For quite some time abandoned storefronts have lined Main Street in downtown Buffalo creating an eye sore and a display of underutilization of assets. Let’s take these storefronts and make them a place to promote causes, events, culture, charities, or even new businesses in the area. They will stand as a celebration of Buffalo for residents and visitors alike, whether riding the train to HSBC Arena or just walking down Main Street.
The “Main Street Storefront Makeover” project could be managed by Buffalo Place. Companies and organizations would present their ideas and the people/teams whose ideas are chosen would execute the design if they are able.(Or professional design volunteers would assist.) The idea is to create world-class designs for display. Most displays would be permanent until the space is once again utilized or leased. A selection of storefronts could even change frequently to offer people a reason to come back. The more traffic and more reasons to come downtown, and the better Main St. looks, the better it will be for businesses to thrive. As Main Street becomes more functional (than dysfunctional), greater numbers of people may decide to live and work in the area – creating the critical mass that our City needs to support its core.