BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Advancing racial, economic and ecological justice.
That mission statement has driven Open Buffalo for close to 10 years. The non-profit organization is now taking the next step in that mission with a the proposal of the new "Open Buffalo Ecology Center" in East Buffalo.
"I truly believe the 'Open Buffalo Ecology Center', or the "Eco Center", will be transformational, not just for East Side residents, but all across the City of Buffalo," says Franchelle Parker, Executive Director of Open Buffalo.
Parker tells 7 News that plans for the new 'Eco Center' include the use of up to 10-acres of land in East Buffalo to develop a campus that would include green space, outdoor recreation activities, space for economic development, and cultural assets, including an potential amphitheater.
Parker says Open Buffalo has a meeting set with City of Buffalo officials scheduled for the week of April 24th to discuss the proposal, possible sites and potential funding. Open Buffalo has been working on its strategic plan for the development since 2020.
"We were very intentional about the design", says Parker, who added that the Eco Center will address "compounding issues" that residents in East Buffalo face.
"There are issues with an aging power grid, there are issues with a lack of green space, a lack of trees on the East Side of Buffalo. So how do we incorporate some of those elements into the 10 acres," said Parker.
Parker says Open Buffalo is also proposing the inclusion of "geothermal solar passive heat technology" on the campus to address power grid issues in East Buffalo during recent snow storms. "So when communities are knocked off the grid for 24, or 48 hours, there is a backup energy source."
The proposal for the 10-acre development is the latest initiative for Open Buffalo which was founded in 2014.
At the core of the organization's mission is helping the community identify problems and create solutions.
Open Buffalo says it has mentored more 5000 community members with programs including leadership development and advocacy.
"I'm inspired by the incredible change potential that we have," says Max Anderson, who is the Deputy Director of Open Buffalo, and works in mentoring and training, "I'm hopeful that they will continue to do the things they are doing now, which is running for political office, getting appointed positions in the government, and influential stations in our community,"
Open Buffalo's work became even more urgent on May 14th, 2022, when 10 members of our Black community were killed in a racist attack at the Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue. The grocery store is just up the block from Open Buffalo headquarters.
"I don't say lightly, that it changed my life," says Parker of the attack.
In response Open Buffalo did what it could to embrace and comfort a heartbroken community. The organization also immediately created a new position to taking up the issue of racial equity.
"If there is anything that has emerged out of May 14th, I think it's a new tenacity and fearlessness to call out systemic racism and address it head on," says Parker.
Dr. Kush K. Bhardwaj was hired to fill that role, brought on board as Open Buffalo's Director of Racial Equity and Justice.
"The racial justice component, as an educator, is in my lane," says Dr. Bhardwaj, who is an African American Studies scholar. Dr. Bhardwaj now works with regional businesses and institutions to build anti-racist foundations.
"It's important to note that anti-racism training goes far and beyond what is commonly known as DEI, or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives", says Dr. Bhardwaj, "What we do is known as a deep dive into these issues of how people imagine, perceive and treat others, but particularly, as it has been in history, focusing on the Black experience,"
Dr. Bhardwaj says he has worked with a variety of organizations in Western New York with his training initiatives as he looks to expand his programs.
In terms of future hopes for Open Buffalo as an organization?
"I hope we are able to expand our capacity to be able to touch more residents in the community," says Parker, "I would love for this to be a blueprint for communities in India, Africa and Alabama. That we can say we took one of the most racially segregated, economically deprived communities, and made the transformation. We didn't have to wait for some else to do it."
