Preservation Board Tells Pano's - Don't Demolish 1089 Elmwood
Nearly 100 people showed up at City
Hall on Nov 21
for a hearing on the request by Pano Georgiadis to
demolish the Atwater House.
Mr. Georgiadis owns Pano's next door and wants to
expand the restaurant and according to the demolition permit, the parking.
Pano presented a
rendering of his extended patio, topped with a
conical roof at the north end, an caricature of the
real turreted building that would be lost. He failed to present
a site plan as requested by the board or explain why the broken windows had not been
boarded up.
About
2 dozen people spoke opposing the demolition including Preservation Coalition Executive
Director Scott Field, Jessie Schnell, President of Forever Elmwood, Tim Tielman from Campaign
for Buffalo, Dennis
Galucki of the Landmark Society, and Jeffrey Lebsack
of the American Planning Association as well as many neighborhood residents and interested
citizens. Peter Murad of the American Institute
of Architects spoke about the importance of the building and
offered the assistance of the AIA to Pano in coming up with a reuse plan.
All were thoughtful and
respectful. Maybe 3 supported
demolition.
The
Preservation Board took a public vote and the motion by Russ Pawlak to oppose
the demolition carried.
Only Dennis Masters of the construction company BRD dissented.
This vote by the Preservation Board was advisory only.
The issue now goes to Ray McGurn, the Commissioner of Permits & Inspections,
who can grant or deny
the permit. McGurn has stated that he sees no reason to deny the demolition permit.
The Mayor has requested a meeting between Georgiadis,
Commissioner McGurn,
the American Planning Association, the
American Institute of Architects and the Landmark Society to see if a compromise
can be reached. The meeting is scheduled to take place Monday Nov. 1. The Preservation
Coalition and the Campaign for Buffalo were not invited but plan to be there.