Despite a near universal acknowledgement that re-introducing basic services is an essential step towards revitalizing urban communities, countless cities across upstate New York have struggled to attract the meaningful capital necessary to bring such change to fruition. Developers Barrett and Benitez are working to change that dynamic in their Eastside of Buffalo by taking a more home-grown, grass roots approach to community improvement.
The duo recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for their Loads of Love project (https://commonowner.com/project/barrett-benitez-development), the first phase of a series of mixed-use development projects on the East Side, seeking to introduce essential commercial resources like grocery stores, urgent care facilities, pharmacies and equitable housing in communities of color. As the name implies, the first commercial anchor tenant will be a laundromat.
Obtaining several, often vacant contiguous parcels, Barrett and Benitez believe, will allow them the control necessary to restore health to specific blocks that can gradually catalyze broader change in the East Side. It isn’t a glamorous or quick fix approach. To the contrary, it calls for the right mix of measured pragmatism, creativity, and consistency. Fostering economic development whilst also minimizing the displacement of long entrenched groups is not for the impatient or faint of heart.
Whereas developers often look at local community engagement as a chore or annoyance, Barrett and Benitez, both long-time community leaders, have made it a cornerstone of their business. That helps explain why their project has been so well received from local stakeholders. Brandi Barrett explained. “Community engagement is a critical aspect of the work we will perform. By actively seeking out and engaging with members of the community in which the company is working, we will garner input, feedback, and support for the company’s projects. It is this level of community-first engagement that will enable our projects to not only succeed, but thrive.”