Add the Aud to the growing list of historic buildings to be turned into a downtown Buffalo surface lot.
People say the Aud isn’t that great a building. I disagree. The 1970’s additions to the building are hideous, but the details on the original walls are only seen by other WPA projects like the eagles coming out of the stone. The large entrances (especially the exchange street entrance) are unique as well.
I’m no preservation freak, in fact I perfer modern architecture (favorite buildings in Buffalo are Hauptman-Woodward and the Public Safety Campus). But I’ve seen Bass Pro’s all over this country.

They’re lame-o.

And the same-o. Every. Single. One.

So now we’ll have a large, cheap looking wood building taking up this space when they at least could have taken up the surface lot inbetween HSBC Arena and One HSBC Center.

This whole project becomes more of a cliche Buffalo publicly-funded, silver bullet, project.
Tearing down an historic building despite being surrounded by surface lofts, and then cancelling their call for an intermodal transportation center. Pretty much just bending over for the companies that come into the city (Bass Pro, Casino)

You just can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

BUFFALO WILL BE HOSTING THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC IN 2007. YEAH BABY WOOOO!
[end sarcasm]

guesssss who sponsors it?
yup. bass pro.

oh the irony. she is so beautiful.

My Darling,
It is month 15 and the air is bitterly cold. The reinforcements have come in but there is no end in sight. The men from Missouri and New York said the deal would be signed but we still are entrenched in battle. I’m not sure how much longer the boys can take this battle, we are growing tired and weary and as usual, supplies are thin. Word on the battlefield is that the agreement is closer to being signed but we can’t be sure. Soon enough my darling, we can go buy big green overalls with lots of pockets and some boots for that big bass fishing trip we planned. Oh the fun we’ll have.
Yours truly,
Dillusional Buffalonian doing a cute impression of a civil war letter (which I apologize fully for)

But seriously, this WBEN article showes you how *ahem* committed Bass Pro is to Buffalo. Anyone who thinks store is going to save us is rediculous. The parts of the project that benefit the city are the multi-modal transportation center, hotel, restaurant, and musem. The wide selection of fishing poles is not.
Obviously this won’t happen but what if we just perserved the Exchange St. facade of the Aud and then extended the Erie Canal Harbor closer to its original location that would give us more possibilites for developement. I’ll shut up now since thats not going to happen.
All in all-I’m for the overall project, I just think its silly that there are so many people who feel elated that Bass Pro is coming here (allegedly). The best part about the store is the selling of the Aud seats which sadly, Giambra said should cost $200 a pop.
It will get done people, just don’t hold your breath. Seriously.

and it looks quite nice I might add. Buffalo lacks in modern glass structures (the only ones I can think of are the airport in Cheektowaga and the Alferio Center on UB’s Amherst Campus) so this to go along with the new federal courthouse will give Buffalo a bit more of a modern feel to it. Apparently some people object to the design…I can’t really see why, but you can read those nay-sayers on the link…

Apparently the preliminary designs will FINALLY be submitted. There was a rumor that Bass Pro was waiting to see commercial development in that part of Downtown before they started anything but apparently that is not true. It has been over a year since the deal was announced and it looks like we’re still a month away from seeing any concrete progress. I just looking forward to buying some damn seats from the Aud.

PS…I hope you guys enjoy the new layout here at “All Things Buffalo”. We continue to be inconsistent in updating. Unfortunatly we were really counting on our newest contributor but he went AWOL…regardless…2006 will be a much better and consistent year for “All Things Buffalo” and its readers…keep checkin us out, you’re bound to find some goodies…

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the aud, originally uploaded by believeinbflo.

http://buffalonews.com/editorial/20051129/1061522.asp

Well it sounds like we’ll finally hear something about Bass Pro coming here next month, and see some physical progress too (or at least be told about it). It sounds like it will be an interesting project but lets be serious-we’re not going to get people from 200-300 miles away because of some uber-fishing store.
It’s not like anyone else is champing at the bit to do something with the Aud so we might as well get this done. Its not so much the Fishing apparel thats goin to change the city, but the spin-off businees that comes in as a result of this store. I hope there actually is spin-off business from it. I for one am dying for a damn Barnes and Noble downtown.