BFA Q&A with Marilyn Rodgers, Executive Director of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation

With the hiring of Marilyn Rodgers as the first Executive Director of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, the organization and building moves into a new era.  My original thought was to conduct an interview right after she was hired.  After giving the idea some more thought, I decided to let her get her new Terminal shoes wet before I asked.

Fast forward a month, I fired off five questions for her answer. Upon review of Marilyn Rodger’s answers, it was a good idea to wait the month.

Thank you Marilyn!

Can you give me a little background on yourself?

I’ve been actively involved in neighborhood and community redevelopment for about 15 years and believe that the upswing that Buffalo is experiencing has been built upon the backs of people living and working in our community and caring enough to say, “If no one else will go forward, we will.”

I have a degree in Nonprofit Administration and am a certified grant writer and, at one time, had the distinct pleasure of working as a consultant to the Honorable Henry J Nowak when he was instituting and developing the Housing Court Reform Project. I became involved with property management which transcended into asset repositioning of derelict properties, but always had both the desire and need to return to the nonprofit sector.

Now, as Executive Director/CEO of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp, that dream has been achieved.

When you saw that the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation was looking for an executive director, what inspired you to apply?

The Buffalo Central Terminal has always been in my spirit whether as a young child when my father worked both as a railroad cop and a driver for Van Dyke and later in the mid-80’s when I traded ersatz security duties for an office in the space, preparing to hold an event there.

Presently, the Terminal is a diamond in the rough, much like the surrounding neighborhood of Historic Polonia. The two, together, are primed for reinvestment and opportunity and I felt that I could assist in re-engineering the Terminal as an economic engine for the district while also assisting to save the structure that is so very important to our Western New York heritage.

You could say that the Terminal is as stubborn as I am. It has survived closure and irresponsible ownership, has been stripped of its integral physical amenities and has experienced decay, but still stands as a testament to Buffalo’s most endearing asset – its people – those who built it and those who wish to bring it back to a living, breathing, essential entity for our collective community.

The Terminal still stands due to the dedication of 15 years of volunteer effort and seems to beckon to us all that it is worth it – all we need to do is give it some TLC and let others know that it will survive and become the jewel it was meant to be with a new vision that is community-inclusive and looks forward to the future of our region.

In the short time you have been executive director, what for you personally has been the biggest surprise at the Central Terminal?

That’s a hard question. Surprise? The closest thing I can think of is the fact that an ever-flowing group of volunteers has kept this historic structure from demolition. So often we see last minute demos in our city, people coming to the scene too late, broken bricks and mortar along with dreams scattered on the sidewalk after the trucks leave. This hasn’t happened to the Terminal mostly due to that group of volunteers, but I also believe the Terminal, itself, won’t give up.

Sometimes I wonder if all the energies that have entered and exited the structure throughout the years are still there, cheering it on and spreading the desire and need for it to continue. I look at the visitor faces that, even though they have seen the Terminal before, still are in awe of its beauty and the majesty of the Concourse, the Art Deco design elements, the history and legacy of the place, while also recognizing their vision of it coming back. We can’t let it down, nor can we let the community down. The Terminal will come back. And, then, won’t all the naysayers be surprised?

What would you like to see happen at the Central Terminal within ten years?

I see the Terminal as a Center for Architecture, Engineering, Art & Education. A center where for profit architecture and engineering firms use its extremely flexible office spaces as their home while also interacting with components of our finest universities, colleges, technical and high schools to assist in the advancement of our future community and development professionals while also revering our past.

Further, with well over 500,000 square feet of space within the complex, the recognition of the Arts and its subtle interplay with the hardscape of architecture and engineering is a no-brainer. UCLA has an outstanding school of Art & Architecture that incorporates performance art, design and urban redevelopment that includes the segments of Architecture and Urban Design, Art, Design/Media Arts, Ethnomusicology, Music, and World Arts and Cultures/Dance that we could also emulate at the Terminal. I have recently met with Tod Kniazuk of ASI as well as funders and organizations in the past few weeks that recognize the need for performance, rehearsal, and prop master space in our city.

I am also meeting with representatives of various green energy companies that provide opportunity for Solar PV, Solar Thermal and possibly Geothermal which would allow us to open responsible space for lease, creating sustainable cash flow for additional rehabilitation and day-to-day maintenance.

What does the Central Terminal mean to the future of Buffalo and the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood?

It is my intent to work effectively with the surrounding community as I have done in the Historic West Village District of Buffalo. Developing the Terminal as the Center for Architecture, Engineering, Art & Education would increase attention to the area; tourism – stimulating our overall economy; and most importantly, job growth and educational opportunity. We could put Buffalo on the map for these types of services and collectives if we work together.

My desire for the Terminal, the CTRC, and our volunteers is to partner with area organizations and community leaders to remediate issues and enhance the overall look of the neighborhood, thereby stimulating interest and visits, as well as investment from individuals and our government. I havealready started working with Eddy Dobosiewicz to identify basic issues as well as remediation plans that include law enforcement and beautification projects.

I also see urban farming and art farms as tremendous economic incentive where local, organically produced produce could become the hallmark of the Broadway Market bringing in consumers during the week and weekends while art farms (see http://www.artfarms.org/video/artfarmsvideo/) would offer additional attraction and re-development of the community. Not only could these projects and programs offer attractions to local and regional citizens, but they would also encourage additional tourism which, as we all know, increases economic stability for our city as a whole. Yes, we have CanalSide and other attractions, but venues such as these would keep visitors here another day for additional dollars to our area.

We have the resources; we just need to work together to bring the Broadway-Fillmore area back to the prominence it deserves and it is my hope that the Central Terminal Restoration Corp will take a strong leadership role in this important community redevelopment.