New Observation Boardwalk Being Installed at Erie Basin Marina

Great to see this moving along. They had construction equipment there for a couple weeks, but didn't know what project it was for.

I hope it includes shoring up the big boulders facing the water at the outer point. They've been falling off.

It's about time. Why do they always start these projects so late in the season? Wouldn't it make more sense to start it in the very early spring so we could enjoy it by late summer?

This is great news...
But, why did it take 5 years to start?

Why do things take forever and a day to get done in Buffalo?

Yes, it should extend all the way down to the hatch, why isn't it?

Can the city hacks/staffers take 30 seconds to go cut down that gigantic weed that has been growing in the middle of the rocks(the part people walk on) down at the Hatch end?

Instead of getting rid of it completely last year, they cut it back to about 12" above the rocks. This year it started growing back. Is it really that hard to do the job right the first time?

One other complaint, when the flags get blown off the light posts in the marina, can they call the installer back to replace them. It looks like crap, when the flags and/or the support poles are missing.

Agreed on the need to pull weeds and perform general landscape improvements throughout the city as the city is not very good at managing or maintaining. I see places at Canalside that need to be weeded, watered, etc. Then again I do believe a lot of it is volunteer throughout the city or very well could be. While well intentioned I do think that once these places are built the city will have a hard time maintaining them and it will be up to the citizenry to get involved.

But this is more good news:

1) AM&AS proposal is going to the IDA by the end of the month although I'm slightly concerned with giving assistance to the development of the One Canalside building; How does that bode for the Webster block a supposed prime parcel.

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2012/07/20/ida-sets-hearing-that-could-lead-to.html

2) There is work beginning on the Grain Elevators across from Canalside and it appears pilings are being driven along Canalside. Anyone have an update on these two.

3)Cars on Main Street - Love or hate it its something.

4) Dredging nearing completion on the Buffalo River. Will someone please buy Buffalo Place a pool skimmer.... and lets not re pollute or newly discovered waterways with Fracking Chemicals.

It would be nice to see a picture of the original Boardwalk ( which I think was called Front Street?)

If the Army Core wanted a really interesting project, we would ask to move the lake wall farther out into Lake Erie.

The Port of Buffalo is tiny compared to other downtown harbors and tiny compared to other downtown beaches.

Why not push the entire Break Wall further out into Lake Erie? If you do that then the Outer Harbor and LaSalle Park could have Beaches, docks etc.

There is so much Buffalo needs...where does one even begin. If only Buffalo had a wish list that the public could vote on or civic leaders could devote their priorities...instead of what we have right now...last minute demolitions and priorities dictated by Albany or insider patronage/unions

I was just down there today and noticed the work. Thanks for this update, did'nt know what they were doing.

MikeN ─ Yea for the crescendo of good news!

Re: Will someone please buy Buffalo Place a pool skimmer....

Hopefully, they will also buy brooms and rakes to remove the considerable amount of dead leaves that line the area where the trains go down-under across from the Sid Birzone building.
Litter has also been an on-going problem on the weekends.
(Many Shea's patrons park next to that building and it's shamefully noticeable.)

The same mess exists in front of the building which Sue's restaurant relocated from and renovation is in progress.

This may seem minor, however, window washing (at renovation site) would enhance its current face in a "Theater District." (Thankfully, the tattered paper was removed.)

I was by the grain elevators across the river from Canalside earlier this week. There is a Cerrone construction banner on the fencing, but it is hard to tell what is being done. I went to their website, but their is no information on this project.

about maintenance issues: dan will correct me if i am mistaken, but all municipalities have to keep their capital and operating budgets strictly separate. just because you can find a pot of money or a grant to build something (donors -love- getting their names all over new projects!) doesn't mean that your operating budget has automatically expanded in order to take care of the new project.

nobody funds operating expenses. nobody. it is up to us taxpayers. the more successful we are at cutting our supposedly burdensome taxes, the less money there is for maintenance of this or any other city property. be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

Exactly. At some point all of this will have to be "monetized" to provide its own operational budget or it will have to be not profit endeavors much like an adopting of the highways.

The Feds can only borrow money from China for so long.
The State I don't imagine is a whole lot healthier.
The County even with the Canadian shoppers appears to be looking to close a budget gap - we don't need to debate the because or why - politics of either party has a lot to be desired.

Someway somehow increases in collections of local sales taxes (state/county), property taxes, rents, hotel stays, fees, tours are going to need to begin covering the annual maintenance. Preferably from Out of Town money - tourists. I would hate to see us in 5 years asking "oh sh*t, how are we going to afford to fix this or that" or think that every year Higgins will get some money in a bill. Although this is liable to just be moved to a general fund like everything else.

mike & grad -

For combined property taxes as of 2009, Erie Co residents are already in the top 1% nationally for highest tax bills as portion of home values. (#6 out of the 792 most populated counties in U.S.)
In total dollars of combined property tax bills, Erie Co residents are in the top 15% highest property-taxed anywhere in the U.S. (#122 out of 792 counties)
http://interactive.taxfoundation.org/propertytax/

Our sales tax at 8.75% is in the highest 20% of U.S. major metros (#17 out of 107)
http://taxfoundation.org/article/sales-tax-rates-major-us-cities

NYS is #8 out of 50 states for average income tax rates at 6.2%
http://www.tax-rates.org/taxtables/income-tax-by-state

The gasoline tax in NY state is the highest of all 50 states, at $0.49/gallon (which doesn't include the $0.18 federal tax)
http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/state%2520gas%2520tax%2520rates%2520jan%25202012.pdf

People can feel this state or area should be even higher in any or all of those high-tax rankings. No doubt many of our fiscally-left politicians (of both parties in NYS) might make it happen. But it's hardly the only possible solution. Other spending could be reduced. Some other places manage somehow to be at the national average for these kinds of tax rates and I'd bet all those don't have noticeably worse govt services than here.