ABOUT US
East Side Avenues was a unique public/private partnership that provided capital and organizational support to transformational projects in targeted areas along four East Side commercial corridors.
As part of New York State’s economic development investment plan, $65 million was dedicated to the revitalization of Buffalo’s East Side through capital investments. East Side Avenues provided capacity building, funding and organizational support to complement five specific initiatives along Bailey, Fillmore, Jefferson and Michigan Avenues.
Empire State Development (ESD) and the City of Buffalo partnered with the University at Buffalo Regional Institute (UBRI) to reach out to community members, to listen, analyze past investments and create a comprehensive plan focused on what key stakeholders said they wanted to see happen and what projects they believed were important for promoting economic activity.
Doing Things Differently: Listening to the Community
The inclusionary investment strategy for revitalizing Buffalo’s East Side entailed:
40+ listening sessions
Taking Advantage of a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
Understanding the tremendous opportunity to leverage New York State’s $65 million East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund, private and philanthropic organizations created a pooled $8 million East Side Collaborative Fund to support operations, programs, capacity building, and community infrastructure associated with five of these capital initiatives. East Side Avenues brought together these public and private funders, community non-profits, anchor institutions, consultants and the City to plan and coordinate revitalization activities aimed at improving economic conditions on Buffalo’s East Side.
Led by a Dedicated Team
The East Side Avenues Project Implementation Team (PIT), initially led by the UB Regional Institute (UBRI), and then by the Center for Regional Strategies (CRS), worked to build organizational capacity by ensuring that appropriate supports such as infrastructure, staff and funding were in place; assisted with strategic planning, program design and problem-solving; and reported on progress.
UBRI is a research center of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. CRS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-impact strategies and implementation services that generate economic growth. East Side Collaborative Fund was administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.