BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo's Central Terminal. It stands tall in the middle of the Fillmore district. Some see it as an oasis in the middle of abandoned homes and cracked and dirty sidewalks. It conducts a big decline to the surrounding east side neighborhood.
"I remember it being butt to butt, knee to knee, and head to head," resident Diane Gadomski said.
Two blocks away, 2 On Your Side came across David Franczyk, looking at the traffic driving by.
"The bad days are behind us. Nobody is saying any more to tear it down like they did when I was in office," Franczyk said. "Tear it down and get rid of it."
He's a former council member who held office for three decades. While he started to pick up fallen tree limbs from his backyard, he couldn't help but look back at his time fighting to bring the hustle and bustle back to the landmark.
Why was it so hard to have it restored?
"Buffalo hasn't had its renaissance yet. It was still a declining city, losing population. Now we're a rising population," Franczyk said.
Not to mention the constant court fights about private ownership of the building and backed taxes. A news conference with the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, along with developers, announced plans to restore the terminal. They have help with $61 million from the state.
They've been restoring the stability of the terminal. However, Buffalo residents have heard these same conversations multiple times. So, they're thinking about what will make this time different.
We asked James Morrell. He's a chairman of the Central Terminal Restoration Board.
What makes this year different for everyone to believe it?
"We have a great leadership team," Morrell said. "And we have the commitment from the state, $61 million, so we're off to a great start. What we've done with $5 million was great. Wait until you see what we do with the $61 million."
Residents can still remember the past.
"I remember it being butt to butt, knee to knee, and head to head. Many people say, 'Well, that's a quiet, dead area right now. I don't want to go over there.' I would love to see it done before I go. But I don't know."
We also spoke to a few residents who didn't want to be on camera. Many of them are skeptical and doubt the restoration will happen. In fact, some people think it's a waste of time.