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The Broadway Market

Long after your butter lambs have melted, the folks at Broadway Market will be counting down the days until Easter rolls back around. It doesn’t take an MBA to know that a few great business days in the spring isn’t enough to sustain the Broadway Market the other 360 days of the year. US Representative Louise M. Slaughter has long been a supporter of the Broadway Market, using federal funds and grants in an effort to restore the Market to sustainability. Slaughter planned to direct another $97,000 to the market, but opted out of the transaction when she learned that the Broadway Market board had been in negotiations with a corporation to use nearly half the market as a clothing factory outlet. With negotiations stalled because of that corporation being sold, and Slaughter pulling the $97,000, the Market appears to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. What now?

Name: Michele Boncore

Occupation: Retail sales

Residence: Buffalo

What do you think about the Broadway Market board’s plan to use half the market for a clothing factory outlet? I think it could be beneficial, because the market otherwise is so limited. It needs to draw a younger crowd, it needs to draw a crowd that’s going to shop. It’s worn out, it needs revitalization.

Do you think Rep. Louise M. Slaughter is being inflexible in withdrawing federal funds because she didn’t agree with the plan? She’s trying to manipulate her suggestions by manipulating money. It’s not fair.

What would be your plan to revitalize the Broadway Market? It has the potential to be a mall. All the other small businesses in the area closed down. They need to re-energize that area with new businesses in one place, in a mall atmosphere.

How often do you frequent the Broadway Market? I’ve been there once in my life, I believe.

Name: Gretchen Hendrix

Occupation: Retail sales

Residence: Buffalo

What do you think about the Broadway Market board’s plan to use half the market for a clothing factory outlet? I haven’t spent a lot of time at the Broadway Market, but from what I hear it’s a place that people that are local, that are small businesses, that aren’t corporate, can go and shop. It’s probably really good for the local economy in that sense. So to rent that space out to somebody that is more corporate might be a disadvantage, because I think certain people that go there are going to be disappointed. It also might put some of the people that are there out of business.

Do you think Rep. Louise M. Slaughter is being inflexible in withdrawing federal funds because she didn’t agree with the plan? I think she was probably in a really tough position. I think that withdrawing the funds from something that she thought wouldn’t go with the feel of the Broadway Market isn’t necessarily a bad idea. She probably had the people’s best interest in mind.

What would be your plan to revitalize the Broadway Market? Ask the people that are currently working at the Broadway Market what they think would be a good idea, what they think is needed. It would definitely take some kind of communal conversation.

How often do you frequent the Broadway Market? I haven’t been.

Name: Douglas Bissontz

Occupation: Retired

Residence: Buffalo

What do you think about the Broadway Market board’s plan to use half the market for a clothing factory outlet? Well, if it would revitalize it, I’m all for it.

Do you think Rep. Louise M. Slaughter is being inflexible in withdrawing federal funds because she didn’t agree with the plan? Probably, because as you know if you go over there, it’s dead most of the year. The only time it looks like it used to is around Easter time.

What would be your plan to revitalize the Broadway Market? Bring back the old farmers market. That would probably attract people in the spring, summer and fall.

How often do you frequent the Broadway Market? Probably a couple times a year.