Grand Opening May 16 & 17
Please join Buffalo ReUse for the Grand Opening of the ReSource. The ReSource is our permanent home and “reuse retail destination” for community, ecological sustainability, and education. Friday, May 16 and Saturday May 17.
Mark Your Calendar!
Buffalo ReUse and the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) are sponsoring the first Great Lakes Deconstruction Conference in Buffalo on November 16, 17 & 18, 2008.
Please join us for this informative get-together. We’ll explore the use of deconstruction, building materials reuse, vacant lot management and other creative solutions to address issues unique to abandoned housing and vacant lots in Great Lakes urban centers. Click here for detailed information.
Funds Needed for ReSOURCE!
We’re currently raising funds via private donations to purchase The ReSource—the building at 298 Northampton Street we currently rent. Click here if you’d like to help us!
Join us for ReTree 2008
Naturally, we need help digging and planting and even babysitting these trees this first year. We will pick up the trees and kits on Friday, May 2nd and sort them based on their pre-approved destination. We will also dig the holes—mostly using an auger attachment. Saturday, May 3rd we will meet at 298 Northampton at 9am. Then we will pack everyone, their trees and kits into street teams to plant the trees all at once across the neighborhood. Hopefully, with a lot of helpers, we’ll be done by 3:30pm and we can all regroup back at 298 Northampton to wash up for a potluck picnic and group shoulder rubs!
No matter how old or young or cranky you are—there is a way you can assist this grand scheme. If you have any tools, please bring a shovel, iron rake, picks, hand pruners, gloves, your craziest garden hat, a picnic blanket, a dozen of your Aunt Tibbie’s garlic-cheese puffs, a stack of bologna or a jar of sour dills! (You could even bring a meat mallet to tenderize sore muscles). If you can help in any way please contact us at 716.885.4131 or volunteer@buffaloreuse.org or just show up ready to work on May 3rd.
Just imagine how special the streets will be because you came out and spent the day with us.If you’d like to assist with digging & planting, please contact us at or call 716–882–2800
Neighborhood Peace Murals
Thirty classes and youth organizations around the city have volunteered to paint images onto 4′x8′ plywood panels which will secure a vacant house in the neighborhood of their schools. We’re still in need of buckets of 6″ screws and ADULTS with ladders, power drills, trucks and muscle to help secure these panels beginning March 15th. Please contact us at or call 716–885–4131
Extended Store Hours!
We’re now open Tuesday through Saturday 7:30am to 5pm at 298 Northampton Street, between Masten and Jefferson. Northampton is off Main St just across from the Delta Sonic Car Wash and the new ARTSPACE! There’s a Post Office at the corner.
Volunteers Needed!
Volunteers will always be a critical component of our organization and we’ve brainstormed a list of exciting projects. Please review the list of projects at the linked page and send an email to to get involved. We’re eager to bring new ideas and energy into the organization.
Join our E-Mail list!
To keep our supporters informed about Buffalo ReUse’s latest activities and initiatives, we have an e-mail list you can join. Just click here to join the list.
Donations Accepted and Projects Requested!
Buffalo ReUse accepts donations of used building materials and can offer a tax deduction for your donation. Also, we’re looking to identify deconstruction projects (buildings up to three stories, with or without a foundation) and salvage projects (residential or commercial). If you’d like to schedule a pick-up or a free estimate, call 885–4131 or send an email to .
Jobs at Buffalo ReUse
We have no posted positions right now, but Buffalo ReUse is always looking to identify ambitious, hard-working, and committed staff members to serve as the innovators of deconstruction in Buffalo. If you’re interested in working with us, all we need from you is a resume and three references. Doesn’t need to be fancy - a hand-written one will do just fine. Visit our Contact page to get in touch with us.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you’re up for an exciting challenge and would like to be part of the solution for dealing with abandoned and vacant houses in the City of Buffalo, we encourage you to get involved. Check out the volunteer page for additional ways to support our effort in the short term.
Organizational Overview
Buffalo ReUse, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization committed to developing the practice of deconstruction to create a community minded alternative to demolition. In Buffalo between 10,000 and 20,000 structures await demolition and the city has tentative plans to demolish 1,000 houses a year indefinitely. Deconstruction, the careful disassembly of a building in the opposite order to the way it was originally built, is the vehicle for diverting reusable materials from the landfill; providing a source of high quality materials for homeowners; providing meaningful job opportunities; and creating positive changes in the neighborhoods in which we work.
Buffalo ReUse facilitates the techniques of hybrid deconstruction to disassemble buildings more efficiently and safely, while also maximizing the quantity of materials that can be reused. Hybrid deconstruction is an intelligent combination of human labor and machines. The technique was developed by ReUse Consultant David Bennink, and Buffalo ReUse has been training with Mr. Bennink to integrate these techniques into our operation. Hybrid deconstruction involves carefully dissecting a building into large chunks that are lowered to the ground with the assistance of a telescopic fork lift. On the ground, reusable materials can be safely and efficiently removed, sorted, organized, and resold.
The practice of deconstruction is physically demanding and requires a heads-up and safety minded attitude. Coordination and efficiency is the key to our success and it is critical that all employees remain focused and work as a team.
