BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo’s Chippewa Street — the heart of downtown’s entertainment district — is headed into the summer season with a renewed focus on safety.
“This is a crown jewel of this city,” said Jay Manno, owner of Soho and Frankie Primo’s +39, both located on Chippewa. “I expect it to be a great summer.”
Manno and other business owners are backing a new public safety plan announced this week by Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon, Buffalo Police, and the Chippewa Alliance.
The initiative includes temporarily closing Chippewa Street to vehicle traffic from Franklin to Delaware on Friday and Saturday nights, starting this weekend and running through Labor Day. The closures will last from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
“This action is about safety,” Scanlon said. "For the patrons, for the business owners, for the employees and all the various establishments, motorists, as well as the men and women of the Buffalo Police Department who patrol Chippewa on a weekly basis.”
The crackdown comes after a violent incident over the weekend at The Vintage Room. Police said a fight inside the bar spilled outside and three people were stabbed. All suffered non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made, and the bar has since been temporarily shut down.
Acting Mayor Scanlon said the incident “was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” adding that city leaders knew it was time to take further action. “We’ve got to implement some changes down here—make it more safe, make it more open for people to walk through.”
The new plan also calls for a stronger police presence, with officers assigned to different parts of the district. B District Chief Tommy Champion said the effort is “a true team effort,” driven by collaboration between police, city officials and business owners.
“We do it to have one goal,” Champion said. “To make a safer and more enjoyable Chippewa District for everyone.”
Buffalo Common Council member Mitch Nowakowski put it more bluntly: “Come down here and come correct or don’t come at all,” he said. “We want to keep Chippewa safe, productive and vital.”
Manno said the street closures are not a reactive measure but part of an ongoing effort to maintain momentum.
“This was not a, ‘Oh my God, something happened and now we have to save Chippewa,’” Manno said. “Chippewa has been fantastic. This is just setting the tone for summer and continuing what we’re already doing.”
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