Back in February we ran this Puck Stop column in Artvoice, called "A Blueprint For The Aud", which examined the trials and tribulations that the Montreal Forum went through in its transformation from a hockey arena to a multi use retail and entertainment facility.
This week, our colleague Jim Fink at Buffalo Business First broke this story indicating that Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown now wants the Aud torn down, and wants it done soon. I chatted with Jim at the hockey game last night, and he confirmed that this is all in the pipeline, and also that asbestos removal and demolition preparation will be starting on the adjacent Donovan building this summer.
But whether the Aud is saved or demolished, it will still require massive dollars for asbestos removal and environmental remediation, no?
So that's why this post by Queenseyes at Buffalo Rising Online really got me excited. Very simple premise - gut the Aud and turn it into a massive parking facility. It would service downtown retail and business during the day, HSBC Arena and Dunn Tire Park at night, and free up every frikkin' surface lot down there for new construction.
Memo to Mayor Brown, Congressman Higgins and the powers that be at the ECHDC... can we give a good look to this idea? Can we get moving on it NOW!
Rendering above taken from Buffalo Rising
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