During both the first and second (most recent) mayoral debate Mr. Brown tried to take credit for such East Side developments as Tops Market. For the record, we researched the few long standing developments we do have and the role he played in each (this is not to suggest he’s taken credit for all of them – but his role or lack thereof is still significant) :
MERRIWEATHER LIBRARY
The Frank Merriweather Library was a collective effort (James Pitts, Beverly Gray, Antoine Thompson, Barbara Miller Williams, Ctystal Peoples-Stokes, Byron Brown, George Holt, and LoTempio). The library was completed after Mr. Brown left office. Further, Beverly Gray allocated some of her funding for Jefferson Avenue towards the project. Crystal Peoples-Stokes and George Holt helped marshal support from Erie County for a regional library on Jefferson Avenue.
TOPS MARKET
The Tops Market was championed by everyone from Senator Schumer and Clinton, Peoples, Brown, Masiello, Thonpson and the community. Mr. Brown, like many others, wrote numerous letters and had meetings with the leaders of Tops.
THE WILEY STADIUM
The Wiley stadium was a project of Councilmembers Pitts and Collins. Byron Brown was not even in public office.
MLK WADING POOL
While the community longed for a wading pool for their children, Brown, as then Masten District Council Member, decided that the MLK Park Wading Pool Fishing Project – born and conceived by him – would be a better idea. He secured over $2.5 million for the fishing pond. There were protests, rallies and petition drives to stop the construction of the fishing pond. Unfortunately, despite outrage from the community Brown moved forward with its construction, literally forcing the project down the throats of the Black community .When Antoine Thompson became Masten District Council Member, the city was 3/4 of the way completed with the Fishing Pond in MLK Park and the city had spent well of $2 milllion. It was thru Thompson’s efforts that eventually convinced the city to halt the project and give the community what it wanted – a wading pool which we still enjoy to this day.