Western and Central New York have many claims to fame, among them: world-famous wings, record-breaking snowfall, and heart-breaking near misses from our professional sports teams. Only slightly less well known is a local institution that has stood for nearly a century on the windy shores of Lake Erie, the Buffalo City Hall. The beautiful art deco structure is one of the largest municipal buildings in the United States and was completed in 1931, at a time of great change both locally and nationally. Buffalo's population had quadrupled over the previous 50 years, and the building's architect, John Wade, wanted to ensure that the structure would serve local citizens for many years to come. Knowing that he could not anticipate what further changes might lie ahead, Wade designed the building with room to grow, sinking a deeper than required foundation to support possible future vertical expansion.