Yesterday a group of eleven RIT graphic and industrial design majors gave their presentation on creating a new identity for the Market.

Under the guidance of  Associate RIT Professor Alex Bitterman, the group focused on re-branding the Market image with a list recommendations covering both the interior and exterior changes to building.  The idea is to bring a cohesive look to the Market on a number of levels.

[you can review the entire plan by clicking here – pdf]

It was an excellent presentation.

I liked the idea of highlighting the Market’s Art Moderne architectural features…they have become obscured over the years by many uncoordinated changes to the exterior.  Besides what a lot of people think, it can be a beautiful building and it compliments other Art Moderne buildings in the district.

What do you think?


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9 thoughts on “B is for the Broadway Market

  1. What do I think?

    I am with you on the Art Moderne look of the building.

    Over the last ten years, it does appear that no or proper attention was placed on the layout of the Market when assigning new stands.

    I never understood why the General Store was put in the center of the Market. It is walled and should not be there.

  2. While I appreciate the effort that the students and their professor Alex Bitterman put into this exercise, I’m a bit concerned about the money being expended every few years to change the look of the exterior. First we had an Urban Renewal change with brown brick planters and flag poles. That was later torn out. Then we recently had green wrap-around signs put on the corner of the market and the neon was refurbished. Then we had electronic signs put in. When will it end ? I’m wondering whether the permanency of any new look was addressed at all at the meeting.

  3. I reviewed the plan. The concepts are simple and are what I have seen many times before for the Broadway Market.

    I still prefer the Project for Public Spaces plan. The plan if I recall was put together by professionals from various fields.

    What’s the next plan? LOL

  4. I skimmed the report because I was most interested in the logo concept they came up with, and while I understand their reasoning for it, I’m not crazy about the overly simplistic design of the logo. B in a circle just feels lazy to me. Sorry, fellow RIT-ers.

  5. The students should be commended for their efforts. The more people with ideas for the Polonia Historic District… the better. Sure, when the day comes when real work begins at the Market (and the dollars to fund such and effort), professionals should be brought to the table. But for now…. Welcome RIT. Thanks for your time and talents…and for believing in the future of the Market and the neighborhood.

  6. Yeah, rereading my comment it sounded overly negative. I think the work they did was really good. It was an accurate description of the issues and good proposals for solutions. I’m just not a fan of the logo.

  7. Marty is right the students should be commended. But it should be noted that their charge was to help frame dialogue on possibilities for signage, facade enhancement, and a color scheme for the market. RIT was reached out to because of previous work that their professor conducted on projects for Broadway Fillmore while he was on staff for the UB School of Architecture and Planning and his work on the Rochester Public Market. He is a nationally recognized expert on a field known as place branding. Although he teaches design, he has a professional masters degree in architecture.

    Their charge was not to develop a new plan for the market or the neighborhood. The Project for Public Spaces plan for the market provides a strategic plan and concept for the turning around the market utilizing it as an anchor for food-centered development, but despite their incredible and still relevant recommendations for the market, their strategic plan did not provide any details on the micro design enhancements that they recommended. Every effort has been made to reach out to Villa Marie to get their project work, but nobody has so far provided their concept drawings or recommendations. We were able to find the architectural drawings for the previously proposed community kitchen, and those drawings were provided to the RIT student team. All available studies and plans were provided to the students as well. The hope was by having students who lacked familiarity and previous experience with the market could provide fresh eyes to the market.

  8. Stan,
    As the co-owner of Jabco General Store, I can tell you that my husband opened his business 20 years ago in a 10X10 foot space. His business has evolved by creating an excitement about Polish Heritage. He has continued to expand his business and has even opened the Polish Pottery kiosk. If he had not taken that space in the center it would be empty. While other businesses abandoned the Market, he expanded all with approval from prior Market Board members. He put his own money into building that wall because of constant theft after hours. If you had a business you would want to protect every piece of merchandise in your store. Jabco is the third largest tenant in the market after Save Alot and M&T Bank.
    All of our space per square foot is at full price and not at the storage rate like many of the other businesses in the Market. Even though we do not live in Broadway Fillmore,we do own two commercial buildings and support the neighborhood and its groups as much as we can.
    My husband helped bring Polish Pride back to the area. He designed a line of Polish t-shirts several years ago that created a buzz about the rich Polish culture from Broadway-Fillmore. Some may find them tacky but they are worn by thousands on Dyngus Day and throughout the year. We also sell them on our web site and have shipped them throughout the country Other t-shirt companies are copying our shirts now. When would you have seen a Polish Pride t-shirt being sold 10 years ago on trendy Elmwood Ave? This was all started by my husband when everyone else was afraid to say “yes I am Polish and I am proud of it”.

    We would have been better off financially if we had moved our business to the suburbs like Charlie the Butcher and Redlinski’s but our decision to stay at the Market has more to do with supporting the neighborhood, its culture and its history.

    Instead of criticizing the tenants that have supported the building and kept the area alive, everyone should support them more than just at Easter. All of the tenants will agree that this has been one of the worst years financially that any of them have ever had. Many are thinking of retiring, moving or just plain giving up. It’s time that the tenants receive support from the people of Buffalo because before you know it there will no longer be a Broadway Market to visit for Easter or any other time.
    Mirella Jablonski

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