BNMC Awards Micro-Grants to 17 Local Organizations
Awarded programs and projects aim to showcase creative ideas and strengthen community
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus has selected 17 organizations out of more than 60 wp-contentlicants to receive a total of $36,500 in its first annual BNMC Spark micro-grant program. Local community members and organizations were invited to wp-contently for grant funding for projects and programs that help to showcase the neighborhoods adjacent to the Medical Campus as active, vibrant places. Among those selected include El Museo’s Art in Transit Project, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor’s “Salute to African American History Makers,” and a Community Wellness Initiative organized by the Mulberry Street Block Club. Funded programs include art projects, wellness programs, preservation efforts and skills development initiatives and many others. A full list of winners can be found at www.bnmc-old.local/spark.
According to Marc Pope, Community Program Manager for the BNMC, “The scope and variety of wp-contentlications was very impressive and it was difficult to narrow down the field to our final choices. The number of innovative ideas we received speaks to the community’s grassroots initiatives and creativity that will truly benefit local neighborhoods. We are proud to support the efforts of these community leaders to get their programs and projects off the ground or over the finish line.”
The Spark grants help programs or projects in a targeted zone around the Medical Campus that align with BNMC’s key goals of cultivating a safe accessible, active, and inclusive district that fosters health and wellbeing and is supported by smart sustainable infrastructure; strengthening the community with economic opportunities benefiting local youth, residents, businesses, and neighborhoods; and driving innovation, job growth, and economic development. Priority was also given to those initiatives that focus on access to healthy food and active living opportunities; neighborhood improvements including beautification, walkability and enhanced transportation options; arts and culture; energy and sustainability; youth and education; and access to jobs and economic opportunities.
BNMC Spark grants are designed to help organizations address funding needs or gaps for programs or projects that can be completed in 2018. While the BNMC has supported local organizations and initiatives for many years, the BNMC Sparks micro-grant program was developed to formalize the process and to attract new programs and organizations that are aligned with the BNMC’s overall goals.
As a small business owner, it is hard to know where to start to make connections with those who make purchasing decisions for large institutions on the Medical Campus. In an effort to support local businesses and introduce them to decision makers, the BNMC and its partners created the Procurement Work Council in 2013, as an outcome of the University at Buffalo’s Opportunities Advisory Council, to find ways to better connect business owners to purchasing professionals on Campus and create business opportunities for local firms.
The Council is made up of representatives from Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University at Buffalo, ECMC, the City of Buffalo, the U.S. Small Business Administration, among others. The goal is to learn more about local businesses and to connect them with decision makers with an emphasis on minority, women and veteran-owned businesses.
The Council hosts quarterly “BNMCWorks” events designed to showcase local businesses to purchasers, including the highly successful matchmaking networking events. These events provide an opportunity for business owners to meet one-on-one with purchasers to make a short pitch about their business and begin business relationships.
Small businesses are often invited to Work Council meetings to share their offerings and it can result in new relationships formed. In fact, a portion of the meeting is dedicated to sharing referrals and providing recommendations to other purchasing managers, helping both the institutions meet their needs and in opening new doors for local entrepreneurs. For more information, contact Marc Pope, BNMC community project manager, at mpope@bnmc-old.local.
It might not feel like spring quite yet, but pretty soon the weather will turn and it’ll be time to dust off your bicycle and break out your walking shoes. As an employee on the BNMC, there are plenty of ways to commute to work that are not only healthy, but have less impact on the environment, and can save you money!
With a focus on creating a healthy community, our GoBNMC program encourages the use of fewer single-driver cars on and to Campus. Sign up for any of our transportation programs at GoBNMC.org to discover options and savings!
Commuting Options & GoBNMC Perks:
Public Transit: The newly renovated Allen Street Subway station is located right on Campus inside the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The NFTA has also extended bus routes from the Southtowns to the Medical Campus with pick-up and drop-off locations at Carlton and Ellicott streets. Ask your employer about the BNMC corporate subsidy of at least $20 for monthly metro passes and pre-tax savings for transit to make it even more economical.
Carpool: If driving with one or more colleagues, you can take advantage of preferred parking spaces and a carpooling pass that allows you to split the cost of parking with up to four people (only one car can park at any given time). Pre-tax payroll deductions may make this even cheaper.
Bike: We have plenty of bike racks on Campus and bike storage with 24/7 member-only access at the corner of Ellicott and Virginia. Need to get to a meeting or make a quick trip for lunch or errands? Grab one of the many Reddy Bikes on Campus at your convenience! Annual memberships are free for Medical Campus employees with the promo code GOBNMC2017 at reddybikeshare.com.
Need a ride after getting to campus without a car? Take advantage of the Zipcar Carshare program to use a vehicle for a flat rate (includes gas & insurance). Free membership and discounted rates are available for Medical Campus employees. We also offer Guaranteed Ride Home if something unexpected comes up and you need to be there quickly!
Walk: Enjoy the scenery and the health benefits by getting to Campus on two feet!
Minority, Women & Veteran-Owned Businesses Invited to Purchasing Event on BNMC
The BNMC will host a “matchmaker” networking event on Thursday, March 22 designed to connect owners of small, local businesses with professionals who make purchasing decisions for the institutions on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and partner organizations. The event is free and open to all local businesses, with a particular emphasis on those businesses that are minority, women or veteran-owned, while space allows.
WHEN: Thursday, March 22 from 2 PM – 5 PM, Sign-up for meetings beginning at 1:45 PM
WHERE: Gaylord Cary Room in the Research Studies Center at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Across from Main Hospital Entrance)
WHO: The matchmaker networking opportunity will provide short one-on-one conversations with purchasing executives at the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park, and Kaleida Health on the BNMC, and other large purchasers including M&T and Catholic Health System.
Informal networking and light refreshments will also be available to participants throughout the event.
The event is designed for any local and women, minority and veteran business owners who want to learn how to do business with large institutions. This follows a highly successful event held in September that attracted nearly 70 participants.
Pre-Event Preparation: Interested participants are also invited to join a free pre-event webinar hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration on March 15 at 10 AM -11 AM to learn more about preparing materials, doing market research, creating a capability statement, and other issues pertinent to working with the Medical Campus institutions. The webinar can be found at http://events.sba.gov
The event is sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) and Roswell Park. Download the flyer.
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. www.bnmc-old.local.
For more information, contact:
Marc Pope
Community Program Manager
Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
mpope@bnmc-old.local | 716.218.7358
Green Team Keeps the BNMC Shining While Building Skills And Gaining Employment
If you have spent time on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus or in the BNMC’s Innovation Center, you have probably encountered one or more members of our “Green Team,” a group of individuals currently working as part of an wp-contentrentice-style program while handling building maintenance and landscaping for the BNMC. The small but impactful program helps nearby residents gain a variety of skills so that they can obtain, keep and realize success in future jobs.
The Green Team currently includes members of Buffalo’s refugee population who are working to improve their language skills along with their knowledge and abilities in areas that will provide opportunities for full-time employment. A total of 11 residents of the City of Buffalo have successfully completed or are currently part of the program, with members successfully “graduating” into new full-time, permanent jobs.
The workforce development program was created to provide a holistic wp-contentroach to preparing people who may have barriers to employment with the practical and life skills needed to be successful. In addition to building skills and experience by maintaining the BNMC’s multiple properties on the Medical Campus, the team also has classroom training in skilled trades such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC, and horticulture. A dedicated workshop, built by Green Team members and the BNMC team together at the Innovation Center, is used for both practical purposes and hands-on training.
Recognizing that life circumstances can create issues that negatively impact successful employment, the program also includes education and guidance in areas such as communication, financial literacy, time management, computer skills, resume writing and much more. We also work with our team to overcome hurdles to employment including obtaining a driver’s license and or finding childcare when necessary. Personal mentoring for team members is also an integral part of the program to better understand some of their challenges and to help them overcome barriers to future success.
Start your exploration of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus by registering and picking up your program in the Innovation Center lobby, 640 Ellicott St. Free parking is available across the street.
WHAT
This free, half-day event invites students in 7-12th grade, along with an accompanying adult, to tour state-of-the-art Campus facilities and experience hands-on STEM activities at each site.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from experts at Buffalo Manufacturing Works, Hauptman-Woodward Institute, the Jacobs Institute, Oishei Children’s Hospital, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, UB Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, UB NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, and Unyts.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Test drive the Robotic Surgery Simulator
See an active research laboratory
Try on a pair of Cinemavision googles
See where more than 50 simulation scenarios take place
Watch a pre-recorded surgery
Learn about crystals and how they are formed and used to study diseases
See robotic demonstrations and 3D printers in action
BNMC to Explore Ways to Create Greener, Safer and More Accessible Main Street Through Smart Infrastructure
When the City of Buffalo begins its $13 million streetscape improvement project on Main Street this spring, the BNMC team will work alongside them to identify opportunities for integrating smart transportation infrastructure and technology into the design to create a greener, safer, and more efficient streetscape ready for future transportation advancements.
The Smart Corridor Plan will focus on opportunities for improving multi-modal traffic efficiency, emissions reduction, access and mobility, and safety by incorporating leading-edge technology such as Internet of Things sensors, artificial intelligence, and streetscape design in the corridor’s transportation system. Design elements and technology improvements to be considered are wireless communications; sensing technologies; dynamic traffic control and crossing signalization; smart parking technologies; transit technologies including real time data and systems coordination; and renewable energy and energy efficiency wp-contentlications. Specific recommendations and anticipated costs for improvements to the City’s central thoroughfare between Goodell Street and Humboldt Parkway will be included.
The BNMC received $75,000 in funding for the project from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and New York State Department of Transportation.
We are hwp-contenty to announce our Spring 2018 Startup School Series! The program is made up of seminars and workshops designed to provide entrepreneurs and startup business teams with the education and guidance they need to successfully design, launch, and grow their new companies. All sessions are free and open to the community, but registration is required via the links below.
Wednesdays from 12-1:30 PM | LEARN at the Innovation Center, 640 Ellicott St.
March 14, 2018 | Hiring Your First Employees with Holly Nowak, HMN Resources, LLC Register
March 21, 2018 | Developing Your Brand with Rob Wynne, Wynne Creative Group Register
April 4, 2018 | Perfecting Your Pitch with Rob Hunter, HigherMe Register
April 11, 2018 | Lifting Off With Analytics with Adam Stotz, TROVE Register
April 18, 2018 | Introduction to Blockchain with Jon Spitz & Paul Neubecker, Z80 Labs Register
April 25, 2018 | Podcasting for Business with Nate Benson, 43North Register
May 2, 2018 | Crowdsourcing for Business with Sam Marrazzo, BNMC Register
May 16, 2018 | Protecting Your Intellectual Property with Robert Simpson, Simpson & Simpson, PLLC Register
May 23, 2018 | SEO for Startups with Anthony Blatner, ModernMedio.io Register
Finding fresh, nutritious food in the workplace can sometimes be a challenge, especially with the lure of sugary snacks or vending machine fare close by. A number of area employers are trying to change that and are working together in the Buffalo Healthy Workplace Initiative, led by the BNMC, to make their workplaces healthier.
Funded through a five-year Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (CHSC) grant from the NYS Department of Health that the BNMC is a lead partner on, the goal of the public health initiative is to reduce major risk factors of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases in 85 high-need school districts and associated communities statewide. As part of the grant, the Buffalo Healthy Workplace Initiative brings together diverse employers to learn from each other, develop best practices, and improve their focus on creating a healthier workplace for their employees.
Local employers including New Era Cap Company, GObike Buffalo, Walsh Duffield, the BNMC, Harmac Medical Products, Independent Health and others are working together and within their own organizations to make the healthy choice the easy choice for their employees. For many company health champions, sharing ideas and celebrating successes with others helps to keep motivation high.
There are currently 21 employers in the program with a goal of reaching 50 within three years. The BNMC’s healthy communities catalyst, Beth Machnica, leads participating companies through an initial assessment of their current health and wellness programs, helps identify areas for improvement, and facilitates connections to local community programs and resources that can help make healthy improvements in their workplace. A post-assessment is also planned to quantify results. The group meets monthly to learn from each other.
If you or your company is interested in becoming a champion of creating healthy workplace culture, visit BNMC.org/healthyworkplace or contact Beth Machnica at emachnica@bnmc-old.local to learn more.
All Aboard! Connecting People to Places on the BNMC
Getting around the BNMC just got easier! We recently launched the Discovery & Link shuttles, allowing worry-free transportation for employees from their car to their destination. With the temperatures regularly below freezing this winter, our shuttles eliminate cold, snowy walks and provide (car) door-to- (workplace) door service! The Discovery shuttle route goes around the BNMC, stopping at Conventus, UB Jacobs School of Medicine, Oishei Children’s Hospital, Buffalo Medical Group, Allen/Medical Campus NFTA station, and parking lots at 1145 Main Street, 980 Ellicott Street and 589 Ellicott Street. The Link shuttle runs from the Gallagher Lot at the old Children’s Hospital to the new Oishei Children’s Hospital and the UB Jacobs School of Medicine. The schedule for both shuttles is located here.
Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples Stokes is all things Buffalo. Crystal is a proud graduate of the Buffalo Public Schools and Buffalo State College and a former educator at B.U.I.L.D Academy. In this episode, Matt and Crystal talk about her passions for health care and education, the successes she’s had in government fighting for diversity and MWBE contracts, and the ways in which Buffalo’s Community Schools are acting as a model for other cities sin New York and around the country.
BNMC’s Neighborhood Explorer Program is designed to better connect our 16,000 employees with more than 75 local businesses around the Medical Campus in the Allentown, Fruit Belt, and Downtown neighborhoods, and offers employees the opportunity to enjoy discounts and experience businesses in the area in a fun and exciting way.
Employees receive BNMC Neighborhood Explorer Sticker to be adhered on the back of employer ID badge.
ID badge with sticker must be presented to businesses in order to receive discount.
Businesses will also receive newly rebranded window clings to help identify themselves as a participating business offering employees a discount.
View participating businesses and discounts offered at BNMC.org/explorer
HOW DO I RECEIVE MY STICKER?
Please sign up at BNMC.org/explorer. Stickers will be distributed at BNMC events, including Beakers & Beer and at Roswell Park’s Market in the Park.
ENJOY!
Patronize and discover local businesses near the Medical Campus, experience our neighborhoods, and become a part of the community. Sign-up to receive the Neighborhood Explorer Card and start enjoying the benefits of the community you work in!
Talking Cities is the place where we investigate cutting-edge innovations for cities in America and beyond, featuring people working to create vibrant, healthier, more sustainable communities. We’re proud to say that we have highlighted 50 local, national and international guests and their work in building strong, thriving communities. Subscribe to Talking Cities today!
We’re thrilled to bring you the 4th Annual BNMC Student Open House on Saturday, April 21, 2018 from 9am-12pm! Students in 7-12th grade, along with an accompanying adult, are invited to tour Campus facilities and experience hands-on activities at each site. Attendees will hear from experts at our Campus institutions, such as:
Matt Enstice, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus & host of “Talking Cities,” stops by Bell Ringer to talk cities– Buffalo to be exact. Hear an update from Matt on how the BNMC continues to drive innovation and job creation in our region. Bell Ringer is a podcast by Invest Buffalo Niagara, our region’s economic development agency charged with supporting business attraction, expansion and entrepreneurship.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is inviting local community members and organizations to wp-contently for grant funding for projects that help to strengthen the community in neighborhoods adjacent to the Medical Campus. Through BNMC Spark, a micro-grant funding pilot, the BNMC will award a total of $30,000 in 2018 with maximum grants to individual organizations for $5,000 for project grants and $2,000 for program grants. BNMC Spark grants are designed to help organizations address funding needs or gaps for programs or projects that can be completed in 2018. Learn more at www.bnmc-old.local/spark or by calling Marc Pope at 716-218-7358.
The newly opened $270 million John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital was a page turner in the latest chapter of the burgeoning downtown Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
So was the December opening of the University at Buffalo’s $375 million new home for its Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
The completion of the new projects mark a turning point for the 120-acre campus at the epicenter of Buffalo’s renaissance.
In 2002, the campus was in its infancy with just three companies. Now boasting 4.5 million square feet of development and $1.4 billion in investments, the campus has moved beyond just medical institutions. It has taken shape with a diverse mix of health care, life science and technology companies, becoming fertile ground for entrepreneurs and their startups.
There is still more to come.
Campus planners are aiming for BNMC to rival medical campuses in places like Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Among the next steps are strengthening ties with higher education and the private sectors.
“We are so well positioned with all the institutions and assets that are here and now want to embrace the excellent universities and colleges,” said Matthew K. Enstice, CEO and president of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Inc. “We plan to build out” – meaning renovate – “more space for them to have a location so they can interact and be a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that we have here.”
A big part of that vision is twp-contenting into local small and large companies, especially mature ones, and including them in the campus’ vision for its innovation district. “The world is changing so quickly in technology, that we’re putting a structure in place to help multiple, different companies innovate,” Enstice said.
Here’s what’s coming next on the Medical Campus:
• Design work is expected to start for renovation of existing buildings on the former Osmose Holdings site. In 2016, BNMC bought the 4.4-acre parcel, which is located at the northern edge of campus at Ellicott and Best streets and has parking for 200. It is expected to be a magnet for mature private-sector companies, along with universities and colleges, but will not be a second incubator, BNMC officials say.
• Ellicott Development Co. has a $4 million adaptive reuse development project underway at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, just north of the campus at Main and Best streets. To the south, Ellicott is planning a six-story retail and office building at 1091 Main St.
• Along the western edge of the campus, design work will begin for a redo of a critical stretch of Main Street from Goodell toward Canisius College. Meanwhile, a $7.5 million overhaul of Allen Street, including redesigned sidewalks and widened sections of the street, is expected to begin. Work will be done in phases, stretching from the eastern end of Allen toward Wadsworth.
• Workers will put the finishing touches on the exterior of UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, which opened to students earlier this month at 955 Main St. Final terra cotta panels are being installed on the Washington Street side of the building by spring. Most of the university’s labs are being moved in from mid-January through mid-March. With the medical school fully operational, 2,000 faculty, staff and students will be there daily.
• The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s newly renovated Allen Medical Campus Station has been integrated into the medical school. The station features “Gut Flora,” a colorful public art sculpture by Shasti O’Leary Soudant, and a newsstand opens this month. A one-block tunnel that serves as a pedestrian passageway to Washington Street will open beneath the medical school.
• The campus’ ninth pedestrian skybridge will be designed and constructed later in the year. It will span High Street, linking the Conventus medical office building to the UB Medical School. The new $1.5 million connector comes after three other skybridges just opened in November: one from Conventus to Oishei Children’s Hospital, another from Children’s Hospital to Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, and a third leading out the back of Children’s Hospital to a new parking ramp at 854 Ellicott St.
• By late May, the $40 million, 1,825-space parking ramp behind Oishei Children’s Hospital at 854 Ellicott will be completed. The top half of the eight-story ramp has been under construction since late 2017. The bottom half of the eight-story ramp opened Nov. 10 with Oishei Children’s Hospital.
• The 128,000-square-foot Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center at 640 Ellicott St. will be completely full by the end of March.
After Amherst native Matthew K. Enstice wrwp-contented up stints in the entertainment industry that took him to Broadway Pictures in Los Angeles and “Saturday Night Live” in New York City, his career dramatically swerved back to Buffalo.
He landed at the helm of the nonprofit organization overseeing the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Now, 17 years later, Enstice finds himself at the pulse of the expanding campus footprint, as he guides a shifting momentum in the campus’ growth.
With a collective projected workforce of 16,000 this year, the Medical Campus continues to make its mark – from hospitals to clinical and research facilities.
“We deliver health care here, and we’re going to do high-end health care here, but it’s changing,” said Enstice, president and chief executive officer of BNMC Inc. “Health care, as you know it, is a very, very different place. As that changes and evolves, you’re going to see opportunities in our community to utilize technology to develop companies for the future.”
The Medical Campus is already home to startup companies, entrepreneurs building businesses and high-tech companies. The momentum shows no signs of tapering off.
The future vision for the campus reflects a dedicated shift toward making room for local companies as they cut their teeth on new initiatives. The Medical Campus also looks to expand its innovation district to a 4.4-acre site on the northern edge of campus that once was the home of Osmose Holdings.
A visionary with high energy, Enstice is related to the prominent Jacobs family. His late father-in-law, Dr. Lawrence D. Jacobs, was a neurologist and world-renowned researcher specializing in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Often wearing a blue or white button-down shirt and khakis, he is known for his casual attire and carefree manner. He rarely breaks out a tie or suit.
Enstice recently met with The Buffalo News inside the campus Innovation Center to talk about the campus’ growth and future.
Q: What do monumental projects such as Children’s Hospital and the UB medical school say about the future of the campus?
A: People talked in years past that Children’s wasn’t moving over and there was a lot of controversy. But I think it showed how the community coming together can do great things, and that’s what Children’s is a true sign of.
Right now, the (medical school) has a major presence in the city. That, to me, is a game changer that I don’t think we can define right now.
I was sitting there at the opening, looking right out the window down Allen Street, and it was just amazing to envision what is Allen going to be like. What was so wild to see, was that I used to never see people walking there and there must have been 20 or 30 people coming out of that subway. It’s just the fact that we have so much traffic starting to develop down here. And that’s a real positive.
It’s just the beginning of more opportunities for our community to leverage these great assets and great organizations being here on the campus.
Q: How does Buffalo’s regional health care hub fit within the national mix?
A: I think that we’re one of the leading innovation districts. I just don’t think about it as health. If you look back to what Jerry Jacobs commissioned for looking at the future of medicine, it’s changing dramatically. And I believe we’re very well positioned because of our computer science school, our school of engineering and our ability to be leaders in the technology field. That’s what I think of.
So, we’ve been on the map. Having Children’s and the medical school down here, puts it on the map even more.
What we need to figure out how to do, and what we really want to do, in our next phases of development is to integrate the school of engineering and the schools of business.
How does Canisius College play a role here? How does Niagara University play a role here? How does Buffalo State College play a role here? We are so well positioned with all the institutions and assets that are here. So we plan to build out more space for them to have a location so they can interact and be a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that we have here.
Q: What kind of involvement?
A: Let’s look at the future of medicine and all the work that we’re doing in energy, all the work that we’re doing in transportation. What’s the major driver behind those industries as they’re changing? It’s technology. We’re well positioned in building our community out to have a technology foundation that can enable health care, energy, transportation.
I’m talking this campus. We have all the resources. I don’t think we’ll build a building for a college. We want to build an environment where local businesses, big companies, are going to have a presence here.
Our plan is to build out space to embrace the local economy. I think, for too long, a lot of local businesses have not been engaged, because there hasn’t been a vehicle.
I believe that if you look across as to what’s going to help strengthen local companies, they have to be a part of what we’re doing. I think we can all help one another. That is what this is all about. How do we build a platform and a foundation in technology for everybody? Tech is not the next chapter. It’s the current chapter. It’s really what is going to be our great opportunity for the future.
We’ll use the footprint of the existing (Osmose) space that we have. As of right now, we are not planning to build a new building in the near future. We are planning to renovate the existing space. I think, over time, various companies will start to come in, but within the year is our goal is to start to see this development really start to take off.
Q: What would you say to naysayers who didn’t think this vision for the campus would ever materialize in the fashion that it has so far?
A: If you stay together and you’re straightforward and honest with one another, great things can hwp-contenten. That is at the core of what builds all the great stuff that’s down here on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus … If you look at the 4.5 million square feet of development, the $1.4 billion worth of investment, that was because people worked, planned, developed together.
Q: What is the greatest challenge facing the campus?
A: I think the greatest challenge is that people continue to work together and support one another … I think the biggest challenge you have is that sometimes people forget what got you here.
Q: Parking is a constant complaint or concern, and there’s a huge push to get people to use public transit more.
A: We have off-campus shuttles running. We have public transportation being utilized and programs in place. And it’s starting to work. People are actually trying it and it’s working. While it’s not perfect, it is an option. And so to me, we will always have a parking spot here for every patient and visitor that comes down here.
What we would hope to see is that more people live in and around the campus, in and around the subway station.
The mayor continues to talk about reinvesting in Main Street with infrastructure. He’s committed $10 million so far, going toward Canisius. We want to see the mayor continue on that and go all the way and connect us to Canisius College. … I believe if you continue to do that, you’ll see more residential units pop up on Main Street. You’ll see more people using the transit. That’s what we want to see.
Q: There are signs of spinoff development in Allentown. But for the Fruit Belt neighborhood, there always seems to be an undercurrent of concern, gentrification, trying to preserve the Michigan Avenue corridor, and a push for more parking. What do you foresee for the Fruit Belt?
A: For the Fruit Belt, I hope that there’s continued investment there in the infrastructure. The mayor has done a great job at fixing the streets, the sidewalks, the trees and the lights. I hope they continue to do that because I want to see more people invest in that neighborhood. … We believe that will be a positive if the community is part of the solution there.
I’m really intrigued by what’s going on in Masten, Fruit Belt and Allentown – to me, they’re very similar in the sense that they’ve always been engaged in a part of the process with what’s going on with the campus. Everybody’s always talked about it. Everybody’s had a light on it.
What I’m interested in is what is going on to the north. We believe there’s going to need to be more of an engagement there. I think it’s a community that people maybe have not paid as much attention to. But they’re on the border of all this stuff that’s going on here. So, it’s probably already hwp-contentening and we don’t know it.
Matt talks with Bill Maggio, a health care, medical diagnostics, and business development executive from Buffalo, New York. They talk about the Jacobs Institute’s recently released landmark report on The Future of Medicine, and the role of health care systems in transforming how care is delivered. Bill highlights his role as an investor as well as a leader in the local start-up community as past chair of 43North business competition to spur economic development in Buffalo. They touch on his lifelong love of music as a classically-trained pianist as well as the impact rowing has had on his life.
Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) to Create Smart Corridor for Main Street
Plan to be developed to integrate smart transportation infrastructure and technology to create an innovative, greener, safer, and more accessible street
Buffalo, N.Y., January 11, 2018 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) has received $75,000 in funding to develop an innovative solution for smart transportation infrastructure and technology, on Main Street along the BNMC, in downtown Buffalo. The BNMC project will complement the City of Buffalo’s ongoing Complete Streets initiative.
The project, Creating a Smart Corridor Plan for Main Street in Buffalo, N.Y., will focus on the current conditions, best practices and opportunities for improving energy efficiency, emissions reduction, access and mobility, and traffic safety on a densely populated section of Main Street. The study will result in specific recommendations and anticipated costs for improvements to the City’s central thoroughfare that runs from downtown, northeast to the City’s northern suburbs.
The study, which is being funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and New York State Department of Transportation, supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s nation-leading energy goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.
The study will be conducted at the same time that the City of Buffalo is beginning the design process for a large-scale $13 million streetscape improvement project on Main Street from Goodell Street to Ferry Street, adjacent to the Medical Campus. The BNMC and the City of Buffalo plan to work together to identify opportunities for the implementation of smart transportation infrastructure and technology at the same time. The primary goal of the project will be to create a more innovative streetscape to ensure a greener, safer, more efficient and integrated transportation system for the future.
Main Street in the City of Buffalo, already a densely populated, mixed-use street with a multiple transportation options, has undergone a tremendous amount of new development, particularly near the thriving BNMC. It has been identified as a top priority for reconstruction though multiple planning efforts. As the area grows, there has been increasing interest in updating aging infrastructure, adding traffic calming measures, improving pedestrian and bicycling access and infrastructure, and improving access to the Metro Rail Stations along Main Street.
According to William Smith, Director of Access and Planning for BNMC, “The funding affords us the ability to identify opportunities to improve the street for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists while at the same time, to plan for the future with new technologies such as sensing technologies, wireless communications, autonomous vehicles, and dynamic and smart parking technologies that can help Buffalo become a model of efficiency, safety, and more sustainable environmental wp-contentroaches.” He added, “The timing is ideal, as we have the opportunity to work with the City of Buffalo as they embark on streetscape improvements that may allow us to integrate our recommendations simultaneously, vastly improving Main Street for all.”
“The Main Street corridor through the Medical Campus area is ripe for infrastructure improvements to compliment the development that continues to transform this area. My administration has led the way in initiating the transformation of Buffalo’s transportation network following the Complete Streets model that accommodates bicycles, pedestrians and motorists in an equitable manner. Working with the BNMC on this grant will afford the opportunity to advance the Complete Streets model with the latest technology,” Mayor Byron W. Brown said.
Work on the Smart Corridor Plan will begin this year and include developing an RFP process to choose a subcontractor who will work with BNMC and the City on smart corridor design considerations, anticipated benefits and associated costs; developing a project steering committee to guide the project, ensure coordination among stakeholders, provide relevant data, insight and information, and to review and comment on project findings; and developing a Smart Corridor recommendations report which will include a review of existing plans, technologies and conditions, an outline of best practices and potential opportunities, and specific recommendations and anticipated costs.
As part of its effort to develop a set of recommendations on design and technology considerations, BNMC expects to focus on elements including wireless communications; sensing technologies; connected and autonomous technologies including connected safety systems; dynamic traffic control and crossing signalization; smart parking technologies; transit technologies including real time data and systems coordination; and renewable energy and energy efficiency wp-contentlications.
In addition to the City of Buffalo, BNMC expects to work with representatives from BNMC member institutions, transportation service providers, utility companies, surrounding neighborhoods, and local and national experts in the field of smart transportation and city planning. The overall project is expected to be completed in 12 months.
About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. www.bnmc-old.local.
There’s a new gateway to the BNMC, for both pedestrians wp-contentroaching from the Allentown neighborhood, as well as transit riders disembarking at the Allen-Medical Campus station. UB’s new building, the state-of-the-art Jacobs School of Medicine, provides employees, students, and neighbors a new experience as they enter the Medical Campus. Transit riders come up the escalator into a gleaming new station, complete with bright public art and digital wayfinding. The Medical School, Buffalo’s signature transit-oriented development, allows passage through to the Medical School today, and will soon help connect employees and patients to many of the buildings across the BNMC. In addition, the Washington Street side of the transit station has reopened, providing easy access into the heart of the BNMC.
Learn more about our healthier, sustainable and more affordable transportation options at GoBNMC.org.
In this episode, Matt talks with Eric Reich, co-founder of Campus Labs, an integrated software and cloud-based assessment tool that helps its nearly 1,400 higher education Member Campuses make informed decisions though strategic data and insights. Eric shares his thoughts on the future of higher education and how real change occurs when leadership isn’t afraid to take risks and pivot when provided with valuable data.
On Wednesday, December 27, 2017, the BNMC held “Home for the Holidays” at the Innovation Center, an event designed to inform and inspire expats about the growing opportunities on the Medical Campus and throughout the area. More than 40 former Buffalonians now living in cities like New York, Boston, D.C., Nashville, Austin and Portland arrived in the bitter cold eager to hear about the buzz in their hometown and left with a renewed sense of excitement in the possibility of returning to the city they once left. Watch the coverage from Channel 2. Are you or someone you love interested in coming home to Buffalo? Join our mailing list for information about moving back.
