Over the past year or so, two major arguments have been building over the progress on Elmwood Avenue. One argument- the ‘No Wrecking Ball’ movement, does not want the charm of the older buildings to go away. The movement stands to keep Elmwood the same which contributes to the overall character of the neighborhood. The counter argument is the campaign for the progress of the Elmwood strip. “EVolution”, which stands to facelift the surroundings of the Elmwood strip to better meet the needs of the modern world. One side believes that progress is not measured by the amount of construction tape that surrounded new exciting endeavors, but rather the preservation of history in a modern world.
We took this time, with a team of our three interns, to ask generally what people thought of both sides of the argument. Both sides are equally as passionate about what they believe in. The consensus was the people were okay with the idea if historical aspects were kept intact. Elmwood Avenue is a big part of the history of Buffalo. Just looking at some of the old pictures of it gives it a sense of pride. But the main argument here is that change is the only constant in life. There are so many benefits of the progress of Elmwood and it is time that we accept it and work within that.
The Evolution campaign stands for the renovation of parts of the Elmwood strip, known as the Reverie project. The project will change parts of the strip. 1006 -1028 Elmwood avenue would be demolished and rebuilt. A building on Potomac avenue would go through some minor improvements and 721 Ashland Avenue would be replaced with a 51 unit residential complex. The Reverie project will take 18-24 months to complete. They will try to preserve the brick store fronts of 976-982 Elmwood- which includes Red Door.
As a resident and business owner of Elmwood Avenue, we stand behind the EVolution of Elmwood Avenue. Speaking from experience, as current, past and future stakeholders in the evolution of Buffalo, it’s safe to say that progress is not only measured by outward entities investing in our city. It has everything to do with the feeling of pride that is in the heart of every true Buffalonian, we are officially on the map. Not just for wings and beef on weck, but for the development of our city for the future. We have taken pride in our city, the only way we can stay true to that is by continuing to make strides and instead of disagreeing with progress when it presented; coming together in unity for a better Buffalo. We need to continue to make strides in growing our city, which will only bring in more business, residents and add to the value of our already beautiful Buffalo.
