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cvideo’s journal

New Development part two

· 🌡️ 32°F

There have been a number of overly grandios Walgreens going up in Williamsville and Amherst that have a simaler look, less glass, more brick. Again my concern isn't for the development itself. The Idea is good. Some of you commented that it looks like downtown Philly, the article itself said it was reminiciant of downtown Torronto. That is more my problem. Elmwood is an urban area, but not the same as a downtown district. I'm worried that too much of this might take the village out of our village. It should be said that I don't care for the look of the new pano's either. Especially that gawd awfull sign. That sort of architecture has it's place, but in 5 years I don't want to be living in Chipawa phase two. The design of the new building just doesn't seem to take into consideration any of the history, or existing character of the area that make it one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the country. I realize that problems of aesthetic and neighborhood character which are relatively intagible by comparison to finacial gains, but I don't see why we can't do both. What do you guys think?
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💬 7 comments

  1. janelle ·

    If you're really interested in how the area develops, you should probably join the Elmwood Village Association. They put together design standards for development in the area recently.
    Both my husband and I are members and my husband is on the board.

    I've expressed my concerns and opinions a couple of times with Justin Azzarella with the EVA and I always feel like he listens to my concerns.

  2. carolinian ·

    While I'd like Elmwood to retain it's character, the older homes that comprise the majority of buffalo's housing stock not having adequate insulation in an era of every-increasing energy costs and increased attentiveness to "greeness" is probably a greater threat to Buffalo urban living than big-box stores.

  3. jbeatty ·

    Why is everyone so down on the new Pano's sign? I say great for them, its good to see a business that is doing well expand. Elmwood Ave is such and anomaly in Buffalo. There are so many neighborhoods in Buffalo that would never get the kinds of development plans that Elmwood gets. I am all about preserving buildings that are historical. But I also face reality, some buildings although they look salvageable on the outside are rotten to the core. I say knock them down and start generating a tax base here. I can't comment on the Chippewa district much because I don't know if it looked like Elmwood did five years ago. But from what I hear my mom says its where all the prostitutes hung out back in '78. So I guess its a slight improvement :)

  4. james ·

    I really like the Pano's sign too.

    The historic homes on elmwood are a dime a dozen in this town. They have already been chopped up into stores and apartments. The interior has salvageable elements possibly, the outside is generic. Historic preservation does not mean creating a Victorian theme park. We were thankfully too poor and mismanaged during the first wave of urban renewal to rip down our historic centers and put up concrete monstrosities. With lessons learned from urban renewal I think that part of Elmwood is the perfect spot for some architecture that isn't 100 years old.

  5. metalpeter ·

    You make a good point that it is possible that the Village won't look like a Village anymore. I think that it still will. A lot of people think of that corner as how people enter into the village and that why how a building looks is so important. But I think of it as Where the Elmwood Village ends. When you see that you know you are heading towards Buff State and the muesums. or if you go up to Delaware you hit the S Curves and then off to the shopping areas. Brick is a city Look but so many places in the burbs use it to make the place feel more like a town. I like the Pano's sign. It is good to know the history of Buffalo, but to have a building that isn't old but looks old makes the legit history look fake or at least confuse people. Yes some Victorian style eurepean Horse Stable or something building would look cool, but it wouldn't really fit either.

  6. cvideo ·

    Thanks for the reply. You make a good point too, it really is the end of the Elmwood strip; and, to be sure, some neo-victorian nonsense shouldn't go there either. I guess I can't picture that corner looking good with something so massive and overwhelming there. It will be good to get something solid in that spot though. Maybe something that will help a restaurant flourish where the Korner Kafe bit the dust finally. I miss that place.

  7. jenks ·

    you miss the korner kafe?! I live half a block from there, and never went. Wasn't it there for what, like a month?

    Sure, I don't want everything overdone... but I don't see why we're crying about saving these "historic" shithole houses. I just feel like we oppose all change... and that's not good either. It's OKAY for a neighborhood to grow and change. That's a GOOD thing.

    though I don't like the panos sign either. If only it didn't change color.

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