New York State Investments in the African American Heritage Corridor Will Continue To Reinvigorate East Buffalo
Complements Governor's Historic $50 Million Targeted Investments in East Buffalo
Renderings Available Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Colored Musicians Club has begun an expansion and renovations that will allow for increased tourism and visitation to Buffalo's African American Heritage Corridor. Founded in 1918, the CMC is the only remaining African American musicians' club of its kind in the U.S. It has hosted performances by such notable artists as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat "King" Cole, Miles Davis and Cab Calloway.
"This groundbreaking marks the start of a new chapter at the Colored Musicians Club and represents our deep, ongoing commitment to uplifting the East Buffalo community," Governor Hochul said. "By fostering the expansion and preservation of historic assets along the Michigan Street Corridor, we are celebrating the rich histories of Black New Yorkers and honoring their important contributions in Buffalo, our state, and our nation."
CMC's $2.95 million expansion is the latest example of the Governor's increased efforts to attract visitors to Buffalo's East Side. The not-for-profit club will make critical improvements through the help of a $2 million a grant from Empire State Development's (ESD) $65 million East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund. These upgrades will spark increased tourism and visitation to Buffalo's historic Michigan Street African American Corridor. DASNY also provided $350,000 in funding for the project.
The CMC project includes the design and construction of a new building entrance at 145 Broadway Street that will be ADA-compliant and include increased storage space for the CMC; restoration of the building's façade and renovations and expansion of the historic performance space; updated fire safety and code issues; and the completion of related site work and repaving and streetscape improvements.
Empire State Development Commissioner and President & CEO Hope Knight said, "Buffalo is rapidly emerging as a top tourism destination. While some locations like the waterfront are booming, we also need to propel the Buffalo's African American community upward by capitalizing on its significant historic assets and incredible potential for growth. Renovations to the African American Heritage Corridor's anchor institutions will help draw new visitors to this emerging neighborhood to celebrate its history, music and cultural diversity. I applaud Governor Hochul for her continued efforts to do more to assist East Buffalo, which has lagged behind the rest of the City during Buffalo's revitalization."
George Scott, Colored Musicians Club Former Director, said, "We want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for investing in the future of the Colored Musicians Club. The renovation will benefit the entire Michigan Street Corridor by drawing more visitors to experience the music, history, food and unique cultural attractions of the East Side. By making this significant investment we are making it clear that Black history is important, Buffalo's history is important, and jazz is a force for telling that story and a powerful way to provide strength and hope to our people."
Improvements to the African American Heritage Corridor include:
- The $1.3 million Michigan Street Baptist Church project will help ensure the building's structural integrity and address safety issues at the church, while also providing better access for disabled visitors. The project includes foundation repairs and roof reinforcement, plus accessibility renovations. The Michigan Street Baptist Church was built by African Americans in 1845 and was the last stop on the Underground Railroad for freedom seekers escaping to Canada before the Civil War. It's been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
- The Nash House received $172,000 in funding from ESD and is undergoing weatherization improvements and upgrades to the museum exhibits. The Nash House was once the home of Reverend J. Edward Nash Sr., pastor of the Michigan Street Baptist Church through the 1950s and renowned Buffalo civil rights leader. It is currently owned by the not-for-profit Michigan Street Preservation Corporation and has been operating as a museum since 2007.
- The WUFO Radio Station & Black History Collective received a $1 million grant for a significant restoration and expansion project. The Collective is the only African American owned radio station in Western New York and is the anchor tenant for 509 Michigan Street, a city-owned a century-old two-story structure located on a key site immediately south of the Michigan Street Baptist Church.
- The NAACP's nearly $6 million public-private Nash Lofts project is also being funded in part by ESD under the East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund. The NAACP returned to the African American Heritage Corridor last year, and its new location includes new NAACP offices, affordably priced apartments, and other street-level retail space. A tenant for a first-floor retail space will soon be announced.
- The Freedom Wall and area surrounding the historic mural will undergo improvements through a $366,000 award allocated to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. The funding will be used to reconstruct the area between the concrete wall and street curbing and install LED lighting to accent the wall portraits. The Freedom Wall celebrates African Americans' historic and ongoing work for political and social equality.
All of these projects will be tied together with a narrower and landscaped Michigan Avenue to slow traffic, and improved street lighting to make the blocks-long district more pedestrian-friendly.
These projects are intended to create a cohesive tourist destination around the concentration of historic assets between William Street and Broadway. Planning efforts include strategies to market and support improvements of these assets. Capital investments such as upgrades to historic buildings, building expansions, ADA and safety compliance, streetscape improvements, community gathering spaces and other critical amenities will improve the visitor experience and better connect historic assets to each other and downtown Buffalo. This project will create a unified tourist destination that will tell the story of Buffalo's contribution to African American history while attracting new visitors from the region.
Find more information about the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor here.
