Mayor Byron W. Brown has announced that the city will be hosting a series of workshops that will help to develop a strong future-forward vision for the transformation of Buffalo’s LaSalle Park into Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park.
“Last October’s funding announcement from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation ($50 million gift) was a game-changer for the Imagine LaSalle initiative. From day one, this has been a redesign effort fueled by public input, and that will continue,” Mayor Brown said. “In this next round of public workshops, our residents will be voicing their views and suggestions directly to the design team from Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), the highly-regarded landscape architecture firm which will lead the effort to create world-class waterfront park for the enjoyment of City residents, and will attract people to Buffalo from across the nation, and around the globe.”
“Community engagement has driven the LaSalle Park redesign effort from its inception, and it’s critical that Buffalo residents and other community stakeholders continue their involvement as this exciting project moves forward. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard on a project that will bring great enjoyment for you, your families and friends, and generations to come,” Mayor Brown said.
MVVA will be monitoring the public feedback from the initial January 17 workshop, while rolling out additional public workshops in February and March.
The first workshop (conceptual design phase) will be held on January 17, 2019, from 6-8 p.m., at International Preparatory School, 110 14th Street, on Buffalo’s West Side. The workshop will be facilitated by UB School of Architecture and Planning and the UB Regional Institute (UBRI). UBRI engaged the community over the summer of 2018, and will share their thoughts revolving around those conversations. They will also discuss existing conditions and design opportunities.
Registration prior to the event is highly encouraged. To register and to learn more about Imagine LaSalle and the conceptual design process, visit ImagineLaSalle.org.