Buffalo Place
Encyclopedia
Buffalo Place
Buffalo Place is a "not-for-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
dedicated to improving the economic health and quality of life in downtown Buffalo" . This organization came to fruition after the year 1982, when a collection of political leaders and properties owners in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
suggested the creation of a 24-block district of business improvement. As one of its core duties, Buffalo Place takes care of the central downtown area, monitoring activity and up keeping in the area that surrounds the pedestrian mall
Pedestrian mall
Pedestrian malls in the United States are also known as pedestrian streets and are the most common form of pedestrian zone in large cities in the United States. It is a street lined with storefronts and closed off to most automobile traffic...
, developed as a component to the Light Rail Rapid Transit Project.
Funding
Funding for Buffalo Place’s activities comes from special charges or taxes that are paid over and are larger than property taxProperty tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es within Downtown’s Special Charge District. This district contains Main, Washington and Pearl Streets from Goodell Street to the Buffalo River
Buffalo River (New York)
The Buffalo River is a river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, by the City of Buffalo in the United States of America. This stream is called the Buffalo River only in the vicinity of the city and is known as Buffalo Creek as it flows through other parts of...
. Some properties of the downtown area include HSBC Center, the Main Place Mall, M&T Plaza, Ellicot Square, Key Center, the Rand Building
Rand Building
The Rand Building is a skyscraper and the third tallest building in Buffalo, New York. At the time it was built in 1929, it was the tallest in the city at a height of...
and the Brisbane Building among many of the other big offices in downtown Buffalo. The budget of the Buffalo Place is 3.2 million dollars. 37 percent of that budget is funded by the special over and above property tax that is paid by those property owners who reside in downtown Buffalo. A portion of 46 percent of Buffalo Place’s Budget is accumulated from the revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
gained from special events and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. Essentially, the Buffalo Place taxes additional funds from the property holders in Downtown Buffalo, but gives back to the community in maintaining a safe an amiable environment with an abundance of events that provide enjoyment for residents of all ages.
Staff
The staff of Buffalo Place consists of an executive director, assistant director, ten professional and four administrative staff members, and eight operations crew members. Currently, in 2011, the executive director is Michael T. Schmand and the assistant director is Peggy Beardsley. "The Staff of Buffalo Place strives everyday to make Downtown Buffalo clean, safe and fun for everyone," says their website at http://www.buffaloplace.com.The Marketing Department
The job and goal of the Marketing Department of Buffalo Place is to promote Downtown Buffalo as "a great place to live, work and play." The Buffalo Place is the leading marketing organization in Buffalo, and puts Buffalo on the map with promotions in the theatre and entertainment districts, along with public and media relation advances. Promotional materials are frequently disemminated from Buffalo Place as well. In addition to promoting their own events, Buffalo Place opens their arms to other organizations and helps promote their events. Such events would include the Taste of BuffaloTaste of Buffalo
The Taste of Buffalo held annually in Buffalo, New York is presented by Tops Supermarkets and is the largest two-day food festival in the United States. It began in 1984 and now attracts almost 450,000 patrons annually. It has been voted WNY's premier outdoor festival...
and the Gus Macker Basketball Tournament. The events that Buffalo Place endorses are the Summer Concernt Series which includes events such as Thursday at the Square and Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor, along with the Downtown Country Market, Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Rotary Ice Rink
Thursday at the Square Schedule, Summer 2011
- June 2nd - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros with Son of the Sun and The Etchings
- June 9th - Morris Day and The Time with The Missing Star and Autopunch
- June 16th - Blues Travler with special guest Willie Nile and The Pillagers
- June 23rd - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals with special guest Fitz & The Tantrums and Southside
New Location at the Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf
- June 30th - Lowest of the Low with special guest Hey Rosetta! and Ron Hawkins & The Do Good Assassins
- July 7th - Sloan with Johnny Nobody and The Found
- July 14th - Court Yard Hounds with Alison Pipitone Band and Rob Falgiano Band
- July 21st - Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes with Jamie Moses Band and Tommy Z Band
- July 28th - George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic with Taylor Made and The Rod Nickson Project
- August 4th - Tokyo Police Club with special guest The Shelia Divine and Potter's Field
Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor Schedule, Summer 2011
- June 24th - Darkstar Orchestra with special guest Soulive
- June 25th - Elvis Costello & The Impostors with special guest Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers and Mark Norris and the Backpeddlers
- July 30th - The Tragically Hip with special guest Arkells
- July 31st - Flogging Molly with special guest Badfish A Tribute to Sublime
- August 26th - Alice Cooper with special guest Anvil
- August 27th - Great Big Sea with special guest Martin Sexton
The Planning Department
The Planning Department of Buffalo Place is used to greater the function of many of downtown Buffalo's sources, along with bettering the Public's understanding of such functions that will lead to increased use and participation of the greater public. Four main projects that are taking place now include the return of vehicular traffic to Main Street, the Queen City Hub Plan, access and infrasturcture, as well as on and off street parkingParking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
.
The Operations Department
The Operations Department of Buffalo Place has three main objectives. Management, regulation, and maintenance of the 24 block Downtown Buffalo Improvement District. A team of nine maintenance operators work seven days a week to cultivate the downtown area into a desirable area for people, tourists, businesses, and users of all walks of life to enjoy. The Operations Department ensures that the streets will be cleared of snow and the area will be maintained during the summertime. Special event support, vending and public space management are essentials to the Operations Department of the Buffalo Place.The Security Department
Buffalo Place has a security committee, The Buffalo Place Security Committee, one which meets on the second Tuesday of every month. This Committee is made up of the NFTA Police and the Buffalo Police, along with Private Security and Federal Law Enforcement Officers with the help of the building owners/managers. This security department complies statistics on the crime rates of the Downtown area, and works to keep the streets safe 24/7.Live Work and Play
These three verbs are staples of Buffalo Place, main ideas that the not-for-profit organization works to foster through its planned activities and alliances. Buffalo Place works to market and provide information on places to worship, obtain healthcare, shop, study, and live in the Downtown area. The working aspect of Buffalo Place works to provide statisticsStatistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
on the employment, and provides information on the major employers in the downtown area. Play, a major aspect of Buffalo Place, is endorsed through the many events that give the community an area to kick back and enjoy concert series, promotion of restaurants and nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
. The promotion and advocate of the triple threat, live, work and play, Buffalo Place looks to provide balance to those living in Downtown.
Video Synposis from Executive Director Michael Schmand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssP4xTjAEjEBuffalo's "alternative news resource" Skunkpost.com supports Buffalo Place as it finds another outlet to voice its message over the internet. Through collaborations and sponsorships with organizations such as Skunkpost.com, Buffalo Place is given yet another outlet to spread their message and future projects to the public seeking news and information.
http://www.skunkpost.com/home.sp [dead]
Michael Schmand Supporting Canal Side Project
Executive Director Michael Schmand supporting yet another project that Buffalo Place takes on its shoulders to revitalize the economy and livelihood of Western New York and downtown Buffalo. Michael Scmand gives his feelings on the Canal Side project.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o5ppe4hCok