By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo's once magnificent Central Terminal is on its way to restoration.
Thanks to the efforts of local preservationists, Erie County stepped forward with one million dollars for critical repairs.
Work began this past summer to proect the national landmark from harmful weather.
Roof repairs are underway and the long broken tower and concourse windows have been sealed.
Russell Pawlak is President of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation. He said the first priority was halting the damage caused by twenty years of neglect.
"With the idea being to keep the weather from outside the building," said Pawlak. "After a long period of time when the building was pretty much open to the eelements, to seal it up is going to do wonders for preserving the integrity of the structure."
Twenty years of debris has also been hauled away - 300 tons to date. And by year's end, grafitti will be gone from the mezzanine's beautiful art deco canopies.
But Pawlak said some things were removed long ago that he wishes were still there.
"It's really sort of sad and disheartening to get e-mails, and phone calls, and letters and postcards from people saying, 'oh, yeah, the Central Terminal mailboxes are in the art deco museum in Miami, Florida. The clock is in Chicago. The restaurant is in Chicago. Some of the art deco light fixtures are in New York City for sale," said Pawlak.
"So, in many cases the treasures have been spread far and wide."
Preservationists hope to one day reopen the terminal to the public, possibly as part of the Buffalo School system.