Then and Now: 50 High Street

By STEEL
Buffalo Rising Online
May 30, 2007

As if the architecture Gods were guiding my hand I pulled a January 1965 "Buffalo" magazine from my library on the same the day that 50 High Street was imploded. On the back cover was a full page add for Siegfried Construction Company prominently featuring 50 High Street as a proud accomplishment of the firm. The text reads in part:

Newest addition to Buffalo's famous medical skyline

Newest look on Buffalo's ever widening medical horizon, is the new 14 story General Medical Towers Building. Adjoining the world famous Buffalo General Hospital and Roswell Park Memorial Institute, it increases the highly-specialized medical facilities of mid-town Buffalo by 95,000 sq. ft. of the most modern medical offices, suites, and diagnostic and treatment equipment available. As further service and convenience to patients of this new center, and to avoid traffic congestion on streets serving this all important area, modern 2-level off-street parking area of 79,600 sq. ft. was also provided...

"Buffalo" magazine was printed by the Chamber of Commerce and was in publication up until at least the late 1970's or early 80's. It was a somewhat dry magazine but was a reliable source of development news, especially the January issue. This 1965 issue is filled with what is now a great look back on a very busy development year in Buffalo. Stay tuned for future posts from January 1965.

There was something very poignant about finding this old add proclaiming the greatness of a building on the very same day that it was demolished. The passage of time and the change in perception about things, especially buildings, is like a window into how society works. Thirty-five to 40 years old seems to be a critical age for buildings. They are not quite old but can not meet the standards and fashion currency of new buildings. Their systems are warn and may require major investment to bring them to contemporary expectations. Often cheap and unprofessional "improvements" have been made, further degrading their status.

Of course this building at 50 High St., surrounded by parking, with its dull facade of ratty little windows, was never great in any way. It is no loss that it is now gone except for the fact that there is no immediate plan for this site for anything beyond parking. This is the third building on this street in a short three-block stretch that has been demolished in the last year for parking. There have been great proclamations about the rising status and success of the Medical Campus (which included 50 High Street). In decades to come, either we will look back on current Medical Campus master plans as over-embellished hype, or will we look back in amazement that all these parking lots could have ever existed in this part of town. The Medical Campus has made great strides in recent years. Here is to hoping that the latter possibility is in Buffalo's future.

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