Thanks for the update. :tup:
I never said that it had to be RIGHT NOW!!
But nothing has been done with them for the last umteen years. So what makes me think something is going to change. And even if there was a plan to do something with the elevators, Buffalo would flounder and screw it up.
So that leaves one option. Kill them. It doesn’t matter anyway because the Indians own them and I have much more confidence that will actually carry out their plans. By not officially being part of the government in Buffalo, they are able to cut through all the bullshit and get things accomplished.
good debate.
The elevator has been in-active since liek 1984…there was a fire there in the late 80s or early 90s one of the 2 ITS USELESS KNOCK IT DOWN
Dozr, furthermore, to point about the preservationists, I agree.
I would rather see them trying to save Central Terminal which I know has been a topic that has come up recently. To me, that is a real marvel of architectual prowess. When I stand in it, I can’t help but think back to how beautiful it must have been back in its time, and the great amount of hustle and bustle that was going on there. I really enjoyed my tour of it and the history.
The grain elevators really don’t evoke that kind of feeling in most people. Thats not to say that they aren’t engineering marvels, but their existence is rather cut and dry.
A little piece of history for anyone who doesn’t know. Central Terminal is located on the outskirts of the city. Its kind of disjointed from the rest of Buffalo. The developers began construction on it while Buffalo was a thriving metropolis and was expanding at quite a rate. They felt that the city would continue to expand and grow around the terminal. As industry slowed, and the expansion of the city died, Buffalo never reached Central Terminal.
You do not appreciate historic buildings if you do not appreciate the grain elevators.
Not everything can be beautiful to everyone. These structures are not even significant for thier physical beauty, they are significant for reasons way beyond this.
This type of mentality is what is turning this nation into a load of carbon copied crap.
Because I think they are ugly as sin does not mean I don’t appreciate historic architecture. That’s ridiculous, and apparently many people think their ugly as well. You wouldn’t btw be part of this preservationist group would ya?
State their reasons of significance other than sitting there wasting space. THis is the mentality that keeps Buffalo from moving forward and keeping pace with the rest of the country.
And I can turn that right around and say your mentality is what’s keeping cities like Buffalo from stepping into the modern world. Just because something is “old” or “unique” does not mean it has to be saved. Document it, take pictures of it, get the blueprints and stick it in a museum somewhere. Then all the grain elevator lovers can meet there once a year and circle jerk around the Netherlands Traveling Grain Elevator Exhibit when it makes it’s stop here.
The coke ovens at the steel plant were pretty amazing too, so we better not tear those down either. Just leave them sitting right there on prime real estate.
Exactly how many grain elevators does Buffalo have anyway? Want to preserve one… then find the one in the best shape and save it. Since they’ll never be put to use again there is no need to have more than one.
Hahaha funny and true.
Because for the last umteen years, development has been in a lull in this city, there have been real estate booms like crazy in other places, and we fell by the wayside.
Buffalo is seeing a turnaround like it hasnt seen in “umteen” years, and has developers coming in left and right. Chances are that this building and the other elevators will be turned into something spectacular in the future.
Just because they are not beautiful right now, doesnt mean that they should be knocked down.
If this was NYC or a much larger city with little to no vacant land, it would be a different story, but there is vacant land ALL OVER. WHY KNOCK DOWN SOMETHING waiting to be on the national register, when the whole city is full of vacant land?
Eh whatever, I know its being knocked down regardless, I just wish people could see that just because something is ugly and insignificant to them, doesnt mean should be knocked down. I feel there have been sooooooooo many structures in this city razed in the past 100 years that MANY MANY people wish we could have back.
Remember the Frank Loyd Wright Larkin Corporate Headquarters? Neither do I, and for that I am sad.
But hey wait… check out that Larkin building that sat on Seneca st empty and falling apart for years… such a huge eyesore for this city in so many peoples eyes.
Isnt so shitty anymore, huh?
Sorry Tom I agree with this statement:)
I hate as much as anyone all the franchise walmart/mcdonalds shit that you see in everytown USA. Buffalo has tons of landmark buildings that should be preserved that are deteriorating each day to the point where they are beyond saving. This particular grain elevator has seen better days. Its not a building that really can be turned into much. There was a mention of apartments being built in these things but I would bet that would never happen due to the cost, and availablity of other land to just build new. Theres plenty of other grain elevators in buffalo, just rotting away.
In short I say save buildings like the central terminal, but I could care less if I ever saw the HO oats grain elevator in my lifetime. Knock it down and put some development there, anything, any new development to breath some life into downtown.
Channel 4 has video of the wrecking ball.
Not real exciting, it just bounced off the side of the wall, but it’s official.
Now before you were saying to keep the grain elevators because of their historical significance. But if you turn them into apartments or offices, that historical significance becomes a plaque on the wall of the lobby. If you are going to keep something for its history, restore it to what it was in its hay day. When you turn it into some other kind of building (office/appartment) then its just a structure.
And I am all too familiar with the development project in Buffalo. I used to work at Ciminelli Development.
This grain elevators are not functional anymore, the served their purpose years ago.
Like Jays said…Document it, take pictures and get the blueprints and stick it in a museum somewhere…demolish this ugly massive structures…hehehehe
as for the Buffalo Central , I wouldn’t demolish this piece of art…I would make and intervention by keeping the facade and some of the original structure…build something new, functional and pretty rather than what it is right now
How is knocking down, or not knocking down a grain elevator going to keep us, or accelerate us into the modern world?
My point is that there is no reason to knock it down when it could be easily integrated into the design of the casino (which there is no plans for yet, btw) or have the casino built on other vacant land that the senecas have in the city.
The casino would be built regardless of whether they allowed them to take down the grain elevator or not. Right? Right? Of course I am right. 
That was a quick edit.
Resorting to personal attacks makes your arguement look weak.
EDIT and read above for my response to integrating the elevators into the the casino.
It wasnt a personal attack, it was something that was going to support my point. I did not believe in the statement.
Its not the end of the world.
Here is my point clarified.
With all of the vacant land in this city, why do we have to resort to knocking down structures (that are eligible and in the process of being selected for the national register) to develop new ones?
Eventually someone will step up and renovate these and make them a unique and functional part of our city and culture. Look around, its happening everyday.
For example:
http://www.quakersquare.com/
The answer may be cost. I don’t know for certain, but I would guess the cost to renovate a structure like the grain elevators would cost nearly as much as building anew.
and why should we keep waiting for eventually? Eventually we will get Bass Pro. Eventually we will have a nice waterfront. Eventually this eventually that. It’s getting old. Something more needs to happen here than worry about some old ratinfested building.