The Peace Bridge Apartments – a fairly nondescript red brick building that was recently painted white – now boasts a bold new mural that faces Porter Avenue.
Located directly across from Front Park, and in close proximity to the Peace Bridge, the building has taken its metamorphosis to an entirely different level… going from relatively nondescript to whitewashed, to boldly making a statement of peace.
Speaking of Porter Avenue, it’s one of the streets with the most potential in Buffalo. Unfortunately that potential has never been realized, although there are signs of hope, with D’Youville’s ongoing investments, and the recent groundbreaking of Ralph Wilson Park (LaSalle Park).
That said, Porter Avenue should now be prioritized, and the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority should take an active role in ensuring that the street is rejuvenated accordingly. It will be a great day when the storage facility for Duty Free Americas (Porter and Busti) is relocated to another parcel, so that the lot can be sold to a developer who will take the reins and lead the way.
Same goes with the vacant lot on the opposing side of Busti (at Porter). This is the site of a former gas station, I am told. So there are most likely tanks underground that have to be dealt with, and possibly other environmental disturbances, but heck, this is the gateway to the “new” waterfront park that will be a crown jewel when it is complete. Both of the aforementioned sites have been – most recently – utilized for pop-up stations for rapid covid testing, which is silly, especially when you consider the potential of these corner lots.
If both of these lots were to be addressed, it would help to transform the entirety of Porter Avenue, by creating a gateway to the waterfront that we could all be proud of.
Peace.
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