Work on a new 22-acre waterfront park is expected to be underway this year. The Union Ship Canal Public Open Space includes the Union Ship Canal and a 200′ buffer around the canal. It is the signature feature of Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park located east of Route 5 along the Buffalo/Lackawanna border. Development of the park will be an amenity for the area by providing residents, business park employees and visitors waterfront access and an environmentally friendly homage to the site’s industrial heritage.
The park will provide approximately 22 acres of urban waterfront green space with over one mile of bike/pedestrian trails along the canal front, an additional mile of pedestrian pathways, and parking for approximately 100 vehicles. Restoration of the 10-acre canal itself, promoting the growth of native aquatic fauna and fish life and the use of non-motorized water-craft, is also planned.
The park will be available for passive recreation including picnicking, fishing, hiking, and sun bathing, and will include a multi-use trail that will provide connections to nearby trail networks. It will be constructed in phases, as funding allows, beginning with the environmental remediation of existing pollutants, revegetation and landscaping, and the construction of the multi-use trails.
Use of native plantings and environmentally friendly materials will be attractive for new habitats of wildlife and fish. Underwater artificial reefs will be placed on the bottom of the canal to attract more fish species and allow for the spawning of the aquatic life.
The installation of a geotextile layer and canal sediment cover, in addition to the land cover system will protect the users of the park from the environmental contaminants that may exist from the historical use of the site as a disposal place for fill materials.
While the park will have an internal trail system, the integral part of the trails is the future connection to the other local and regional systems including the planned Southtowns Connector trails, Tifft Farm Nature Preserve, and the Seaway Trails/Outer Harbor trail network. A pedestrian bridge crossing the canal at its mid-point will create a connection to the north and south sides of the park and allow pedestrians to shorten their trip by over one-half of a mile.
The total estimated cost for park development and site remediation is $14 million. Roughly $8.5 million in initial phase funding has been secured. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved use of $6,030,000 from the Environmental Restoration Program and the New York State Department of Transportation allocated $1,400,000 from the Transportation Enhancement Program to aid in project costs. Erie County is contributing $995,000 in matching funds.
The City is seeking $1.65 million in Niagara River Greenway funding for additional site amenities such as interpretive signage, an industrial heritage-themed playground including icons and relics, an asphalt extension to the proposed car-top launch for non-motorized boats, an expanded promenade overlooking the canal, and other park enhancements. The Greenway Commission recently determined the project is consistent with the Greenway Plan and eligible for funding.
Long-term improvements include an entertainment venue, a park building and promenade that will include restrooms, concessions, maintenance equipment storage, and a ‘hobby center.’
A park maintenance fund will be established through a fee assessed to property owners within the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.