling, the wheel is — well, handlebars are — in your hands. You can choose to travel as far down the river as the majestic Buffalo Lighthouse and as far up the river as your purchased time will get you. Moving up the river you’ll pass the likes of Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo River Fest Park, the historic grain elevators and the always fragrant General Mills factory. The water bikes work just like bicycles; operating them is as simple as pedaling and steering – you don’t even have to worry about balance they’re so sturdy. The only rules involved with riding the water bikes are no jumping or doing tricks (what tricks those may be, we’re not sure, but rules are made for a reason…) and staying close to the shore.

Rentals are $18/hour for a single bike and $36/hour for a tandem (side-by-side) bike.

When you’re out there and you have a spare thought aside from how spectacular the views are, you’ll likely ask yourself the same question Lisa asked me: “Do you smell the Cheerios?”

• • •

Water Bikes of Buffalo, near 44 Prime St, Buffalo, NY
waterbikesofbuffalo.com | 716-681-4643 | Facebook | Instagram

The post Explore the Buffalo River on a Water Bike appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

PUSH Buffalo has started work on its West Side Homes project that will see 49 apartments built on scattered sites. The $21 million affordable housing development encompasses the substantial rehabilitation of two buildings and the new construction of eleven buildings.  The new buildings are being constructed on 17 vacant lots.

Shown here, a two-story building is being constructed at the northwest corner of Rhode Island and Fargo avenues would include commercial and residential space. The first floor will have 1,010 sq.ft. of commercial space fronting Rhode Island Avenue with two two-bedroom apartments behind it. The recessed second floor will also have two two-bedroom apartments.

State financing for West Side Homes includes Federal and State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $12 million in equity and an additional $3.3 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $3.6 million from the Homeless Housing Assistance Program. NYSERDA awarded $362,620 in Round Two of the Buildings of Excellence program and $124,000 through the New Construction-Housing program. The City is providing $500,000.

The post Construction Watch: West Side Homes appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

M&T Bank’s late Chairman and CEO Robert Wilmers was a big fan of biking to work. Not only was it a preferred mode of transportation for the CEO, it was also another way that he felt that he could lead by example. In a world where it was too easy to hop in a car and drive to work, Wilmers identified that the bike was the best way to get around town. He enjoyed being outdoors. He also liked getting healthy while out on the road. Not to mention the convenience.

Now, to further honor the legacy of Wilmers, M&T has teamed up with Seneca One to display Wilmers’ iconic bike, which now sits proudly in the lobby of the Tower, which is home to the M&T Tech Hub. The bike not only represents Wilmers’ commitment to philanthropy and community involvement, it also represents an ever-changing world – a world that has become so complicated that “getting back to the basics” is almost considered revolutionary.

As a way to celebrate the installation of the bike, which is representational of Wilmers himself, upwards of 175 M&T employees and partners came together to assemble 50 youth bicycles. Since Wilmers was a big supporter of the educational efforts of such organizations as Buffalo Prep and Buffalo Promise Neighborhood, it was only fitting that this gesture be made.

The bike itself was donated to M&T by the Wilmers family, to remind people that sometimes the simplest and most rewarding pleasures in life come from the most unexpected places. Wilmers lived life to the fullest, but funnily enough, it was a bike that immeasurably spoke for him. Not a Porsche. Not a Riva Rivamare. But a classic bike. Now that’s classy.

“I never knew my dad not to ride his bike to work,” said Chris Wilmers. “He even did so during an ice storm in the 80s that turned Central Park into one big ice rink. He wound up on the 6 o’clock news that day. His bicycle is a symbol of perseverance and commitment to doing the right thing, always. He was a fierce advocate for Buffalo and wanted the very best for the children of this great city. Our family is proud of the work M&T employees are doing and grateful they’re continuing his legacy into the next generation.”

This new installation will help the building’s new residents and visitors reflect on the character and impact of one of the most important figures in the city’s banking history.

“It’s been nearly five years since Western New York lost a great leader and community advocate, but Robert Wilmers’ legacy of leadership and generosity lives on,” said Eric Feldstein, M&T’s Regional President for Western New York. “Bob was passionate about making sure children across Buffalo had equal opportunities for education and personal growth. It’s an enduring impact that continues to live on through our bank’s determined efforts to make a difference in people’s lives. Bob helped shape a culture of community involvement at M&T Bank, and I’m confident he would be proud of our great employees who volunteered today to build bikes for local youth.”

“Riding a bike is a rite of passage for most children, but not every kid has a bicycle of his or her own,” said Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, Executive Director at the International Institute of Buffalo. “We’re grateful to get these bicycles into the hands of local kids who will not only have a new way to get to school, but they’ll also experience the simple joy of riding a bike. With every block that these kids ride, Robert Wilmers’ legacy rides along with them. Buffalo’s non-profit organizations are fortunate that our city was so heavily influenced and inspired by a tremendous philanthropist and advocate, not only through today’s bicycle donation but in the ways that local businesses champion causes and give charitably.”

“It means so much to have Robert Wilmers’ iconic bicycle hanging here permanently in our lobby at Seneca One,” said Douglas Jemal, founder and president of Douglas Development. “History and preservation are the driving forces behind our many development efforts here in Downtown Buffalo, which is why this important piece of history is the perfect addition to our space. We’re honored to be chosen to help preserve Bob’s bicycle — and his legacy — for years to come.”  

M&T executives and employees were joined at the podium by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Patti Stephen, executive director of Buffalo Prep and George Johnson, founder of East Side Bike Club, which will be accepting some of the donated bicycles and distributing them to local children. Other recipients of the bicycles, who were also present at the ceremony, include the International Institute of Buffalo and the Buffalo Police Athletic League.

M&T worked with Bert’s Bikes & Fitness to purchase the bicycles for this project. Additional Seneca One tenants, including 43North, Odoo and Lighthouse Technology Services, also volunteered to help build the bicycles. Members of MTB Fit, an M&T Bank employee resource group, were also present and played a large role in shaping the community bike build. This voluntary, employee-driven group has become a powerful force for good, supporting M&T’s work to advance healthy lifestyle and habits for its employees.

The post Robert Wilmers’ iconic bicycle now hangs at Seneca One appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Adding to the zestful nature of Hertel Avenue, the Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo recently held a ribbon cutting for the new Russell J. Salvatore Courtyard. The focal point of the new courtyard is a magnificent fountain that was imported from Sicily.

Earlier today, I stopped over to the Cultural Center to take a look at the new courtyard, which transforms the northeast corner of the intersection into a peaceful and inviting setting, where guests can grab a Pellegrino or an espresso coffee from Café Curcio, while enjoying the manicured landscape. Other aesthetic charms include streetlamp lighting, decorative benches, hedges and flowers, a garden, a flagpole, a bocce court, and a pathway lined with pavers featuring the names of donors.

During my visit, I ran into Russell Salvatore – owner of Russell’s Steaks, Chops and More – and his buddy Richard Cansola, who had stopped by to see how everything was going at the courtyard. Per usual, Russell was welcoming, gracious, and happy to talk about his ongoing commitment to the city.

Photo (L-R): Richard Cansola, Russell J. Salvatore, and CCI Executive Director John Vecchio

Russell’s philanthropic contribution to the courtyard is par for the course – it’s his way of giving back to the community that has supported him over the years. The courtyard is his way of ensuring that Buffalo’s cultural heritage remains strong, especially in North Buffalo – the city’s “Little Italy” – home to the Italian Festival, numerous Italian restaurants, and (now) a cultural hub that anchors the neighborhood.

Learn more about the Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo

Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo | 2351 Delaware Avenue | Buffalo NY | 716-783-7555 | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

You don’t have to be a member to enjoy the Cultural Center, but becoming a member is a great way to support the organization and its programming.

The post The Russell J Salvatore Courtyard appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

Renata Toney (left) & Michelle Kearns (right)

Visit Buffalo Niagara is pleased to announce the appointment of Renata Toney as the new Vice President of Destination Experience. She will oversee the organization’s work managing destination and visitor experience and customer service. Renata will also serve as a project manager, developing community relationships and engagement.

Renata joins us from the Burchfield Penney Art Center, where she was, most recently, communications manager. She was part of the 2008 team that guided the museum’s re-opening of the new freestanding facility on Elmwood Avenue.

Throughout her career, Renata has focused on communication leadership, writing and supervising targeted marketing campaigns for a range of industries. After beginning her career as an intern at Bristol Myers Squibb, she was promoted to publications editor. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Renata was the first marketing and public affairs coordinator at AIDS Community Services, now Evergreen Health Services. She worked in public relations account management at Eric Mower & Associates and as a marketing director at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

A City Honors School graduate, Renata holds a bachelor’s degree in public communication from SUNY Buffalo State College. She owns On Message Communication, a state-certified communications consultancy.

When not at her desk writing, editing, spearheading new projects and connecting with people, she volunteers, serving on boards of organizations throughout the community — from the Pappy Martin Legacy Society Jazz Collective and Assembly House 150 to The Service Collaborative of WNY, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo Heritage Carousel, the Bennett-Wells American Legion Post and the Arden-Newburgh Block Club.

• • •

We also welcome our new Communications Manager, Michelle Kearns, to the Visit Buffalo Niagara Marketing team. Michelle is now writing and editing stories about the people and things that make Buffalo unique for our website and soon, the 2023 edition of the Visit Buffalo Niagara Visitor Guide. She also showcases the city to visiting travel writers and social media content creators. Michelle spent most of her career as a journalist, writing for the Associated Press, Maine newspapers, the Boston Globe, and The Buffalo News.

She has a passion for story, its power to connect communities, and sharing the communication and story tools journalists use. Michelle left the newsroom to teach writing, communication, and digital media storytelling for a digital media communication bachelor’s program that Villa Maria College asked her to create. She recently helped write, design, and launch the first three issues of Learn Magazine for the University at Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education.

Michelle grew up in the Elmwood Village and left Buffalo to earn a bachelor’s in English at Colorado College. She studied in Greece and France, before landing in New York City to edit and write features for women’s magazines. Her enthusiasm for research, interviewing, and writing led her to newspaper jobs in Maine. She left the Pine Tree State for Boston University and earned her master’s in journalism before coming home to take a feature-writing position with the Buffalo News.

If Michelle is not working on stories, you can find her on her bike, experimenting with recipes, reading up for book club, organizing gatherings for family and friends and, occasionally, playing croquet at Delaware Park. What does she love about Buffalo? The surprise factor. “People don’t know what’s here until they get here,” she said. “And that makes revealing Buffalo fun.”

We value the talents and ideas of everyone on our team and are thrilled to have Renata and Michelle grow with us. The torch of publishing this e-newsletter has now been officially passed on to Renata; expect to hear from her each week.

The post Welcome New Faces at Visit Buffalo Niagara appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

During the pandemic, a significant community garden sprung up at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Wilbury Place (near the corner of Hertel).

I first learned about the formations of The Garden Church when I wrote about The RawTools Project: Guns to Gardens earlier in the year. What was once simply a large grass lawn has been transformed into a productive garden, tended by the community, for the community. The last time that I inquired about the garden, applications to tend the raised beds were being accepted. Now, there is a significant presence of gardeners that are active at the site.

Passing by The Garden Church earlier today, I was impressed by the transformation of the corner, from a lifeless lawn into a beautiful, bountiful garden-scape. I was so intrigued by the development that I reached out to Pastor Frankie Andrews, who moved back to Buffalo from South Florida with his family, in August of 2021.

“What I love about our garden is the diversity of gardeners,” said Pastor Andrews. “There are 5 gardeners from the church, and the rest are from the community. There are 20 raised beds that are all spoken for. This past weekend 3 more gardeners inquired about the beds, and 3 of the gardeners from the church are going to give them their plots. There is no cost to gardeners. All that we ask is that they all work together on Saturdays, from 10am to 12pm, and for one hour during the week, and that they leave a portion of the harvest for the church, so that we can give it to the community. During the month of July, we gave away over 500 pounds of produce, on top of what the gardeners took home for themselves. We couldn’t give it away fast enough – we resorted to posting on the Facebook ‘Buy Nothing’ page. People would come to pick up the produce, and leave food in the food pantries that are located at the garden.”

I found it amazing that Pastor Andrews and his family are doing all of this without a congregation (yet). The new-ish church is part of Lumber City Church in North Tonawanda. The garden is thanks to Imagine Community Gardens (ICG), which has successfully partnered with 7 regional churches to build community gardens. The Garden Church has also partnered with The RawTools Project: Guns to Gardens, and is anticipating a donation of 10 garden tools (upcycled from guns) in coming days.

Throughout the summer, the church held a number of community events, where gardeners prepared food for the community, using the bounty that they grew. The garden has become a place for people to learn, to grow together, and to meet people from all over the world.

And they are doing this as a church without walls at the moment, since there is yet to be an official congregation formed. Pastor Andrews believes that the first Sunday services will be held around the first of the year.

“In the meantime, we are making sure that we provide for the community,” said Pastor Andrews. “We gave a raised bed to the congregation from New Generation Church on Hertel, so that they could hand out produce to their own ministries. We do this so that people that are hungry can eat.”

I told Pastor Andrews that I never even realized that there was a church at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Wilbury Place. He told me that I was not alone. When he would call tradespeople to fix up the interior of the 100-year old church, they didn’t believe him when he told them where the church was located. But now that there is a community garden, everyone is taking notice.

“It could have been a parking lot that would have serviced people for two hours a week,” said Pastor Andrews. “Or it could have been a community garden that provides healthy food for the community throughout the growing season. One of our gardeners is an occupational therapist. She brings her patients here. Another gardener is a grandmother, who gardens with her grandchildren. For my family, it’s an honor that we get to be here.”

The Garden Church is open to everyone, whether they are reaping and sowing, participating in a pot luck feast, or simply want to be a part of a growing movement that is in tune with a more natural balance of life.

The Garden Church | 2358 Delaware Avenue | Buffalo, New York 14217 | 716-877-0023

The post The Garden Church appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

The Colored Musicians Club at 145 Broadway has begun an expansion and renovations that will allow for increased tourism and visitation to Buffalo’s African American Heritage Corridor. Originally proposed in 2017, the project includes restoration of the building storefront, an addition to the south that will improve access, and renovations to the building’s second floor. New mechanicals, electrical and plumbing will be installed throughout.

“This groundbreaking marks the start of a new chapter at the Colored Musicians Club and represents our deep, ongoing commitment to uplifting the East Buffalo community,” Governor Hochul said. “By fostering the expansion and preservation of historic assets along the Michigan Street Corridor, we are celebrating the rich histories of Black New Yorkers and honoring their important contributions in Buffalo, our state, and our nation.”

The not-for-profit club will make critical improvements through the help of a $2 million a grant from Empire State Development’s (ESD) $65 million East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York also provided $350,000 in funding for the project.

Minimal work is proposed for the first floor which functions as a museum. The second floor club room is currently not handicap accessible except by a chair lift along the existing wood stairs. The addition to the south adds a secondary means of egress and an elevator. The addition is attached via a second story hyphen located to the west on the south elevation and provides a green room, meeting rooms, and offices.

The project:
• Facilitates accessibility requirements (elevator) and a secondary means of egress (stair). It also functions to provide additional support space including a green room, classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices.

• Minimally touches the historic building at the second floor glazed connecting hyphen and reads as a distinct building.

• Presents an independent elevation facing Michigan Avenue at a slight angle. The corner dematerializes on the second floor to provide views of the historic Michigan Avenue Heritage Corridor.

• A small “alley” created between the historic building and new construction references the “alley-like” condition historically associated with jazz clubs, where the entrance was often located in a back alley off a main street. This also references the existing historic stair with a door at the top where one had to knock to gain access to the club.

George Scott, Colored Musicians Club Former Director, said, “We want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for investing in the future of the Colored Musicians Club. The renovation will benefit the entire Michigan Street Corridor by drawing more visitors to experience the music, history, food and unique cultural attractions of the East Side. By making this significant investment we are making it clear that Black history is important, Buffalo’s history is important, and jazz is a force for telling that story and a powerful way to provide strength and hope to our people.”

Stieglitz Snyder Architecture designed the project.

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