The City is seeking bids to construct the Michigan Street Archway within the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. The 25 foot tall arch will be constructed just to the south of the Michigan Street Baptist Church between Broadway and William Street. Clark Patterson Lee prepared the engineering plans and Valeria Cray designed the structure.
From The Buffalo News describing Cray’s design:
The 25-foot-high, stainless steel piece will have a base made of bricks, she said. It will have dove wings in the middle and plaques summarizing the stories of the Nash House, the church, the Colored Musicians Club and the slaves who came through Buffalo.
There will be white lights and blue lights – some formed to represent the North Star, which guided runaway slaves – and letters spelling out “African American Heritage Corridor.”
The project is just south of a key redevelopment project that will see a complex of buildings at the southeast corner of Broadway and Michigan (photo below) turned into 18 apartments and commercial space. The $6 million project by a development team led by architect Steve Carmina is wrapping up its financing and expects to start construction in a few weeks. The buildings were stabilized last year and should be ready for occupancy next spring.
The City is also quietly working on plans for the Broadway Barns site to the east. Funding is being sought to relocate the Public Works Department into a new facility and redevelop of the full-block site that stretches from Broadway to William between Nash and Milnor streets.
Bids for the archway construction are due June 14.