Newsletter of the Preservation Coalition of Erie County (Home Page)
June 1996
Table Of Contents
Hope for Great Northern as new issues come to light
by Susan McCartney
New and critical information regarding the Great Northern Elevator presented by waterfront labor unions opposing its demolition has been presented to the Common Council. The information, regarding job losses and a renovation plan that the unions claim was withheld from an environmental impact statement, was presented to the Council's Legislation Committee, chaired by Al Coppola, on June 4. Coppola and Fillmore District Council member David Franzcyk, whose district includes the Old First Ward, traditional home of waterfront workers, co-sponsored a resolution seeking information from building owner ADM.
The unions contend that ADM's desire to demolish the Great Northern is part and parcel of a plan to cut elevator and scooper jobs on the waterfront. Many of the workers have fond memories of working at the elevatoróan imposing structure of national architectural and engineering meritóand adjacent mill. The elevator is a designated local landmark.
ADM contends it wants to demolish the landmark in order to build a modern elevator and create jobs, a contention preservationists and workers is false. If and when a new elevator is built, it would likely cost 10 elevator jobs and four dozen scooper jobs. ADM admitted to the committee that, yes, it would be eliminating permanent jobs and that the Great Northern, if demolished, would not be replaced for at least three years.
Unbiased observers could not be blamed for suddenly smelling something fishy.
The committee further learned, with records from the Department of Public Works, that onerous transportation costs related to city bridge repairs by ADM were ìmisleading.î
While testimony by waterfront workers and preservationists was going on, the ADM lawyer and plant manager continually rolled their eyes, smirked, cast meaningfully incredulous glances, and otherwise sought to cast the sometimes heartfelt testimony in laughable terms. Severely admonished by Council Majority Leader Rosemary LoTempio, ADM counsel, incredibly, explained that such shenanigans were necessary when trying to respond to the new evidence being presented.
The Council also learned of a study and blueprints prepared by the elevator's previous owner, Pillsbury, to modernize and reopen the 1897 elevator, which workers allege was closed only to eliminate a union local. Unionists and preservationists have held several informational pickets of the plant manager's Hamburg house.