The following are the rough, working notes from the first breakout session convened at theconnecting places in the Broadway-Fillmore District of Buffalo meeting held at the Central Terminal on October 3, 2009. Several topics were discussed, each with their own
notes.
Issue #1: “Successful Re-entry”
Convener: Antwon D.
Summary of Discussion:
Communication
Plan
Help those who come back as good neighbors.
Help businesses who would do this: politics
Need help – accountant/lawyer
Promotion re-entry incentive
Successful re-entry statistics
Child molesters
Make them resources
Programs to help the comeback
Occupations in area that need help
Issue(s) #2:”Improving the relationship between the police & the community/Crime & drugs”
Convener(s): Bill C. and Ken K.
Summary of Discussion:
Police care – know neighborhood, make contact with police, have a “war” on love.
Abandon Buildings – COB do something
Drugs & crime
Absent landlords
Issue #3:”Homeless/Squatters”
Convener(s): Joyelle and Karen
Summary of Discussion:
Hope Center – help homeless and support network
Violence against homeless population
Abandoned buildings – homeless moving in
Rehab old house/owner occupied
Helping people
Volunteers
Organize
Jobs in the community
Money needed
How do home/business owners find out about $$$
Council members should be here to help
Many people want money; help needed to write grant requests
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issues: Vacant Houses and Lack of Money to Address… Including lack of improvement access money for more businesses, more financial support and money for home owners, eyesores business’s, who own these buildings? (Capital Improvements) side walk, pot holes, trees, etc.
Convener(s): Verline McLaughlin, Shirley Monroe, Erma Brown, Lisa Jo Schaeffer, Jackie Eckert, James C Clemons, Eugenia Poole and Christie
Participants: Good Neighbors Planning Alliance (GNPA), Tonawanda, NY
Summary of Discussion:
Part I – VACANT BUILDINGS/LOTS:
• Vacant building/Lots who owns these building/lots?
• Make accountable those who own those buildings/lots (City Wide Home Steading Policy) as to demolition, etc.
• Find tenants for vacant buildings (City Wide Home Steading Policy).
• Support and start businesses in these areas where vacant buildings exist.
• More financial support and moneys for home owners.
• Transparency for where money is going and how to access money (more equitable!!!)
• Capital improvements (Broken sidewalks, potholes, curves, signs, etc.).
• Incentives for businesses that already exist, and are kept up in the City.
• Stimulus money!!! How it does and can affect us and our community?
Thanks to Gloria Simpson for posting this invitation to other business leaders who attended the Commercial District Networking session earlier this month. New members welcome…
This is the meeting reminder for developing and promoting business stability and strenghthening our prospective communities within the city of Buffalo. This would be part two coming from the meeting that we had with Michael Herman on October 8, 2008. We were going to hold the meeting at the Merriweather Library, but I thought Khalil said he would secure the Apollo theater. He is out of town, but if the location changes from the info below, I will email all on Friday. Hope to see you all there.
In two evening sessions this week, about 50 people gathered at the Matt Urban Center, just down the street from the Broadway Market, to discuss the future of the building, the businesses and the community around the Market. Invitation posted here and working notes posted here.
One attendee, close to the Market, observed: “More participation and input from Broadway Market tenants than I can remember in the last decade.” A majority of tenants, and many members of the new Market Task Force group, attended the meeting. A good (re)start.
Starting with a clean slate, a big open wall, in the first hour or so, the group posted about 20 major issues and opportunities related to the future of the Market. They made some combinations and organized them into a two-evening, four-round, working agenda. Then they broke out into small working groups to address the first round of issues.
The notes from the working sessions will be posted here. The notes from the second night will be posted as well. And many ancillary and continuing conversations will no doubt be taking place outside of these meetings. If there are notes from those sessions, they can be posted here as well — as the conversations and the Market continue and expand. mailto:notes4posting@invitingbuffalo.com
Significantly, there was interest in using this “open space” format for neighborhood crime meetings and a city-wide art conference. Inviting possibilities.
UPDATE: Kristin Donnelly, WGRZ Channel 2, reporting on second night of the meeting:
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for tenants and task force members on the future of Buffalo’s historic Broadway Market. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issue: Tying in Market with Downtown Development
Convener: Melanie
Participants: Bob, Yuri, Bev, Melanie, Bobby
• Free Bus Trolley connect major attractions
• Initiate with office worker/connection free parking
• Parking lot as a positive
• Cooking contests
• Connection to religious institutions
• Connection to other Neighborhood Landmarks
• Save routes to the market
• Bike racks
• Annual events
Tying in Broadway Market with Downtown Development Free Trolley to connect major attractions. Initigrate with office workers, offer free parking or perhaps work out monthly parking rates to utilize upstairs parking space and encourage early arrivals and later departures fare less square for Broadway Market, put Market on City home Web page , flyers at Bflo. Visitation Center
The Broadway Market is a Buffalo icon. Food holidays of Thanksgiving through Easter see the market filled with multi-generations seeking Polish baked goods, sausages, butter lambs and more as part of their traditional dinner table fare of many families.
Recent months and years have seen a declining customer base and increasing frustration level among Market management, tenant vendors and the City which owns the building. Trust was low, true dialogue rare. The management corporation board announced its dissolution by end of October 2008.
The City announced the intention of hiring an interim management company to keep the Market open. The Council President appointed a 17-member Advisory Task Force. A request of proposals will be forthcoming by the City, which is open not only to a new management entity, but a new, innovative management arrangement.
In all of this change and uncertainty, it was clear a new way was needed to engage those most invested in the Market (the food vendor tenants) and play a central role in its stabilization and eventual growth. A number of concerned tenants met with Council President Franczyk, and agreed to meet in a week’s time with a larger group of their colleagues one morning before opening.
Commissioner Brian Reilly, whose economic development department was charged with writing the request for proposals, facilitated the meeting. His intention was to document what those new to the market—himself, the new management group, new advocates and allies willing to help move the Market forward, etc.—needed to know about it from the perspectives of the people who make up the Market. What were the perspectives, stories, issues and opportunities?
The conversation was encouraging and productive; it lasted twice as long as planned. The following list of what this group of tenants shared about the Market — what’s best and must be preserved, what’s not and should be dropped or changed, and what’s next and needs to be created:
KEEP
* Build marketing cost into rent …do advertising
* Strong Tenants Association
* Good Executive Director
* Advisory Council
* Good products that people want, as well as services
* Sales volumes that are “up” for the year …Save a Lot – 360,000 visits per year
* Maintenance and security people …We trust them. The same people who know the place (interim and long term)
* Tourism business
DROP
* “Us vs. them” attitude
* Disappointment of visitors
* Discussions of old board
CREATE
* Balance between seasonal and year-round tenants and charges.
* Ways to tap new talent, resources and people willing to help
* Tie into development Downtown and Waterfront …shuttles to Market?
* Website improved in time for Easter announcement
* Open Sunday? Longer/different hours?
* Food and more (something unique in W.N.Y.). Something for everyone in one spot.
* Joe Haley police substation idea.
* Change image of Market to include other ethnic groups.
* Allow Muslim vendor needs for days open flexibility.
* Group shipping operation.
* Slogan/phrase to let people know that the Market is open all year long (Here all year!)
* How can food stamps be accepted by whole market – not just individual vendors, but more like Tops does.
* Each tenant do one event (need permits).
* Money for physical improvements (plumbing, etc.).
* Interaction with new management.
* Knowledgeable about markets and advertising the Market.
* Tenant-funded marketing fund
* Some say in new year-round tenants
* Diversity of tenants
They took responsibility to set another meeting date to broaden the circle for a more in depth conversation the evenings of Oct 21 and 22, and agreed to reach out to the Advisory Task Force to include them, and any others interested in helping create the future of the historic Broadway Market.