Higgins-Clinton Free Up 20 Acres Around The Lighthouse
If you’re a fan of biking the Outer Harbor, then you’ll be glad to know that public access to the land surrounding the Buffalo Lighthouse is moving forward. Congressman Brian Higgins and Senator Hillary Clinton have secured $3.1 million in federal funding to free up twenty acres of land surrounding the lighthouse. That means that, along with the new public bike trails (greenbelt path), access to Times Beach Nature Preserve, and the addition of a linear park, visitors will have the chance to pay a visit to a historic landmark that has been unreachable for years.
Thanks to the Presidential signing of the proposed appropriations bill and the imminent consolidation of the Buffalo station for the United States Coast Guard, Buffalo will have another parcel of its waterfront turned over to the public. The Coast Guard currently occupies 31 acres of land at this location. For more information regarding the land transaction, see the Congressman Brian Higgins interview that we run back in July. From that interview (sometimes common sense really is the ticket):
“I drove around down there and was struck by the fact that you are greeted by a sign that says to stay out. At the time, the Coast Guard was allowing other federal agencies to store vehicles on the property. Surplus land is valuable to people of WNY, and I felt that this was a waste of waterfront property. I called the admiral of the Coast Guard and said, “Look, what's the deal here? I would like to move the Coast Guard or free up some of the land that you're on." -Brian Higgins
What Others Have To Say
What Do You Think?
Related Articles
-
The Wait is Almost Over - BR's New Site
As we mentioned in our previous post, we’re in the process of changing the Buffalo Rising site. We’re almost there as we expect to launch the new site on Friday, December 19th.
In the meantime, posting will be light as we log new stories in the new publishing system which will only be viewable when we launch on Friday.
As always, we appreciate our users’ patience as we make this transition but we promise it will be well worth it. With faster load times, a comment view … - Dec 18th 2008, 11:32am
- Continue Reading
- 5 Comments
-
A Kennedy Visits Buffalo
Caroline Kennedy was in town for a visit with our mayor yesterday. A possible choice to succeed US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kennedy's name has been mentioned along with that of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo) and our own Byron Brown, among others.
Certainly, Kennedy has "been around politics" all of her life, which is to say she was born into a family of politicos and lived in the White House--neither of which would necessarily f … - Dec 18th 2008, 7:55am
- Continue Reading
- 32 Comments
-
Downtown Free Fare Zone May be Axed
Free light rail rides on downtown's above ground section could be derailed thanks to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority's budget mess. That is the news coming out of a Buffalo Place meeting this morning. Facing a budget shortfall and reduced State operating assistance, the NFTA is scrambling for new revenue sources and is contemplating charging for rides along the lengthy downtown pedestrian mall.- Dec 17th 2008, 4:40pm
- Continue Reading
- 48 Comments
-
The NFTA Santa Ride
Well it is Christmas time in the city and the NFTA helped put people and especially children into the mood in a very festive and fun way. One of my favorite memories of childhood was taking the train downtown with my grandfather. I would gaze out the windows and watch the tunnel speed by. It always felt like we were going a million miles an hour.
Then there was the ability to stand up and walk around during the ride without the need to be strapped down. It was always a fun time … - Dec 17th 2008, 4:34pm
- Continue Reading
- Join the conversation
Comment Options
galaxyjay
no..maybe...yes?!
Report this
NBJOHN
Holy S**t.... Hillary did something for Upstate? maybe now she will get us the 100,000 jobs she promised. Because there is so much she did for upstate, she can do the same for the country.....sob,sob,sob,sob,sob
I cannot believe I am a democrat... I guess I am independent
Report this
Joshua
I have mixed feelings about Brian Higgins, he is able to do good things for the waterfront, as we see here. In the same respect he did not want to go forward with the removal of the skyway, what gives?
All in all, if this goes through, good for Hillary and Higgins. A (small) pat on the back for the both of you.
Report this
SLEEPL8
Can we get a cool arial image showing what area wil be open to the public? How the hell do you get there without a boat and/or having to swim?
Report this
chris_h_23
Higgins does a lot for the city and I wish more politicians would follow suit. Thank you to both of them. My wife and I will definitely be looking forward to biking the area now freed up.
Report this
UrbanGuy
it's super easy SLEEPL8...hop in your car or grab a cab, take the 190 to the skyway, exit route 5 a mile past the lighthouse onto Fuhrmann Blvd, then head further south about 500 feet or so, cross under route 5, head north on Fuhrmann blvd for about a mile and cross back under route five at the second overpass, (not at the first one though cause then you'll be put back on the one way portion of Furhrmann and have to head south and loop around again), then it's a quick hundred feet or so to the lighthouse...BOOM and you're done! easy cheesy.
Report this
BackInBuffalo
Quick, let's make a list of all the things that we can think of to fix Buffalo (ok, the top dozen) - then we'll research which quasi-politicos are fantasizing of a run for Prez in 2012. Then, we give them the list re-titled "12 Ways to Win WNY in '12"
Report this
buffknut
The picture of the lighthouse is great but too bad you can't actually get that view from anywhere without seeing all the garages and sheds the coast guard put on the site within yards of the lighthouse. How that happened is a disgrace. The CG needs to knock all those garbage eyesores down on the site and build that junk somewhere where no one cares. Also that huge boat shed down the river from the CG station needs to be torn down. How that happened is ridiculous too. But I'm sure we;ll still be looking at all the eyesores for the next several years since it takes forever for anything to get done around here.
Report this
xosder
Sorry, but the Coast Guard should not be anywhere near that site. 5, 10 or 31 acres, it's irrelevant. With the post being a little vague, I guess one could assume that the Coast Guard was keeping 11 of the 31 acres they use to police our waters and making sure nobody is having any fun on their boat and putting a stop to the rampant smuggling of big flush toilets in from Canada. Coast Guard could easily move into a Bflo River site, lease the space and throw something, in the form of cash, back to a local businessman. One square foot on that prime piece of property for a Coast Guard base is insane.
Report this
DanielSack
Sure it is real easy to get to the Coast Guard base. Get off at the first exit off the skyway and follow the signs to the Coast Guard base. If you need to return downtown follow the same sign (I'm not making this up) to the Coast Guard base and get back on the skyway! Really - that's how it works!
Report this
RisingDamp666
Our taxes must be raised immediately to support the Coast Guard's ongoing mission to ferret out and interdict any and all Canuckians that dare enter the U.S. through our woefully porous lake ports. Do not be mislead here, Buffalo is on the front lines; just yesterday several Canuckian refugees were spotted attempting to cross the Niagara just north of the Black Rock Canal. All 31 acres and more are essential to the needs of those brave men and women who protect us all from bad theatre.
Report this
urbanesque
The Coast Guard is there to stop Americans from fleeing to Canada for the promise of abundant jobs and higher wages in Toronto. I heard that Canada wanted to build a huge fence along the waterfront to protect their citizens from illegal American immigrants. - just kidding.
Seriously though, it is about time that Hillary Clinton did her job and secured some pork spending for Buffalo. She has done very little for the people of WNY (and this has nothing to do with her Presidential bid). Unfortunately, $3.1 Million is just a meager pittance when compared to the federally funded projects that are directed to other cities. We need redevelopment of the City that extends beyond a couple hundred yards of bike pathes and benches, and we need government leaders who have the influence to make this happen. It should be obvious to every WNYer that we are an after-thought for our elected leaders in Albany and Washington.
Report this
SLEEPL8
Urbanguy...thanks dude. That is exactly the answer I was lookin for! Do you think it would be quicker if I just park at the Marina, jump in the water, swim across, climb out... and BANG I am there and I saved "all that gas"
Report this