If the people who run the existing Buffalo halls of fame for music, broadcast media and sports have their way, people will one day be able to visit their collections and enjoy interactive experiences under the same roof. But first, they need to build it.
Representatives of the Buffalo-Niagara Hall of Fame, which includes officers from the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, Buffalo Music Hall of Fame and Buffalo Broadcasters Association, hosted a news conference inside HarborCenter Tuesday morning to issue a public call for financial support to get the project moving forward.
The partners have discussed the concept for years but as downtown Buffalo undergoes its redevelopment, participants say the time is now to act. In addition to funding, Hall partners are looking to pin down a location for their future home.
"We met with the mayor and he gave us some suggestions," said Therese Forton-Barnes, representing the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. "We are open to anywhere but we want to be downtown. We feel like we a great piece of the puzzle of the entertainment community, the entertainment district down here."
The desired space would range anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet, depending on how much money is raised. In addition to space for each genre to display its collection and its Hall of Fame inductees, the building would house interactive exhibits designed to educate and entertain visitors.
A tentative design for the building has been created by Hadley Exhibits of Buffalo, which has also worked on projects for the 9/11 Memorial, Smithsonian, National Baseball Hall of Fame and JFK Memorial Library.
The fundraising strategy includes a Kickstarter campaign. Some private donations have also come in, including a $25,000 gift from former WKBW-TV president Phil Beuth.
Why unite under one roof? Partners say by teaming up, it increases their collective chance to succeed, instead of competing for capital.
"We thought if the Broadcasters need $6 or $7 million to do a facility, and the Music guys need $8 or $10 million, and the Sports guys need $10 million and Fandemonium needs $6 or $7 million, that's a hell of a lot of money to be going to ask people from three or four organizations," said Dave Gillen, speaking on behalf of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association.
