Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) in partnership with the City of Buffalo, Buffalo Place, and funding partners from the M&T Charitable Foundation have officially unveiled a series of placemaking projects downtown and along the waterfront.
The placemaking projects include painted crosswalks, street furniture, planters, and wayfinding.
In recent months, BUDC, its consultant team, MIG, Inc., Highland Planning and Lu Engineers, and partners at the City of Buffalo engaged local stakeholders, businesses, and the public, to come up with some key urbanist installations that are designed to make Buffalo more walkable and more enjoyable.
BUDC’s Placemaking Project involves three placemaking installations:
- Roosevelt Plaza – closing and painting Genesee Street between Main and Huron Streets to allow for expanded seating and programming. Also new lighting, colorful furniture, and planters.
- Commercial Street and Marine Drive near Explore & More Children’s Museum. Enhancing crosswalks and bicycling lanes, adding colorful jersey barriers and intersection street mural.
- Michigan Street near Broadway within the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. Traffic calming elements; colorful crossing enhancements, plantings and sidewalk painting. The project will include restoration of the iconic African American Heritage Corridor Archway.
“This innovative, community driven initiative between BUDC, The City of Buffalo, Buffalo Place, area small businesses, partners at the M&T Charitable Foundation and a whole host of incredible local volunteers – looks to improve the quality of downtown’s public realm in a creative and highly visible way through placemaking that elevates Downtown Buffalo,” said Brandye Merriweather, BUDC President.
^ Roosevelt Plaza
“A vibrant downtown does not happen by accident. We have to create public spaces where people want to walk, gather, spend time and support local businesses,” Mayor Sean Ryan said. “These projects, along with recent placemaking work in Niagara Square, show how thoughtful improvements and creativity to public spaces can bring new energy to downtown. I want to thank BUDC, Buffalo Place, the M&T Charitable Foundation, and all the businesses, volunteers, and community members who worked with the City to bring these projects to life.”
^ Michigan Street Corridor
“Projects like this demonstrate how thoughtful investments and strong partnerships can transform public spaces and connect communities,” said Don Elick, Senior Vice President, M&T Charitable Foundation Regional Manager, M&T Bank. “M&T Bank is proud to support this effort, and we’re grateful to our employee volunteers who contributed their time to help make this project a reality. Together, we’re helping create a more welcoming and vibrant downtown.”
“On behalf of the Buffalo Place Board of Directors, we are thrilled with the outcome this installation has had in Roosevelt Plaza. Stakeholders, employees and residents are actively engaging with the freedom of movement and the aesthetics of the space. The additional seating choices have led to employees and visitors alike enjoying their lunches together. We all thank BUDC, its project partners at the City of Buffalo, the consultant team and all of the volunteers for giving this space new life,” said Steve Carmina, Chairman of the Buffalo Place Board of Directors. “We were thrilled to be a part of this project, working with the BUDC team throughout the process. The project provided much needed color and vibrancy to the crosswalk, which allowed for increased safety and awareness for the thousands of families visiting Canalside. These types of collaborations show the strength and power of what can be accomplished when we work together, said Michelle Urbanczyk, Explore & More President & CEO.
^ Canalside
“On behalf of the Heritage Corridor and its cultural anchors, I would like to thank Brandye Merriweather and her dynamic team at BUDC in selecting us to be a part of such an exciting opportunity. As most in our community know, our Heritage Corridor and anchors are in the midst of significant construction projects to renovate or expand our historic sites. Despite the construction, BUDC’s Placemaking Project offers a temporary but impactful solution to beautify the areas around this construction to allow our community to still enjoy our sites and each other,” said Terry Alford, Executive Director of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission.
BUDC is also looking to get additional feedback on these placemaking efforts through our survey at Buffalo Intersection Redesign — Share Your Feedback!