The One That Got Away.

A sigh went out from the people of my community-the city of Buffalo- this weekend. For some, it was a sigh of relief. For others it was a sigh of hope lost. The announcement that Bass Pro Shop, the long expected anchor tenant of the Canal Side development on Buffalo's waterfront, had pulled out of the project ripped through the city on Friday. The waterfront has long been in need of redevelopment. After 9 years of talk with Bass Pro, everyone had had enough.

Citizens spouted "I'll believe it when I see it" remarks. City officials were tired of talking and wanted action. The developers were still trying to force a square square peg into a round hole. Which, by the way, is now literally a huge hole in our downtown. It seemed, to me, that Bass Pro has been done with us for a very long time.

It appears everyone is out to blame someone now. The Mayor says it is the city councils fault for not acting on $10 mil resolution to transfer city land into the possession of the development group. The developers blame community action groups and paint them as obstructionist for pushing for a Community Benefits Agreement, as in other cities. Buffalo's CBA would require living wages ($10+/hr) be paid by businesses with 20 or more employees, green architecture and space for small local business. The community organizations cite systemic problems and the majority of the community at large blames them all.

I'll be honest: I could not be more excited. It was a bad fit from the start. What comes now has a whole lot of upshot. I moved to this city 5 years after this whole debacle began and 4 years later I am less then impressed with the speed of progress in this city. The project would have been a billion times more likely to succeed if it had came to be 5 years ago.

Now my city, the one with a million stories that sound exactly like this one, has to fight for itself once again. I am completely OK with that. If 9 years and the promise of more than $52 Million in city subsidies can't get you to build an oversized bait shop here, thats fine don't let the door hit you on the way out. I personally will get back to doing what we are good at, fighting. A city of good neighbors that is literally ready at all times to drop the gloves. Whether it is for themselves, their friend or there city it is always for pride. Thats why I found my way back here after falling in love with the city.

What will happen next? We are all very unsure of that. I know that we are in a better place this week then we were last. We are back in control. The project will go on and this city will bounce back. One of our favorite things about the city of Buffalo is the thriving local business scene, filled with unique retail spaces and service. This is not true in overly developed city's where big business have flown in to run the show early in development. Bass Pro would have been a move to a less stable Buffalo, economically. But it would also have been a move against the city's personality. Did we really want to become every other city, with every other Apple Bees?

I am grateful to live in a city where a local taco shop wins out over Burger King. Can we start subsidizing THAT please?