Broadway Market: Beyond Easter, Past & Future Visions – Presentation April 17

Thousands of visitors descend on the Broadway Market in the weeks before Easter in an annual tradition. They come from all over Buffalo and the suburbs. The market’s permanent vendors are joined by numerous temporary ones filling every nook and cranny. But what of the market when the Easter crowds are gone?

BROADWAY MARKET: BEYOND EASTER, PAST & FUTURE VISIONS will be discussed by Brian Kwong, researcher and Master’s candidate at the University at Buffalo on April 17, 2024. The presentation will be at the Harlem Road Community Center, 4255 Harlem Road. The meeting hosted by the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo will begin at 7 pm. The public is invited.

Although the Market site has undergone-numerous changes over time, three different physical structures in fact, the old-fashioned concept of selling farm fresh, exotic and unusual products here has remained unchanged since the Market’s inception.

The first Market structure burned down at the turn of the century. It was replaced by a high ceiling building, without heat, but twice as large as the original market. A third structure built in 1956, is the market’s current home, and has 90,000-square feet of retailing with two levels of free parking for 1,000 cars. In the mid-1980’s the City undertook a multi-million dollar renovation of the building which improved both lighting and access.

The Market has received news from the State of New York that it will receive millions of dollars to upgrade it once again. Brian will outline the plans currently being considered that will transform the Market and give it a whole new look.

Brian Kwong is a native of Queens, NY, and moved to Buffalo in 2018. Brian is the son of two immigrants from Laos and China. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University at Buffalo (UB) in 2022. Brian enlisted in the NY Army National Guard in 2019 and received a commission as an Engineer Officer through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in 2022. He graduated from the Engineer Basic Officer Leader Course (EBOLC) in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. He currently serves as a Platoon Leader for a horizontal engineer platoon and holds the rank of First Lieutenant. Brian will graduate with his Master of Architecture at UB in May 2024. Brian also works full-time as an Architect for Buffalo District, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), where he ensures the safety, quality, and on-time nature of construction contracts. His plans after graduating include becoming licensed as an architect.