It seems the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is torn. Originally envisioned as a generic, contemporary plaza and marina, the 12.5 acre site at the foot of Main Street was redesigned to incorporate historical Erie Canal-era elements discovered during preliminary site work. But only after a lawsuit.
The revised history-based master plan saw the unearthing and restoration of the historic infrastructure on the site including cobblestone streets, old foundations, and a rewatering of the Commercial Slip, the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Project planners are looking at tinkering with the existing interpretive signage and adding new elements, all while staying respectful to the history of the site. It is a dilemna Preservation Board struggles with, and oftentimes gets skewered for.
Jamesbflo has some advice:
lol, the Disneyfication has done wonders for Vegas and Times Square. While i think its a stretch to call this ‘disney like’, i’d be totally supportive if that was the ultimate direction they intended to go with.
Lets face it, those ‘disney like’ places work for quite a few reasons. They’re family friendly, engaging, have mass appeal, and simply – fun.
We have a choice. Sterile and historic to bore people into never coming back or spice it up to create a true destination thats entertaining enough to keep the visitors visiting.
Authentic doesn’t have to mean boring.
