On Tuesday, September 21, the city of Buffalo will welcome representatives from eighteen different countries and hundreds of delegates from across the United States to the Adam’s Mark Hotel for the World Canals Conference “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” Luncheon.
This one-day event is part of the weeklong 2010 World Canals Conference being hosted in Rochester. The conference brings experts from around the world together to discuss the historic and cultural significance of these waterways and to collaborate on new developments and new initiatives for strengthening them in the future.
“Bringing the World Canals Conference to Buffalo is an opportunity to showcase the Commercial Slip, the iconic 1825 western terminus of the Erie Canal, and for delegates to learn about future development plans for the harbor,” said Tom Grasso, Chairman of the 2010 World Canals Conference. “The site has national significance because it was the nucleus for not only the robust growth of Buffalo but for the birth and growth of Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago.”
The delegates’ visit to Buffalo will consist of a full day of panel discussions and tours in which Mayor Byron Brown, County Executive Chris Collins, and Tom Blanchard, chairman of the World Canals Conference day in Buffalo, will all be involved in showcasing Buffalo as an integral part of the canal network.
The day will begin at HSBC Arena with a series of talks about the city’s canal heritage. It will continue with a walking tour of the Central Wharf, in which the delegates will have the opportunity to see the Commercial Slip and understand more about its cultural and economic role in the city’s history. Following this tour, the delegates will assemble at the Adam’s Mark Hotel for a panel presentation about Buffalo’s Canal District. The day will continue with a boat tour of the Buffalo River Grain Elevator District, Buffalo Harbor, Lake Erie, and Black Rock Canal and will conclude with a bus tour of Buffalo’s architectural landmarks. “This will show the city, its architecture, and its harbor in the best light to people from around the world who are interested in canals and architecture,” said Blanchard.
According to Blanchard, the panel discussion will revolve around the Erie Canal Harbor Project, the reconstruction of the Commercial Slip, Central Wharf, and historic streets, and all the complexities that were faced by those involved in the project. The panel will consist of the engineers, architects, archeologists, and planners who were behind the design and reconstruction of the harbor. In addition, the panelists will explore new ideas for future development of the harbor.
Included in this panel will be Blanchard as the moderator, who was formerly the Empire State Developmental Regional Director of Planning, Peter Flynn of Flynn Battaglia Architects, Frank Schieppati of Pan American Consultants Archeologists, Kim Mathews of Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, Tom Weaver of HF Darling Construction, Joe Fonzi of Parsons Brinckerhoff Engineers, Joe Mannarino and Tim Jones of LP Ciminelli Construction, and Florine Luhr, Harbor Project Director of Empire State Development.
According to Tom Grasso, the discussion will also give Buffalo the opportunity to gain insight from experts outside the city. “Many of these countries that are represented are people that have done similar things,” Grasso said. “It will be important to hear what they have to say and get some good advice. It’s an exchange of ideas.” The delegates will be able to see the work that has been done and offer an outside perspective on other ways that Buffalo can move forward with developing the harbor. “We want to bring people here and showcase the Commercial Slip to the world, but it’s not just about that. It’s about future plans and economic revitalization,” Grasso said.
Those interested in learning more about the 2010 World Canals Conference can visit the website at www.wccrochester.org/.