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R VERR CK TIMES

Vol. 6 No. 6 Thursday, May 14, 2026 Covering the Northwest Corner of Buffalo

Common Council gives approval for

redevelopment of Voelker’s property

By Amber Healy
t’s been a little more than a year
since the bulldozers came for
Ithe former Voelker’s bowling
alley at the corner of Elmwood Av-
enue and Amherst Street in Black
Rock, and on Tuesday, the Buffalo
Common Council gave the green
light for the next chapter of the
property. An early rendering of the proposed apartments at Voelker’s. The
After years of negotiations and land at Amherst and Elmwood has been cleared for the project.
discussions with neighbors and
community groups, the council vot- spots in the initial phase of construc- SAA|EVII, for being willing to
tion, Golombek says, technically, work with residents to compromise
ed unanimously Tuesday afternoon
to approve a planned unit develop- the property could’ve been turned on the proposal for the property,
into a 24-hour drive-through, which adding that more parking spots are
ment (PUD) zoning application, in-
dicating the developer can now would have created even more traf- now included than were originally
fic and disturbance in the neighbor- called for in response to neighbors’ MOVE-IN READY: A variety of bird houses were displayed at the
move forward to the next steps in
redeveloping the property, confirms hood. concerns about traffic and on-street Migratory May presentation.
“The way the land is zoned, they parking.
North District Council Member Joe Tips for a bird-friendly yard during
Golombek. could use it for a lot of different The project is worth an estimat-
things that people wouldn't be too ed $80 million and is proposed to
While some residents have been Migratory May and beyond
concerned about the proposed apart- keen on,” he says. function as “an economic catalyst”
Golombek credits developer for Black Rock, project manager
ment building on the property, fea- By Amber Healy kinds of birds a person wants to see
turing 230 units and 96 parking Connor Kelley and his firm, Connor Kelley, regional director for
SAA|EVI, said last fall. The propos- ooking to attract more feath- during a session of the Alliance’s
al includes one, two- and three-bed- ered friends to the yard this “Migratory May” speaker session
Black Rock Arts joins celebration room apartments for a variety of Lspring, summer and into the Tuesday evening.
income levels with rent prices ex- fall? Focus on native plants, provide “We are on an international
of Robert Creeley’s 100th birthday pected to be between $700 and plenty of safe, covered access to birdway of importance,” McCooey
$1,800 per month, he said previous- food and shelter and avoid using said. “It’s a designation for wet-
By Amber Healy ly. any herbicides, pesticides and in- lands, and wetlands help protect a
new exhibit opens this Don’t look for construction to secticides on the lawn. lot of bird species. The migration
weekend at Black Rock begin right away, however, as the Anne McCooey, president of the that comes through here annually at
AArts celebrating the life and property still must be purchased Black Rock Riverside Alliance, dis- various times is second to none.”
100th birthday of Robert Creeley, from the current owner before any cussed the joys of birdwatching and McCooey spearheaded an effort
an acclaimed American poet who heavy equipment begins to roll in, the importance of being deliberate several years ago to encourage peo-
once called Black Rock home. Golombek says. in the plant, food and housing ple to have their backyards certified
“He was central to the literary choices made in order to attract the Continued on page 8
happenings in Buffalo for a period
Robert Creeley (at right) and
of time. He taught at (the State Uni-
Allan Graham, during the tap-
versity of New York at Buffalo) for
ing of "Add-Verse,", 2004. Makers & Masters series begins
something like 37 years and he
founded the poetics program here,” photo by Gloria Graham
says Jason Duval, that gallery’s “There are poems that specifi- with Haudenosaunee beadwork talk
owner. cally reference those places and
Creeley’s presence in Buffalo neighborhoods. There are a lot of
By Roxie Harbison the right to sell beadwork at The
also, indirectly, led to the creation poems that could be more generally
he first lecture of the Black Falls in perpetuity.
of the Just Buffalo Literary Center about Buffalo, where he makes ref-
TRock Historical Society 2026 Beads were purchased from all
in 1975: Founder Debora Ott came erences to Buffalo, but there’s a few
Makers & Masters Series: Tradi- over the world. Jonathan said cere-
to Buffalo because Creeley was where it gets very specific. That’s
tional Culture through Art & Design monial pieces were not sold to the
here and his poem, “Love Comes kind of a cool thing.”
on May 7 was Haudenosaunee public but were sold within their
Quietly,” inspired her to follow suit. Creeley was known for breaking Beadwork. Grant Jonathan, the own territories. (Some ceremonies
“She was a huge fan of Robert from norms and traditions when it
scheduled speaker was unable to are private i.e. The Longhouse cere-
Creeley and she came to pursue a comes to how poetry is presented on
attend so his sister in law, Angela mony). It was tradition to put their
degree in Buffalo because he was the page, emphasizing “breath” and
Jonathan stepped in and gave a great name and date on a creation to make
teaching here,” Duvall says. delivery in the written word, Duvall lecture. She was accompanied by it easier to trace these pieces rather
Creeley remained an active per- says. “Creeley’s poetry broke from
her husband Tom Jonathan, Chief of than by patterns and style. There is
son in The Queen City’s literary the past with its emphasis on direct,
the Tuscarora. no Niagara tribe or reservation.
world until he left the area in 2003; unfussy and, at times, conversation-
The mastery of Haudenosaunee “Niagara Style” is really Tuscarora
for 13 of those years, he lived in the al language and its focus on pro-
beadwork has been around for gen- style, she said.
former firehouse at the intersection foundly intimate themes around
erations. However, they recently Besides passing down the tradi-
of Amherst and East streets. relationships, memory and the pass- suffered the loss of several crafts- were of clear or white beads. After tional beadwork, Jonathan said in
While it might seem strange, or ing of time. I find his writing to be The Civil War the colors came out.
men including Chief Leo in 2021 order to keep their language alive
a little out of character, for an art intensely human and highly, deeply She said some of the popular
and the retirement of Rosie Hill who today, children get Tuscarora lan-
gallery to be centering an exhibit emotional.” “whimsies” (what the Europeans
taught master beadwork classes. guage and culture classes everyday
around a poet, there’s a throughline This is not the only event cele- The Six Nations Confederacy called them) were card cases, purs- from third grade up.
in “There’s Things (an exhibition brating Creeley’s centennial: “UB’s es, picture frames, pin cushions,
includes Mohawk, Oneida, Ononda-
for/about/around Robert Creeley)” Poetics Program worked for nearly needle cases, wall hangings, etc.
ga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora
that carries over from the other a year to organize a two-day event, Every part of the design is done by
tribes. There are three historic styles
events hosted at Black Rock Arts: ‘For Love: A Centenary Sympo- a ‘specialist,’ insuring that every-
of beading. 1) Mohawk: bigger,
There’s much to be inspired by in sium for Robert Creeley.’ It begins one got paid.
unique and colorful; 2) Seneca:
Buffalo, a community in which art- on May 21, Creeley’s 100th birth- Inspiration for designs came
more geometric shapes, small flat
ists hold a commanding presence day. Word got to these folks about from animals, plants, insects and
beads and sold at Niagara Falls; 3)
among those who appreciate their our plans for a Creeley-themed ex- Tuscarora: raised beadwork, not locations like Niagara Falls, New
work. hibition. They invited us to be in- York State Fair or sentiments such
flat, not symmetrical, by a rope
There are references to different volved in the planning and as “Thinking of You.”
stitch or hump stitch or by sewing
familiar neighborhoods in Creeley’s promotion around the symposium All the land adjacent to Niagara
beads over beads, 3-D style also
work, Duvall says, naming streets and related events. Black Rock Arts Falls was at one time owned by the
sold at the Falls. Jonathan said that
and landmarks that are instantly rec- has assembled a program of docu- Porter family. Jonathan said the sto-
during the Civil War beads were
ognizable to people who know of mentary and experimental films hard to come by so most creations ry goes that the Tuscarora rescued a
his time here. Porter son and in thanks were given
Continued on page 2