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Marinelli Proposes Unique Waterfront Museum
By Frank Brutus
Lynn Marinelli took time out from her busy duties as chair of the Erie County Legislature to announce yesterday that she will divert $10 million dollars from the Erie County Executive’s proposed 2009 budget in order to fund a new waterfront museum devoted to the history of parking lots in Erie County.
“The Erie County Museum of Parking will send a message to the rest of the world that Western New York is once again open for business,” claimed Marinelli, standing with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and James Pitts, the former Common Council president whose recently approved development, “The Jim Pitts Fast Food Waterfront Experience,” will anchor the city’s newly designed waterfront.
“We have some of the finest parking lots in the country,” said Marinelli, “And, after the Museum of Parking is opened, Erie County residents will finally appreciate the secret that a few of us already know: Buffalo is a first-rate destination for parking fans from around the globe.”
Pitts noted that Buffalo’s waterfront itself offers a multitude of a parking opportunities. “In this county, we don’t limit ourselves just to ‘off-street’ or ‘lot’ parking, the way most municipalities do,” explained Pitts. “There are a host of exciting parking ramps to choose from when you visit our soon-to-be thriving waterfront.” Marinelli asked the assembled reporters if any had been to the top of the recently opened Blue Cross Blue Shield parking facility at the foot of Genesee Street. “Best views of the lake in the entire metropolitan area,” she stated emphatically.
According to Marinelli, the museum will offer something for everyone. An interactive timeline that allows children to “park” miniature, rusted cars representing every era of Buffalo’s growth and turbulent decline. A haunting display memorializing the evening of November 20, 2000, when a surprise snow storm turned the the entire city of Buffalo into a parking lot with no exit. And a light-hearted aerial photo display capturing the beauty of all 48 outdoor parking facilities available to visitors of downtown Buffalo.
Mayor Brown described the museum as an important first step in Buffalo’s reclamation of its storied past. “We’ve had parking lots in this city since 1884. And, thanks to Lynn Marinelli, we can now embrace our parking history with pride and enthusiasm.”
Erie County Executive Chris Collins, reached at a villa in the South of France where he is researching the origins of the County’s Six Sigma program, had no comment about Marinelli’s museum proposal.
Frank X. Brutus
Slinging News at the Ruse since 1972
January 4th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Wow!!! This is great news! You know, we on the West Side have been going about it all wrong! Instead of turning abandoned city properties into community gardens that enrich and enhance life over here, as well as keep kids engaged and neighborhoods working together, the parking Lot Museum Project reminds us that there is an easier way! Pavement trumps flowers! Go Ruse for keeping us informed. We can’t wait til the doors, or should we say gates, open on this!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
The city should have a venue to recognize its second leading revenue source. As we all know parking tickets is #1!
January 10th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Mayor Brown may have described this as an important first step in Buffalo’s reclamation of its storied past, but as described the museum does not, in fact, have something for everyone. Moreover, it offers an unforgivable slight to a select group of men whose industriousness has been a staple of Buffalo ever since the first chaise and fours were introduced by our British forefathers, and our first elected officials exhibited their neglect and incompetence. And although we are exceedingly grateful to our elected officials throughout our history who have done everything in their power to ensure that we have always been employed in a thriving industry — as evidenced by our own rapidly expanding car lots — we most strenuously object to the absence of recognition of Buffalo’s repo men, we who have always been most helpful in prompting Buffalonians to consider if there might not be a better place to park.
March 20th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Well, if we’re going to build a Parking Lot Museum it seems only fitting that a special section is reserved for the All-Time Greatest Parking Ticket Scofflaw in the history of Buffalo, NY. That would be the one and only, bow tie wearing, don’t let the door hit you on the way out, former lead flunkie of the Buffalo Common Council, Mr. James (Now I design waterfront hotels) Pitts. Interesting, haven’t heard much from him in the last 10+ years until the latest hotel fiasco. I wonder from under what rock his crawled, maybe it was just a giant mole hole.