Broadway-Fillmore Comes Together At Central Terminal

Photos courtesy of Central Terminal Neighborhood Association.

BUFFALO, NY— On May 22, the Broadway Fillmore community gathered at the Buffalo Central Terminal to bring residents face to-face with their local block clubs and the staff working to reimagine and reuse the Central Terminal. On hand were representatives of the Central Terminal Resto ration Corp. (CTRC), the Greater Eastside Fields of Dreams Block Club Association, and the Central Terminal Neighborhood Association (CTNA), Quinn Evans, and Buffalo Construction Consultants (BCC). Residents were invited using postcards mailed to their homes in early May.

“The neighbor hood block clubs work extremely hard to ensure that residents have a say in the future of Broadway-Fillmore,” said CTRC Executive Director Monica Pellegrino Faix.

“I was warmly welcomed by our neighbors and have admiration for their leadership and dedication. Working together, our future is strong.”

At the May 22 event, residents enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look while speaking with block club representa tives about their mis sions and neighborhood projects. The relaxed, casual feel allowed residents to freely mingle with their neighbors and block club members.

“For over a decade, we’ve worked hard to improve the lives of our families, friends, neighbors, and businesses in the Broadway-Fillmore community,” said Marva Threat, President of Greater Eastside Fields of Dreams. “We get involved when developers want to build in our community, to make sure that we have a seat at the table where decisions are being made.”

“The (CTNA) is an organization composed of neighbors of every background working together on a common vision for Broadway Fill more,” said CTNA Presi dent Chris Hawley. “We started our first meeting in 2022 with a planning workshop, deciding where we wanted to be as a community within ten years. Since then, we’ve rolled up our sleeves to implement the plan, doing as much as we can ourselves through direct action and asking the City for help only when needed.”

During the event, residents also enjoyed up close looks in the Main Terminal Building’s Entry Lobby, Passenger Concourse, and Restaurant. They asked questions about the planned future of the East Side landmark. CTRC staff members, Senior Architect Angela Wyrembel ski of Quinn Evans, and BCC Construction Site Superintendent Robert Turnquist.

The reuse of the Buffalo Central Terminal is a community-driven project made possible together with the Broadway-Fillmore residents. They helped create the Master Plan being used to reimagine the living landmark in a way that generates local jobs, creates spaces for local businesses and entrepreneurs to grow, and builds housing that retains local residents and attracts new ones.

“The walkthrough of the Central Terminal for our neighborhood block clubs was a fantastic reminder of how far we’ve come,” said Fillmore District Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski. “The progress inside these walls is real, and it’s only right that the people who’ve advocated for and believed in this neighborhood for decades are seeing it up close and helping shape what comes next.”

Interested in joining one of these neighbor hood associations? Please reach out to Marva Threat, Greater Eastside Fields of Dreams, at mth1043938@ aol.com. You can reach Chris Hawley, Central Terminal Neighborhood Association, at chrishaw ley716@gmail.com.