Mayor Brown has asked Governor Spitzer to allow the city to take the $21 million it has for Aud renovation in connection with a Bass Pro development, and instead use it to tear the thing down.
I say, go for it.
“I think we can draw the conclusion that if Bass Pro isn’t going in there, nobody is going in there,” [Brown’s Communications Director Peter] Cutler added. “We need to keep waterfront development moving forward, and the Aud is standing in the way.”
I think that’s a fair conclusion to reach.
I know that some people would love for an IKEA or a movie studio or an Aquarium to go in the space that is the Aud, but if it hasn’t happened in almost 11 years, the likelihood that it will happen in even the distant future is minimal.
It’s a big, polluted, antiquated building. No one wants to touch it. If we spend public money to raze a public structure that no one wants in order to create a large, clean, shovel-ready parcel near the inner harbor, it’s a valid use of that money and I guess it’s about bloody time. Although I would personally opt to keep the deco facade, that’s a “would be nice” – not a “has to happen” (and that dichotomy in this city is the subject of a whole other post I’m mulling).
The city can offer up the whole parcel, subdivide it, or incorporate it into the overall “Canal Side” scheme. I don’t care, so long as it doesn’t resemble a Tops plaza in Lancaster once Benderson gets a hold of it.
Furthermore, the City absolutely must auction off anything and everything auctionable within that building – from the seats to the signs to the scoreboards. Make as much money as you can off of it before you raze it. That’s what Boston did before it got rid of the old Garden, and the Garden’s scoreboard now hangs in the Arsenal Mall in Watertown, MA.
The Buffalo Record 
10 years and no tenant for the Aud, I agree, it’s time to tear it down.
“in order to create a large, clean, shovel-ready parcel near the inner harbor”
In development speak that means a large surface parking lot that the city can lease to Pro-Park or AllRight, a sweatheart deal I’m sure, because there is such a lack of parking in this city. [/sarcasm]
I totally disagree. Do not tear it down untill a plan with money in hand is in place. Otherwise it will become another huge surface parking lot. Why does everyone think the site is more marketable as empty land? Look acrooss the street at the Webster block in front of the arena. Where are the developers rushing to build there. Look, I have no great affinity to the AUD, just keep it sealed up, the grass cut and at least it provides an urban presence.
And please stop the rhetoric about asbestos. Virtually every commercial building built before 1978 has it. Significant HVAC upgrades were made to the AUD in the late 80’s and I’ know a lot was abated. As an architect for the Buffalo Schools if we tore down every building with asbestos we’d have 3-4 left.
The point isn’t to tear down buildings with asbestos in them. The point is that asbestos abatement would be a huge cost built in to any renovation or demolition. I don’t think maintaining it for its own sake is valuable.
asbestos abatement has to be done whether its taken down or reused. I’m just tired of people using this an excuse for not developing the building. Every pre 70’s building incurs this cost. Besides as I stated earlier significant amounts of asbestos have already been removed. In the meantime defer those costs, wait until a use is found whether its demolition or reuse. An empty expanse of parking helps no one. Again look at the Webster block. Maintaining it for its own sake costs virtually nothing right now.
Reasons to save the Aud and responses:
1.) Its there.
Logic: Its better to have an empty building looking like something than a big patch of nothing.
Rebuttal: On a Waterfront, which the Aud comes within 25 feet of, vacant land becomes green space, not nothing. knock down the building and BAM! you have a park. In addition, it dosn’t look like anything; it looks boarded up and slightly unkempt.
2.) Its pretty.
Logic: The Aud is one of North Americas best examples of Art Deco Architecture, and it looks cool.
Rebuttal: At one point this was true. Today it is not. Today there is a big black box on the top of it. Today the back of it – the water side – is grated metal. Today it is surrounded by highways and no one can even see what it looks like.
3.) Its historic.
Logic: The Aud has been there since 1940 (?) and was home to all sorts of teams and events. And its Art Deco.
Rebuttal: I hate the fact that we repeatedly destroy beautiful and old buildings in Buffalo, but unless we can turn it into a convention center, its basically useless.
I say save the front facade – for now, much like we did with what is becoming the Blue Cross building. See if in the future we can integrate it into something. If we cant, knock that down eventually too.
Paul makes a great point. Take a look at all the “shovel ready sites” that are not/have not been developed. Nothing should be done to that building until there is a plan and money for said plan. Whether it is demolished or reused, lets have a plan first.
I always thought a transportation hub would be a nice idea. I’m not an architect or urban planner but if I may float an idea… Take off the hideous expansion on top of it. Turn it into a multi-use civic bulding (i.e. train station, bus station, small convention/civic center…). Just a thought…
I’d have to agree with the “take it down” folks.
I’ve got memories there like a lot of us do. But the memories are walking up the damp, beer-stank ramps and teetering on the edge of the oranges…
nothing that goes in there will ever capture that…
i have no problem with keeping the facade…but like bp…its not a deal-breaker for me…
I also don’t see the blatant similarities with other ‘shovel-ready’ sites downtown…the potential that this site delivers is far greater than elsewhere…
I agree, at the very least they should save the front, build around it like Blue Cross did at there site. Make it into something like Faneuil Hall in Boston with that being the main entrance, throw a bunch of vendors in there where people could grab a bite before Sabres/Bisons games. And eventually when they build a new football stadium on the waterfront, well those fans can go there too.
And please sell everything that isn’t nailed down. People jumped at the opportunity to buy the old seats from Rich Stadium and if all these people that love the Aud for what it stood for are really out there, then it stands to reason that they would love to get a piece of memorbilia from the Aud.
Nice piece Alan. In my Indoor track days at St. Joe’s, we used to run laps on the concourses on Saturday, and run the steps from the gold seats to the greys. Yes, they usually smelled like beer. And if a concert was in there recently, like vomit too.
Save the facade if you want, but one way or the other, it has to go.
My grandfather(s) both worked on it while on the WPA. One laid off from Chevrolet, one when Pierce Arrow went out of business. Sell everything you can, and the rest makes semi-clean fill after the asbestos is out.
The Aud was monolithic and out of scale with the downtown fabric from day 1.
If the ultimate objective for the immediate area is to create a historic “canal town” setting as a regional draw, taking down the Aud will do more good than harm.
And I agree auctioning off everything possible that’s not nailed down.
The only attractive part of this building is the post-deco facade. It could be saved if site redevelop plans are done in a clever fashion. If not, let it go as well.
peter scott Says – “I also don’t see the blatant similarities with other ’shovel-ready’ sites downtown…the potential that this site delivers is far greater than elsewhere…”
How about the “shovel ready” site across the street from the Aud? Is that similar enough?
Meet me downtown for lunch some day. I’ll give you a twenty minute walking tour of downtown proper and show you about 5+ acres of “shovel ready” sites with amazing development potential that have been surface lots for some time now.
If we rip it down, like Paul says, have a plan and the money in place. This “shovel ready” bullshit needs to stop.
I really do not know what site across from the Aud you mean. The area behind it, across Scott, is being developed now, with shovels in the ground, to the Left is the Skyway, which rightfully has parking underneath, followed by waterfront apartments, to the Right is the Donovan building, which is being activley used by NYS, and in front of the building is the 190, behind that is the HSBC tower.
I am not trying to argue or be disagreeable, but as best I can tell there is a need for new space in the downtown core. Most office sites that are properly equiped for the 21st century are filled to capacity; see last weeks Buffalo News article on Class A office space. Thats why we needed to build a new Blue Cross building. Thats why there building a new tower on pearl. Thats why Issa wants to build his tower. 3.2 Billion in new development in the city to me means its time to remove useless things to clear the way for more.
But I honestly am curious what area you mean.
If we can keep the front do so, but otherwise the rest should come down.
In regards to a transportation hub, the idea has been floated around for years and makes sense. It is one of Sam Hoyt’s ideas. BUT, the NFTA has never agreed to do it and move the bus station to the site. Combining bus, trail and light rail in one building makes sense, but without any one piece it really won’t make sense.
I personally would like to see the front part maintained as an intermodal hub. the rest can go, even my old seat in the oranges. Boy, I can still smell the pizza from the old concession stand in my mind.
Knock it down. Any other City would have done so already.
People consider the Aud “art deco?” It’s a big cement building. Tear it down. It’s been there for 10 years and nothing has happened, no one has really been interested. As time goes on no one ever will be interested in such a monster of a building. Sure it’ll be a “shovel ready” site, yet another one in Buffalo, but with the location it probably has more potential than a big monster cement building.