Here's a first: a mayor at a Buffalo Place board meeting

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN)....Mayor Sean Ryan did something that was rarely done in the past few decades.

Ryan became the first sitting Buffalo mayor in recent memory to attend a Buffalo Place Inc. board of directors meeting.

Ryan came to both deliver a message but also listen, first-hand, from downtown building owners and stakeholders about what issues need to be addressed.

For Ryan, it was about encouraging Buffalo Place to focus on ways to either create, or help others, in planning more special events within the central business district.

It comes against the backdrop of downtown still wrestling with its lost swagger and mojo because of the pandemic and its aftermath.

"We lost a lot of the vibe in downtown," Ryan said.

Special events serve dual purposes - first, it makes downtown "cool" to office workers and residents and, secondly, it may whet the appetite for businesses to relocate or more people move into the central business district.

"Activation. Activation. Activation," Ryan said.

Events don't necessarily have to be large scale in nature like Buffalo Sabres' or Buffalo Bills' watch parties, Ryan said.

Smaller events work too.

"I'm more interested in seeing a series of weekly events instead of one or two large scale events," Ryan said.

Ryan said attending the meeting was important to not only stress special events but to hear from the Buffalo Place directors about issues they feel are important.

It was both a discussion and education for Ryan.

Much of what Ryan heard was non-sexy or headline-grabbing items.

Calls for better trash pick-ups, snow removal and street cleaning dominating the discussion.

"I'm glad these things were mentioned," Ryan said.

Ryan, who is technically an ex officio Buffalo Place director, said he plans on attending more Buffalo Place meetings.

Deputy Mayor Thomas Baines does attend the monthly director's meetings as Ryan's designated representative.