We better not take shots at Saint Louis, because we will be embarrassed quickly. Simple to say, they get stuff down. Just go down to Union Station and see how an old landmark has been turned into something very nice that makes an economic impact. When Saint Louis hosted the 2007 Frozen Four I took a few Buffalo Friends to the event. They say Union station and everyone was thinking, “Why can’t Buffalo do something like this?”

I am sure Ballpark Village will get built. There way to much money there to pass up. Baseball in Saint Louis has the same passion of the Sabres and Bills combined. That City is all about Baseball. They sell 40,000 tickets all most every night. The project will get done. As far the water development project…maybe….

1-The Blues have the same colors as the Sabres
2-Major League Baseball and football
3-downtown is actually rebuilding.

That piece of vacant land is indeed a bit of an eyesore. Nestled between the Hilton and the new-Busch, this is one PRIME piece of land. I can imagine the battles are a BIT more intense relative to Buffalo’s situation. There is no rush—it could be a parking lot and party zone for the All-Start game—no big deal. Other areas of St. Louis’ downtown are experiencing a rebuild. Rebuilding is already occuring north of the (downtown) football stadium, north and west of the (downtown) Blues arena and near the Landing (downtown casinos and a Chippewa like strip). Developers and city leaders KNOW this area will be succesful—heck, a hot dog vendor on the edge of this area probably does more business than Cobblestone in a year. Canalside, even with a perfect plan, is not a sure thing—in St. Louis–this is a sure thing.

The failure of Buffalo’s downtown development is due to a lack of quality leaders in the area and an poor, aging, population—city priorities involving Canalside developmet will ALWAYS take a back seat to basic infrastructure and social programs. Buffalo has barely any new residential or commercial redeveoplment to speak of during the past 15 years (Chippewa and a few lofts—what else?). We can slowly make what we have BETTER, but Buffalo is and always will be a poor city without hope of major development during our lifetimes. It’s cool to dream, but until we can shovel out of our Medicaid responsibilities and grow private business opportunities—it ain’t gonna happen.

St. Louis should take their time with their decison. They have that luxury. In Buffalo—time ran out during 1978-1991—we missed the boat and not even an Arc(h) could return the flood of talent and population that left for warmer, less taxed pastures.