When Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced 2015’s capital budget, totaling $26 million, he demonstrated the city’s commitment to its parks, arts and neighborhoods – essentially, its people.
The budget, which is $3.1 million more than last year’s, focuses on renovations and rehabilitation projects, with only $2.5 million going toward demolitions.
Parks funding was cut almost in half, falling from $1.2 million this year to $674,000. But that money will be enough to support significant improvements to Schiller Park and LaSalle Park.
Even more importantly, the cuts to parks seem to have bolstered the funding directed to arts and culture, where financial assistance is sorely needed.
With an additional $400,000, arts and cultural organizations will receive $1.6 million. Libraries, theaters and the Buffalo Zoo will all get a portion of the bounty, and Shakespeare in the Park will soon enjoy a new stage.
Though the latter, with a price tag of $205,000, seems more than a little costly, it’s encouraging to see Buffalo recognize the value of these organizations to the people of Buffalo.
Struggling neighborhoods in Buffalo received a fair share of the budget, too, with $1.2 million going to infrastructure improvements in the East Side, an area which already is host to a $70 million housing development – the largest scale project of its kind in years.
In a more questionable allocation of funds, $500,000 went to Coca-Cola Field, as the Bisons begin Phase I of what could be a long-term, large-scale renovation of the minor league baseball stadium.
This first phase involves replacing 3,700 seats in the stadium, at a cost of $758,000. The team hopes to replace all of the stadium’s approximately 18,000 seats in addition to multimillion renovations to concession stands, dugout suites and a possible retractable roof.
According to Brown, this $500,000 contribution is just the beginning, as the city plans to contribute to the future phases of the renovation.
The city’s willingness to hand over cash is questionable, especially considering that Bisons owner Robert Rich, Jr. has a net worth of $3 billion. Terry Pegula put $170 million of his own money into the HarborCenter – Rich should follow his commendable lead.
And although Coca-Cola Field is an important part of the downtown landscape, and the Bisons a team long-associated with Buffalo, extensive, publicly funded renovations to the stadium are bound to raise some concerns.
Expensive sports arenas are all the rage, but it’s worth questioning how much new revenue these renovations would bring in. Coca-Cola Field may not be awe-inspiring, but fans go to Bisons games regardless.
Despite the arguably unnecessary contribution to Coca-Cola Field, this capital budget, as a whole, reflects a city with its priorities in line. Funding directed to parks, cultural institutions and low-income areas is undoubtedly money well spent.
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