Mayor Byron W. Brown today joined Buffalo Common Council President David Franczyk and City Comptroller Andrew SanFilippo to announce an interim management structure for the Broadway Market.
The City of Buffalo has held ownership of the Broadway Market since its inception over 100 years ago, with management by the Broadway Market Management Corporation (BMMC) since 1984. Effective October 31, 2008, the master lease agreement between the City of Buffalo and the BMMC will be terminated and the BMMC will be dissolved.
“The Broadway Market is one of our city’s most historic locations and it continues to play an important role in the daily lives of our residents,” said Mayor Brown. “I’m thankful to Buffalo Common Council President David Franczyk and City Comptroller Andrew SanFilippo for their dedication to maintaining the operation of the Broadway Market, and each of them has made significant contributions to the continuing effort to ensure that the Market stays open and flourishes.
“But the reality is we need experienced professional management services to make certain the Broadway Market moves forward and continues to provide the shopping opportunities that are essential to its customers. To that end, I’m very pleased that Delaware North Companies and Travers Collins & Company, both city-based businesses, have agreed to provide loaned executives and support for the Broadway Market at no cost to the city on an interim basis. With companies of this magnitude coming on board, along with the strong support of the Broadway Market Tenants Association and the grassroots Friends of the Broadway Market initiative, I am confident we will see a revived and fully functioning Broadway Market in its original location.”
“I’m gratified that Mayor Brown and his Administration has taken quick and decisive action to ensure that the Broadway Market, one of our greatest regional assets, will continue to function and, in fact, will flourish for many years to come,” said Buffalo Common Council President David Franczyk.
“I’m hopeful that today will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the venerable institution we know as the Broadway Market,” said Comptroller Andrew SanFilippo. “I’m pleased to join the mayor and the council president in signaling the city’s commitment to the future of the Broadway Market and to the neighborhood surrounding it. Armed with a new vision, I’m confident we can rejuvenate the Broadway Market experience for residents and visitors alike.”
“Much like the market, Delaware North Companies has a long history in Buffalo,” said Dennis J. Szefel, chief administrative officer of the global hospitality company founded in Buffalo in 1915.
“So when asked by the city to help during this interim period, we immediately determined it was the right thing to do given the Market’s history and importance to the community and the company’s commitment to giving back to the communities in which we live and work – from Buffalo to Los Angeles – through various private-public partnerships.”
“The Broadway Market is an icon in our community and we are pleased to answer the Mayor’s call to assist in its rebirth,” said William M. Collins, APR, Principal, Travers Collins & Company. “Places like the Broadway Market define our community, its history and ethnicity and cannot be duplicated, so it’s in our collective best interests to join together in making it the success we know it can be.”
With the interim management structure in place, the City of Buffalo will soon issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for permanent management of the Broadway Market. The RFP is expected to be issued in November and it is anticipated that the new management structure could be in place by March 2009.
Delaware North will provide a shared executive onsite a few hours each day to work with the existing Broadway Market tenants association and gain insight into daily management operations and challenges. The day-to-day role is still being finalized, but will be coordinated by Michael Reinert, vice president of supply management services for the company.
Szefel said Delaware North’s primary objective is to serve as an adviser, providing recommendations on how the market can be more effectively managed and assisting the city with the RFP process.
Travers Collins & Company will provide marketing communications support, particularly during the popular holiday shopping seasons.
And today, with the release of his 2009 recommended capital budget, Mayor Brown has recommended the allocation of $107,000 for general capital improvements at the Market.
Recap of actions that have taken place recently:
· City formed a market advisory task force to help with marketing and ideas for new directions
· City repaired over a dozen lights in the parking lot and structure
· City cleaned sewer connections
· Over 75 interested tenants and market proponents met in series of action oriented meetings, which resulted in new energy and initiatives that are forming around the market.
