Signs of Life: Our New Inner Harbor
The first time that I had a chance to examine the overall layout of the Inner Harbor was at a waterfront discussion during Buffalo Old Home Week. Florine Luhr, Project Director with the Empire State Development Corporation presented the audience with an overview of the preferred master plan's scope (see continue), and it was then that I realized that a tour was in order. Weeks later we coordinated a guided walk, through a section of waterfront that is once again known as Buffalo's Erie Canal Harbor.
Many of the questions that I had revolved around public access to the site and the amenities that would one day be available. Would there be access by cars... what sort of private vs public features could we expect to see... and when will it be open to the public? Before I was given my tour I was first invited to an informal Q&A session with Florine, Thomas Blanchard (DIrector, Research and Planning), Paul Pfeiffer (Project Manager), and Timothy Doolittle (Regional Director), all with Empire State Development. The four wanted to help bring me up to speed with the current direction of the harbor plans, while providing a capsulated version of what they described as a very complex project.
One of my first discoveries was that the plan (12.5 waterfront acres) had been somewhat altered from the original schematic shown above. For example, a strip of the 'greenway trail', which was found towards the Northern section of the site, had now been replaced by a water feature. That feature will most likely be used for contained water activities (such as paddling canoes and kayaks, etc), and if Bass Pro does move forward there might be as many as 30-40 demonstration boats at any given time. The parcel to the right of Perry Street has also been updated and will serve as a small boat harbor, likely to be completed by the end of next fall. That stretch of land (soon to be water) will act as a natural divide between the Canal District and the DL&W Terminal, though there will be a walkway/bike path that connects the two. This walkway will also serve to connect the Erie Basin Marina with Riverfest Park.
Another feature that I was not too familiar with was how the docking system would work. In an earlier post we pointed out the commercial slip and the docking amenities that would be incorporated such as electric. What I didn't know was that there was to be a series of floating docks that would run along the face of the site. This is where boaters will eventually tie up and before climbing up to a wooden boardwalk that also runs the same length. Once on top of the boardwalk people will be greeted by a series of grassy stretches where they can sit out and enjoy the harbor. This is also where plans will enfold to build a plaza with stage to host concerts and public events throughout the warmer months.
A canal era bowstring bridge is currently in the process of being built that will cross the commercial strip allowing visitors to interact between the Naval Yard and the public harbor. The bridge is due to arrive by barge sometime around November 15th. That arrival should signify an exciting moment, as a 'new historic' milestone is marked by the addition of an iconic monument. A companion bridge will arrive at a later date to be positioned where a second bridge once stood. These recreations are made to resemble the Canal Terminus as it once looked years ago. By the end of this calendar year, many of these features will have taken shape. These bridges will also be dramatically lit at night thanks to a $250,000 grant from National Grid.
There are designated plots of land that have been reserved for private development. Tom Blanchard described the area vividly while pointing to reference markers along the tour (see slide show). Once the current set of plans is complete, sections of private land will be parceled off (possible lease to own) to interested developers whose ideas are consistent with the underlying theme of the Canal District. These restaurants, shops and markets would be no more than four-storeys tall, and the designs would have to follow a set of pre-determined design standards. These wharf-looking structures will ultimately represent a look and feel that will pay homage to our past (cross your fingers).
This project has been a test for the developers who have had to come up with very ingenious solutions to a few major problems. "We had nothing to model this project after," Tom explained to me. "What to do about the Hamburg Drain was a big hurdle. We had to build a $2,000,000 pump to keep debris (among other things) out of the Commercial Slip. This is a very complicated endeavor, but there was no moving the drain... so we had to keep the water moving." I then asked him what sort of access the automobile would have inside the harbor footprint. "Cars will have access along low speed, one way cobblestone streets. We are still trying to figure out what to do with a small patch of original cobblestones where Lloyd Street runs. We like the fact that they are original remnants, but we fear that someone will trip on them due to their uneven nature. The entire project has been major work because we are dealing with a historic site. Take the canal walls for example. Each one of the stones (500 total) had to be removed and marked so that we could replace them in their original spots. Not all of the stones survived the years, so we have designed plaques to mark each historic stone.
I am sure that many of you have seen the new Naval Museum that is currently being erected. Many of the jets and boats that you see scattered about the site will one day be housed in the museum. I found it fascinating that in order to save money the crews actually worked around these military objects. The museum will not only house some very cool old ships and nautical displays, it will one day have a cafe slip-side. That means that visitors will be able to come down to the harbor to eat and drink while watching the boats coming in and out. Interpretive lawns, grass slopes and the towpath will act as picnic areas, while an illuminated stone labyrinth (remnants of the old Union Steamship building) acts as a playground for urban explorers.
The Light Rail will pull up to the Harbor Project to unload visitors in the not too distant future... and will hopefully continue on to the DL&W Market (or Convention Center... or something). There is parking for 350 cars near the site. People will also arrive in boats -finally a place to dock and enjoy the city - and hopefully catch a water taxi down the Buffalo River (more on that later). We can look forward to a Visitor's Center, interpretive panels, bronze sculptures, bronze medallions in the sidewalks, and a gallery/theater in the Naval Museum. Things are looking good for the Inner Harbor. With the right private investment, once the groundwork has been set, we will finally have a waterfront feature that we can all be proud of.
All in all there are $15,000,000 in active construction projects with an outstanding $7,000,000 more to go. As the project continues so will the job of securing the remaining funds.
The entire project itself looks fantastic (although I'll believe it when I see it)... except for the continued presence of the skyway.
I fear that IF this project is completed to the extent depicted in the final rendering, we will be stuck with the skyway as it may be too dangerous to remove once buildings are constructed below it.
Another collection of sexy and exciting pictures. You guys ran all this about a year ago. All looks very nice, so excuse me **again** if I meet all this with a bit of cynicism.
1) In the overhead rendering, I can count at least a dozen new buildings, many 3-4 stories tall, and that doesn't include the museum now under construction. Exactly who is going to erect these buildings and what will they contain? Has even one retailer/developer with private $$$ stepped forward to inquire?
2) The Skyway - I hold the minority view that the Skyway should stay, and outer harbor success will be achieved only when smaller bridges are built across the Buffalo River to link Main St, the marina etc to that open land. So why not LIGHT UP the Skyway!!! Floodlit support piers. strings of neon, or strobe or a combination to turn the entire structure into a night time piece of art.
3) Nowhere in this proposal do I see a new Canal Harbor LRRT station. Are we to assume that jerry-built "temporary" platform, a block away from the doors to HSBC Arena, will remain in place? What an embarassment!
4) And speaking of HSBC Arena, there is vacant space along the ground floor straddling the entire length of Main St. What a superb opportunity for retail right across the street from this project and that space could be developed NOW. Do I hear ESPN Zone??
Well, all these ideas are just me...I'm no pro at this, just an average moron on the street who has seen stuff like this come to fruition elsewhere.... anywhere BUT here.
That's because we are Buffalo... the BANANA mentality which sucks the life out of this area is at the center of our very souls and being.
No it means that the only remplacement for the Skyway would be a tunnel. They same tunnel that has been proposed for the last 50 to 75 years.
And a tunnel would be a great and welcome addition to Buffalo by opening up our entire waterfront.
Wouldn't the station right in front of the Aud, or the one in front of the HSBc be enough to serve this? Do we really need a station every 300 feet along Main St? Or can people walk from one side of the Aud to the other to get to the harbor?
i think it looks great! and why they cynicism... there are workers there this second working on it.
i think i noticed they changed the name from temporary to canal
I can only hope that when they reconstruct Main Street they will consolodiate this section into one final and nicer LRRT station. Those special event stations are temporary and once the new designs are in we can hope to have one, nice Erie Canal Harbor Station that serves this whole area.
I always wondered we they didn't create a station INSIDE the HSBC.. how nice would it be to get off the train and be INSIDE the arena already.
tunnels are expensive and still require a lot of lead way down and out of them which is half the problem of the skyway, by the time you get off it you have passed most of the harbor.
thesportsroadtrip,
Lighting the Skyway up as a piece of artwork is a great idea!
The more I think about it, I agree with the illuminating of the Skyway and believe it would be a great idea. You wouldn't think that this would be a real costly venture either, but one that would make an otherwise drab elevated roadway look great with the Arena and Inner Harbor directly below it or adjacent to it.
Earn your keep and make it happen ECDHC!!!!!!
thesportsroadtrip, you should run with that idea! Make some calls and find out what it would take.
sbrof...
You are right on! Get rid of the Aud station and gimpy looking special events platform, and replace it with a nicely deisgned station that would be convenient for arena patrons AND denizens of this new canal harbor neighborhood.
I always admired the bridges that cross the St. John's River in downtown Jacksonville, as well as the Walt Whitman and Ben Franklin bridges in Philadelphia... the JAX ones look absolutely stunning at night bathed in blue and purple hues. In Philadelphia the BF bridge has a pulsing strobe in multi colors streaking across.
At night they help those cities come and feel alive.
Again.. just ideas... concepts.. Maybe I oughta show up at some of these public forums and presentations that go on from time to time and just throw 'em out there.
whenever I visited other cities, their bridges are often works or art / destinations in and of themselves. Venice, Rome, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Praque all have AMAZING bridges that draw people to them, I dont see why we can't build a nice bridge that does more than satisfy the traffic engineers.
Style, beauty, charm, boldness are things that create memories for both visitors and residents. 5,000 as supposed to 3,500 cars per hour capacity doesn't mean anything in the long run of city development.
Short of a cloaking device, the best thing for the Skyway would be to light it up... I like that idea, there's no hiding it!
Give me corporate offices lining Niagara Street and built over the expressway with commanding views of the river
Give me a tunnel from the Peace Bridge to Furhmann Boulevard
Who cares if cars and trucks speeding by at 60mph dont get a view of the waterfront....its the people who are actually patronizing the wharf that matter not commuters.
I agree with many others...as long as we have the Skyway....lets light it up! It will add a dramatic look.
This looks great. Reminds me alittle of the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. I hope we too can get the mix of national retailers and restaurants with great unique gift shops, galleries, and museums too.
Lots of get ideas. I think Bass Pro has had its day. What about an IKEA. Now that would bring people into Buffalo.
And if the sky way has to stay why not design some kind of cool monorail under it ,but elevated, bringing vistors,shopper etc in and out of the area!
It could all work!