So many meetings, so little time. Before you go to the Canalside public scoping meeting, you might want to show up at the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Draft Master Plan Public Open House, sponsored by the City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning.
From 5:30 – 8:30 PM at the Irish Center, 245 Abbott Road, this Wednesday, the meeting will include an informal
open house beginning at 5:30 PM, followed by the South Buffalo BOA Draft Master
Plan presentation between 6:30 and 7:30 and community discussion between 7:30
and 8:30 PM.
The City of Buffalo was awarded a significant grant through the
New York State Departments of State and Environmental Conservation BOA Program
to conduct the Nomination Study for the South Buffalo BOA. The South Buffalo
BOA is roughly bounded by the Buffalo River to the north, Hopkins Street and
South Park Avenue to the east, the Buffalo-Lackawanna city boundary to the
south and Route 5 to the west.
The Office of Strategic Planning believes that the South Buffalo BOA project is crucial to the renaissance of
Buffalo and important for charting the reclamation and redevelopment of these
valuable lands. The BOA master planning process has included extensive
community involvement intended to gain feedback and participation from the
community. The City, with the aid of a team of consultants, has prepared a
draft Master Plan for the study area and wants community feedback.
The South Buffalo BOA was recently designated a Brownfields
Smart Growth Spotlight Community by Governor David A. Paterson. This important
designation links the BOA to the Governor’s Smart Growth Cabinet.
The recent success of the South Buffalo BOA led to the City of
Buffalo, in partnership with the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation
proposing a new BOA project along the waterfront. The proposed Buffalo Harbor
BOA would provide a master plan for the valuable yet largely underutilized land
along the Outer Harbor. The proposed initiative would also tie in adjacent
areas and planning efforts such as the Canalside Project. The proposed Buffalo
Harbor BOA will be announced at the end of the informal open house portion of
the South Buffalo BOA meeting (6:15 – 6:30 PM) and input will be solicited
regarding the proposed project.
Any questions or comments regarding the South Buffalo BOA
project can be referred to John Fell from the City of Buffalo Office of Strategic
Planning by calling 851-5035 or by email at southbuffaloboa@city-buffalo.com,
or visit www.city-buffalo.com/southbuffaloboa for more
information.