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Strategic Plan Review Analysis

newsletter survey

1999 Summit

written reviews


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Patterns of Investment
in Downtown Buffalo

Overview

NEW!   Full text of the
Revised Strategic Plan
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The 1999 Strategic Plan


The Strategic Plan Review Introduction


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Conference Information


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GENERAL ASSESSMENT

Most respondents liked many or all parts of the Downtown Buffalo Strategic Plan, usually asking for special emphasis on a particular aspect, or offering a new idea to strengthen an element. Criticisms of the plan include a belief that there is an over-reliance on supporting the tourism industry for economic development and insufficient recognition of the major economy downtown – commercial office space. Questions were also raised by the Town of Amherst Planning Department about whether Downtown will ever be strong enough to support a Metro Rail expansion. The Calumet Institute called for a rejection of big, tourist-associated projects in favor of small-scale preservationist projects designed for Buffalo residents.

Several respondents felt that the project ideas were good, but that implementation strategies were vague. They also felt that the plan relies too much on the public and not-for-profit sectors rather than the private sector. The following is a summary of the comments made by respondents.

ACCESS

  • Follow recommendations made in the Downtown Buffalo Strategic Plan, RE: Street Circulation (including cars sharing Main), Parking Study, Metro Rail expansion, Intermodal Transportation Center, and Improve Lighting Downtown.

Additional suggestions from the Citizen’s Rapid Transit Committee: (1) Pay attention to "gateways" at which people first see Buffalo as they arrive by car, bus, air, and train. (2) Create a vintage trolley service on Metro Rail tracks from Cobblestone District to the Theater District (3) Rehabilitate the NFTA Metropolitan Transportation Center.

Cautions: Town of Amherst Planning Department asked if Downtown would be lively enough to support Metro Rail Expansion; the Citizen’s Rapid Transit Committee questioned the importance of returning cars to Main; and Gurney, Becker & Bourne wrote that signage alone could fix street problems.

LIVING

  • Housing is a priority. A significant minority of those mentioning housing specified that it should be market rate.

Additional suggestion: the American Institute of Architects / Buffalo Chapter suggested creating a community center to serve the new Downtown residential neighborhood(s).

INNER HARBOR, CONVENTION CENTER

  • Proceed as planned with these two developments. A significant majority of respondents mentioning these projects listed them as high priorities in the short or long term.

Cautions: The Citizens Rapid Transit Committee listed both projects as an especially low priority; and both the Town of Amherst Planning Department and the Calumet Institute questioned the desirability of big projects that they claim will be tourist attractions aimed at out-of-towners rather than Buffalonians. For the Calumet this was part of a larger preservation / street life critique.

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