19 St. homeowner welcomes overnight guests

West Side property owner, Joe Galvin, has recently registered one of his homes on 19^th Street on an Airbnb website, which is  used for people to list, find and rent lodgings. This home was purchased back in 2007, a time when the conditions in the neighborhood were unsafe due to the crime rates stemming from gang violence, drugs, and prostitution. As many people feared staying in the neighborhood, placing for-sale signs on their front lawns, Galvin continued his renovation process by investing in the homes and staying in the crime-ridden area. The 19^th Street home listed on the Airbnb website has contributed to increasing the value of the neighborhood and overall quality. By Darius Crolle and Shavella Saint Preux

Co-op plans expansion to Hertel Avenue

Employee Eric Kendall stocks shelves at the Lexington Co-Op

The Lexington Cooperative Market has been in the Elmwood Village for more than 40 years, in about six months it   will be expanding and opening a second location at 1678 Hertel Ave.

Tim Bartlett, general manager of the co-op  Stressed that the success of the Elmwood location has played a big part in opening a second location. 

“We opened for business in 1971 over on Lexington Avenue and we moved to Elmwood in 2005, and the success of the store has been phenomenal,” Bartlett said.

Over the years the co-op  has grown from bringing in $2 million in sales at the Lexington location, to currently bringing in over $12 million in sales and serving more than 11,000 customers a week at the Elmwood location.

“I think the co-op   has really grown into being both a natural food store and a convenience store for the neighborhood,” Bartlett said.

Individuals can become members by buying a share for an $80 one-time fee.

Since there is not a single owner that will guarantee a loan, the owners have through a capital campaign  raised $2 million in unsecured money to get the Hertel Avenue project going.

The co-op  employs 85 people and expects to employ 50 to 60 more with  the opening of the Hertel location. The new location will be based on the same model as the current store, but will be twice the size and offer full-service meat and seafood. The current goal is to open in June 2016. By Troy Licastro and Tony Reyes

IN DEPTH: Buffalo winters don’t scare bicyclists

          Biking in Buffalo has become a major phenomenon lately and the bikers don’t seem to be intimidated  by the extreme weather during the winter, as long as they are properly prepared. Full story by Darius Crolle and Shavella Saint Preux

‘Friends’ needs men’s clothing donations

            Friends of Night People is in especial need for men’s clothing for this upcoming winter.

             “We have received a lot of clothing thus far from donations but for some strange reason are not getting a lot of men’s clothing,” said Barbra Williot, a volunteer leader for the organization.

            This reality is highlighted inside of the organization’s storage room where the clothing is sorted out and hung up in different sections. On the men’s clothing rack, there are no more than three jackets hung at the moment.

            This problem is a grave concern for the homeless men who depend on the Friends of Night People for the necessary clothing for the cold weather.

            “We hope that we can get more men clothing before this winter arrives,” Williot said.

            The Friends of Night People located on 394 Hudson St. and is open for donations from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. By Darius Crolle and Shavella Saint Preux

           

Construction on Elmwood ahead of schedule

Local drivers may be excited to hear the completion of the construction on the Elmwood Avenue Bridge has been bumped up.

The original finish date was set for Dec. 31, 2016 but with updated costs and a new construction schedule, the completion date is set to be Nov. 8, 2016.

“We’re shooting for early November,” said Dan Pafkie, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation.

This project has been going on since early June 2015, and it is going to take a while for the bridge to be completed according to DOT standards. It will reportedly cost a little over $10 million for this project to be completed from start to finish.

The goal of this project is to reconstruct the Elmwood Avenue Bridge that runs over the Scajaquada Expressway near SUNY Buffalo State. By Marcus Trueheart, Greg Twarozek and Kayla Yarington