BUFFALO, N.Y. — A new way to encourage growth and investment in East Buffalo is literally blooming by the Tops on Jefferson Avenue where one year and three months ago 10 lives were taken in a racist mass shooting.
The project is called the Sunfields of Buffalo, named after the thousands of sunflowers, that were planted for it back in June.
“We planted between five and ten thousand seeds,” said Michael Gainer, the strategic planner behind the project and the director of Buffalo ReUse.
After the tragedy on 5/14, Gainer and his team wanted to breathe life into the neighborhood they call home on Northampton Street. They got permission from two vacant landowners at the corner of Riley Street and Jefferson Avenue, borrowed a tractor, rototiller, and got planting, never having done like this before.
“This Sunfields of Buffalo project is all about sharing hopefulness, spreading beauty, and giving people a purpose and something to feel good about here,” Gainer said.
Both lots are near or in full bloom as of this weekend and people are encouraged to stop by, take a photo or two and share it online using the #sunfieldsofbuffalo; just don’t take the flowers. The goal is to bring more attention and investment to the area.
“What we really want to convey to people is that there are people here, that live here, that care about this place. They really are invested in this place. They really want people to come here and feel safe and do business in this place and experience beauty in this place,” said Gainer.
Denise Hicks an East Buffalo resident wants to see her neighborhood grow but is still digesting what happened on May 14th.
But as she drove by the field of sunflowers Saturday, Hicks said the flowers made her turn around.
“It makes your heart feel better about the whole incident, it doesn't take away the pain it just relieves it for a minute,” Hicks said.
“This corner is beautiful because of the flowers, because they glow, and because they make Tops a better place to look at," she added.
While sunflowers are a nice addition to the neighborhood, they are temporary, and ultimately Gainer and Hicks want to see a different kind of seed sowed in the area.
“Our end game is not planting sunflower fields on the East Side of Buffalo. We want economic investment we want jobs here. We want businesses to set up shop here but it's one step at a time,” said Gainer.
That investment Gainer believes will start with encouraging people to visit East Buffalo, spend money at local businesses, and even volunteer with Buffalo ReUse. The Sunfields would likely be an introduction.
Next year Gainer hopes to get the City of Buffalo on board with a similar although much larger sunflower planting plan, as a way to also re-imagine other vacant city lots.
“Breathing life into a neighborhood, it's about giving people hope and it's spreading beauty and joyfulness,” he said.
And while no area likely needs the bright spot that sunflowers provide as much as Riley and Jefferson, to know it started there would be enough.
“It should never be forgotten and to show the flowers here, show it's being maintained, it's growing, becoming something positive that brings us all together. It makes your heart feel better,” said Hicks.
Buffalo ReUse will be hosting two supervised 'Pick Your Own' days at the Sunfields of Buffalo this Saturday, August 26, and Saturday, September 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More info will be posted on BuffaloReUse.com.
