Buffalo Mayoral Democratic nominee India Walton laid out her 7-point plan for improving the city’s East Side Friday.
Standing outside of the former Community Action Organization building at the corner of Humboldt Parkway and West Ferry Street, Walton said the now abandoned building is a perfect example of the divestment that has occurred for decades in city neighborhoods east of Main Street.
“I think we have put a lot of emphasis on what is shiny and new,” she said. “And we’ve allowed a lot of our existing assets to wither away. This is a city-owned property. This could be rehabbed into housing. It could be restored to its former glory as a hub of centralized community activity. A possible space for child care that we so desperately need in our community.”
Walton believes these types of investments, with public and private funding will help turn places like the CAO building in to net positives in the neighborhoods in which they reside in.
But Walton says the East Side is not a monolith and each neighborhood has its own complex needs.
“When I say the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution that means I expect to work in partnership with community organizations, stakeholders and neighborhood groups to ensure we plan, resource and implement real solutions that will move our city forward,” she said.
Walton’s plan includes improvements to park maintenance and infrastructure, an aggressive lead abatement program, housing and public safety plan which will tackle the root causes of violent crime.
