Buffalo Central Terminal

The next time you walk into the concourse, look up over the ticket windows. You’ll notice something new is old again.

The owners of Goergen-Mackwirth Co. of Buffalo, Wayne Mertz and his wife Pat, donated their facility on Hertel Avenue to help reproduce the art deco railing that once lined the mezzanine level.

John Heleack, Tom Stotz and Marty Slawiak spent countless hours on this project scanning original blue prints and preparing the machines for the water jet cutting process. Each panel took a half and hour to cut.

A special thanks goes to Local 71 for their help in the fabrication process. The CTRC would like to thank everyone for another small step in the restoration of Buffalo Central Terminal. View photos of the process below:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have helped, thus far, by making donations to our cause. To date, the Plaque Fund has reached 78.8% of it’s goal. Thanks to the thoughtful assistance of Dennis Wagner and Wagner Monuments of Cheektowaga, the plaque has been completed and installed in time for the Central Terminal’s 80th anniversary celebration, scheduled for June 27th, 2009. With out their help, and the help of the CTRC Board, our plaque would not have been ready in time.

We still need your help. Please join us in celebrating one of Buffalo’s finest landmarks. Become a part of the 80th anniversary. Direct your donations to Plaque Fund, Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, PO Box 468, Buffalo N.Y. 14212; and please note “Plaque Fund” on your checks. You may also donate online, using the PayPal link below.

Thank you for your thoughts and dedication to the Terminal and this meaningful project.
Sincerely.
Larry Schwindler
Kate Janus
Co-Chairpersons

See the new plaque and the clock at the 80th Anniversary Celebration on June 27th!

The Main Concourse Clock has been returned to the Central Terminal once and for all. It was carefully reassembled and finally lighted once again on June 17,2009

A big THANK YOU to the following team of people who were involved in making this event happen:

Jeff Ingersoll
Ben Hiltz
Ed Werick
Bill Fitzpatrick
Tony Lewandowski
Will Wild
MJ Lewandowski
Scott Moore
Mike Ternullo
Tracy Doldan
Chris Podosek
Mark Lewandowski
and to all others that prepared the building for the Clock’s return.

A special thanks goes out to Jeff Ingersoll who’s guidance, and loan of all his scaffolds, cranes, trailer and equipment made this move safe and possible.

Job well done.

Check out the photos on our Flickr Page

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have helped, thus far, by making donations to our cause. Thank you too to our Dyngus Day volunteers, who helped to make the event a HUGE success, serving our largest Dyngus Day crowd ever. Donations collected have pushed our plaque fund to 61% of our goal.

Please help to restore the life and spirit of one of Buffalo’s finest landmarks. Become a part of the 80th anniversary. Direct your heartfelt dedications to Plaque Fund, Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, PO Box 468, Buffalo N.Y. 14212; and please note “Plaque Fund” on your checks. You may also donate online, using the PayPal link below.
Thank you for your thoughts and dedication to the Terminal and this meaningful project.
Sincerely.
Larry Schwindler
Kate Janus
Co-Chairpersons

Christopher Gurnett has always enjoyed volunteering at the Buffalo Central Terminal, and he’s been doing it for 3 years. But for Christopher that wasn’t enough. He wanted to do more to help a building that he believes, played a big role in Buffalo’s past.

So he approached the terminal’s board of directors and asked if he could do his eagle scout project there. The board thought it was a great idea, so he started asking for help from his boy scout troop in North Tonawanda.

On his first clean up last December, 37 volunteers showed up, removing 230 bags of old railroad papers from offices on the 4th floor. It was extremely hard work. Each bag had to be hand carried down 4 flights of stairs because the elevators have not worked in years.

It was only half the battle. The scouts realized they only made a small dent with the removal of old railroad papers.

Christopher decided to return to finish the job even though he had enough hours for his eagle scout badge.

This pass weekend Christopher, his parents, and another 34 volunteers went back to work on the 4th floor. This time they removed another 200 bags of papers.

With his efforts, Christopher hopes that the newly cleaned 4th floor can give developers a better idea on what is possible at Buffalo’s Central Terminal.