This past week Buffalo got to officially open the first phase of the Canalside project, on the Inner Harbor and immediately adjacent to HSBC Arena. It was a long time coming, and finally we can start picturing how this will all come together… maybe even in our lifetime.

Of course, all the excitement on the Inner Harbor didn’t stop the macadamias over at ElmwoodBuffalo Rising from chiming in with their usual ridiculous drivel.

But how would you like to be in St. Louis’ situation?

Two years ago they opened the new Busch Stadium, and after the rubble of the old Busch was cleared, they promised an exciting mixed use project of offices, condos, hotel and retail, to be developed by the Cordish Group (yes the same Cordish Group who lords over the vacant eyesore known as Rainbow Mall in Niagara Falls).

Now here it is… 2008, and the site sits vacant, litter strewn, and a large swail in the center collects stagnant water. One of the city’s aldermen, who chairs the committee overseeing ballpark development, has named the site “Baghdad on Broadway”.

A year from now, the eyes of Major league Baseball will be on St. Louis when the All Star game comes to town, and right now they can’t even agree on replacing the chain link fencing with something more durable and some “coming soon” murals. How embarrassing will it be when viewers get a gander of this mess from the blimp cameras?

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