A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Between 1979 and 1996, the shuttered Buffalo Central Terminal changed ownership more than once, many with the goal of restoring or redeveloping the historic site. Regrettably, that 18-year period was also marked by neglect, deterioration, and vandalism, and many of the Main Terminal’s iconic assets were sold, damaged, or stolen.

In 1996, after watching the Central Terminal suffer almost 20 years of neglect and abuse, a group of preservationists and visionaries formed the nonprofit Central Terminal Restoration Corp.

In 1997, the new CTRC acquired the 12.5 acres that included the Main Terminal Building and the Mail & Baggage Building, becoming the historic site’s sixth primary owner. The city kept ownership of the Post Office Building and the Railway Express Building. Amtrak kept the Train Concourse and the Train Platforms, and CSX retained the train tracks and the triangular parcel where the power plant originally stood.

Photos courtesy of Craig Dembinski.