2017 Livable Community Awards recap: A celebration of local innovation!

2017 Livable Community Awards recap: A celebration of local innovation!

2017 Livable Community Awards recap: A celebration of local innovation!
Posted on: November 8, 2017

The 2017 Livable Community Awards were a success! Held in downtown Buffalo at the Hotel at the Lafayette on September 28, the gala event recognized the developments, people, organizations, and municipalities that have made innovative contributions to the livability of Western New York communities. See accompanying videos and photos on this page.

Awardees included long-time Buffalo News columnist Donn Esmonde and author, entrepreneur, and Buffalo-booster Mark Goldman, both honored for their decades of effort to educate and inspire. For the adoption of Policies & Practices exemplifying New Urbanist and Smart Growth principles, the City of Buffalo was honored for its visionary Green Code zoning and development ordinance, while the Village of Hamburg was recognized for their collaborative main street revitalization and form-based zoning code. Mayor Byron Brown accepted the award for the City of Buffalo, and three Village of Hamburg trustees, Paul Gaughan, Laura Palisano Hackathorn, and Thomas Tallman, were honored for their more than a decade-long impact in reviving their village and making it a model for the rest of the country.

The two remaining categories of awards were Projects and Activism. In the projects category the honorees were: Canalside, Five Hundred Seneca, the Hotel at the Lafayette, Larkin Square, the Remington Lofts, and Buffalo RiverWorks. The activism category honorees were: the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for their walkability initiative, bicycle activist Justin Booth of GoBike Buffalo, Mayor Brian Kulpa of the Village of Williamsville, the City of Olean for its main street redesign, and Buffalo developer Rocco Termini.

Three prominent out-of-town architects—from Detroit, Rochester, and Summerville, SC—visited each project, met with each of the individual honorees in the projects and activism categories and, at the end of the event, selected the overall winners: Larkin Square (Larkin Development Group) and Justin Booth (GoBike Buffalo).

The event would not have been successful without the work of volunteers, members of the PLWNY Event Committee, the vendors who provided quality services (including videos of the honorees and event photography), and the generosity of more than 25 donors, including:

Acquest Development

Architectural Resources

Citizens Bank

Grasser & Associates

Iskalo Development

Magavern Magavern & Grimm

R&P Oak Hill

The Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo

Buffalo Urban Development Corporation

Full Circle Studios

Hodgson Russ

Kissling Interests

Montante Group

Signature Development

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Frizlen Group

William Harrington, Esq.

Anthony O. James, Architect

M&T Bank

Savarino Companies

Wendel

Chason Affinity Companies

Gerald Kelly Capital Corp

IRD Corp.

Larkin Development Group

Northwest Savings Bank

TRM Architecture Design & Planning

 

We thank everyone who attended the event and we look forward to continued community support of future Partners for a Livable Western New York activities.

Videos

Buffalo Green Code, Complete Streets Policy, & Bicycle Master Plan: City of Buffalo
Buffalo Green Code, Complete Streets Policy, & Bicycle Master Plan: City of Buffalo
Main Street Revitalization & Form-Based Code : Village of Hamburg, NY
Main Street Revitalization & Form-Based Code : Village of Hamburg, NY
Bicycling & 'Complete Streets' Initiatives: GoBike Buffalo
Bicycling & 'Complete Streets' Initiatives: GoBike Buffalo
Larkin Square: Larkin Development Group
Larkin Square: Larkin Development Group
Canalside: Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. / Empire State Development
Canalside: Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. / Empire State Development
Hotel at The Lafayette: Signature Development
Hotel at The Lafayette: Signature Development
Remington Lofts: Kissling Interests
Remington Lofts: Kissling Interests
Five Hundred Seneca: Savarino Development
Five Hundred Seneca: Savarino Development
'Walkable Olean' & Main Street Redesign: City of Olean, NY
'Walkable Olean' & Main Street Redesign: City of Olean, NY
Walkability Initiative: Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
Walkability Initiative: Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
Main Street Improvements & Form-Based Zoning: Village of Williamsville, NY
Main Street Improvements & Form-Based Zoning: Village of Williamsville, NY
Chandler Street Redevelopment: Signature Development
Chandler Street Redevelopment: Signature Development
Buffalo Riverworks: Doug Swift, Earl Ketry, Ontario Specialty Contracting
Buffalo Riverworks: Doug Swift, Earl Ketry, Ontario Specialty Contracting

Photos

The 2017 Livable Community Awards were keynoted by Jeff Belt, co-chair of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC).
The 2017 Livable Community Awards were keynoted by Jeff Belt, co-chair of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC).
Registration and pre-event mixer, Hotel at The Lafayette.
Registration and pre-event mixer, Hotel at The Lafayette.
Event programs.
Event programs.
Pre-event mixer.
Pre-event mixer.
Pre-event mixer, Hotel at The Lafayette.
Pre-event mixer, Hotel at The Lafayette.
Awards judges, left to right: Roger Brown of Rochester, NY; Roger Wood of Summerville, SC; and Mark Nikita of Birmingham (Detroit), MI.
Awards judges, left to right: Roger Brown of Rochester, NY; Roger Wood of Summerville, SC; and Mark Nikita of Birmingham (Detroit), MI.
George Grasser, a founder of Partners for a Livable WNY, and the emcee for the 2017 Livable Community Awards.
George Grasser, a founder of Partners for a Livable WNY, and the emcee for the 2017 Livable Community Awards.
The 2017 Livable Community Awards were keynoted by Jeff Belt, co-chair of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC).
The 2017 Livable Community Awards were keynoted by Jeff Belt, co-chair of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC).
2017 Livable Community Awards, at the Hotel at The Lafayette.
2017 Livable Community Awards, at the Hotel at The Lafayette.
On behalf of the city of Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown (second from left) accepts an award accompanied by Steve Stepniak, DPW Commissioner, and Brendan Mehaffy, OSP Director. Award is presented by Jerry Kelly.
On behalf of the city of Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown (second from left) accepts an award accompanied by Steve Stepniak, DPW Commissioner, and Brendan Mehaffy, OSP Director. Award is presented by Jerry Kelly.
Accepting awards for the village of Hamburg are, left to right: Trustees Thomas Tallman, Paul Gaughan, & Laura Palisano Hackathorn, along with village Mayor Tom Moses.
Accepting awards for the village of Hamburg are, left to right: Trustees Thomas Tallman, Paul Gaughan, & Laura Palisano Hackathorn, along with village Mayor Tom Moses.
Columnist Donn Esmonde (at right) of the Buffalo News accepts an award presented by Jerry Kelly.
Columnist Donn Esmonde (at right) of the Buffalo News accepts an award presented by Jerry Kelly.
Kevin Hays of Savarino Development accepts an award for Five Hundred Seneca.
Kevin Hays of Savarino Development accepts an award for Five Hundred Seneca.
Developer Rocco Termini (at left) accepts an award for the Hotel at The Lafayette. Next to him is architect Jonathan Morris of Carmina Wood Morris.
Developer Rocco Termini (at left) accepts an award for the Hotel at The Lafayette. Next to him is architect Jonathan Morris of Carmina Wood Morris.
Doug Swift accepts an award on behalf of Mark Goldman, presented by Aliesa Adelman.
Doug Swift accepts an award on behalf of Mark Goldman, presented by Aliesa Adelman.
Architect Jonathan Morris (right) and an unidentified woman accept an award for the Remington Lofts.
Architect Jonathan Morris (right) and an unidentified woman accept an award for the Remington Lofts.
Doug Swift accepts an award on behalf of Buffalo Riverworks.
Doug Swift accepts an award on behalf of Buffalo Riverworks.
Jamie Hamann-Burney accepts an award on behalf of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, presented by Gail Plato.
Jamie Hamann-Burney accepts an award on behalf of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, presented by Gail Plato.
Justin Booth of GoBike Buffalo accepting an award, presented by Gail Plato.
Justin Booth of GoBike Buffalo accepting an award, presented by Gail Plato.
Mayor Brian Kulpa of the Village of Williamsville, NY, accepting an award.
Mayor Brian Kulpa of the Village of Williamsville, NY, accepting an award.
Accepting an award on behalf of the City of Olean, NY (L to R) Mayor William Aiello; Mary George, Community Development Program Coordinator (retired); and Keri Kerper, Community Development Program Coordinator (current).
Accepting an award on behalf of the City of Olean, NY (L to R) Mayor William Aiello; Mary George, Community Development Program Coordinator (retired); and Keri Kerper, Community Development Program Coordinator (current).
Doug Swift (at left) accepts an award for Larkin Square on behalf of Larkin Development, presented by Don Erb (right) and Bill Tuyn (middle).
Doug Swift (at left) accepts an award for Larkin Square on behalf of Larkin Development, presented by Don Erb (right) and Bill Tuyn (middle).
Doug Swift accepts an award for Larkin Square on behalf of Larkin Development.
Doug Swift accepts an award for Larkin Square on behalf of Larkin Development.
Justin Booth (at left) of GoBike Buffalo accepting one of the two overall awards, presented by Bill Tuyn (middle) and Don Erb (right).
Justin Booth (at left) of GoBike Buffalo accepting one of the two overall awards, presented by Bill Tuyn (middle) and Don Erb (right).

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