CLIENT

Central Terminal Restoration Corporation

LOCATION

495 Paderewski Dr, Buffalo, NY

DATE

2025 – 2026

BY THE NUMBERS

FROM COMMUNITY VOICE TO ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES

As the Buffalo Central Terminal moves toward its next chapter of reuse, SAIRA Creative partnered with the Central Terminal Restoration Corp. to develop a community-driven strategy for arts and cultural activation that could build neighborhood connection, attract investment, and strengthen the Terminal’s visibility locally and nationally.

The process began with existing community planning and engagement, then centered a resident steering team to define priorities and explore what the Central Terminal should mean as it returns to public life. Those priorities were then brought to artists and culture bearers, arts and cultural organizations, and tourism and marketing leaders to test ideas, identify potential partnerships, and explore pathways for implementation and funding.

SAIRA Creative facilitated a process that moved from community identity → resident priorities → stakeholder testing + partnerships → actionable strategy. The resulting Community-Driven Arts + Activation Plan outlines four resident-driven priority activation directions, evaluates partnership and funding potential, and provides an implementation framework to help CTRC move from community vision toward fundable pilots and longer-term arts activation.

Ultimately, the work positions arts and culture as more than programming. It demonstrates how creative activation can build public trust, strengthen community connection, test partnerships, document demand, and help make the Terminal’s future tangible while larger rehabilitation continues.