The Outer Harbor Campaign has met with members of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) to discuss a plan of public engagement regarding over 100 acres at the public property. The ECHDC recently announced that it as considering the following improvements at the site.

The ECHDC Board of Directors approved a contract with Trowbridge Wolf Michaels Landscape Architects LLP for architectural and engineering services on Outer Harbor Buffalo that will enhance access and facilitate greater public use and enjoyment of Buffalo’s waterfront. TWLA, a New York State certified women-owned business enterprise (WBE), will complete services in order to prepare a construction bid package that is expected in 2017. The entire project is funded with $5 million from the Buffalo Billion initiative. It will consist of several capital improvements and investments which will allow for increased public access and activation of the Outer Harbor. The following images are used as inspiration for the new features at the Outer Harbor. – ECHDC

Improvement 1: Create Visitor Center/Hub at Bell Slip with a modular installation, including pedestrian and bicycle amenities (i.e., bike racks, benches, trash cans, Adirondack chairs, etc.) to take advantage of the existing parking lot and views. Install electric service and/or renewable energy source for power requirements.

Improvement 2: Complete bike path, including railing, pedestrian and bicycle amenities (i.e., bike racks, benches, trash cans, Adirondack chairs, etc.) along Terminals A & B property, thereby completing the southern end of the Greenbelt loop. The northern end of the Greenbelt loop was completed in July 2015.

Improvement 3: Redevelop the Michigan Pier into a multi-use flex space and build on the success of Wilkeson Pointe. Clear, cap, and re-grade the approximate eighth-acre site to accommodate Adult Playground, Workout Area, Ropes Course, foot/bicycle paths (doubling as x-country ski trails), cantilevered trail section (doubling as fishing pier), install railing and perimeter walkway along entire edge (doubling as setback), deck, beach, beer garden area, and adult games zone (i.e., horse shoes, bocce courts, pétanque, shuffleboard, volleyball, etc.). Install electric service and/or renewable energy source for power requirements. Include recreational fields, pollinator fields, seasonal floating docks, safety ladders and life rings.

Improvement 4: Develop two “overlook” locations adjacent the Bell Slip. Design shall be such that birding, painting, photography, and astronomy (publicly desired activities) could occur at these locations.

Improvement 5: Install comprehensive signage package from Gallagher Beach to Lighthouse based on the Erie County Shoreline Standards, including ancillary pedestrian and bicycle amenities (i.e., bike racks, benches, etc.) and landscaping features. Highlight key public locations as well as distances. Trail signage will be placed along NY Route 5 multi-use pathway (western side only) and the “Greenbelt” pathway along the Lake Erie edge, for a total of approximately four miles of signed trails.

Improvement 6: Develop a mountain bike course(s) within a six-acre area bounded by the Bell Slip, Lake Erie and Fuhrman Blvd. Given the site’s features and proximity to existing paved pathways, a series of unpaved trails (each less than five miles in length) and a pump track would be constructed to take advantage of the mature trees and small gently-rolling hills.

The Outer Harbor Campaign met with the ECHDC to discuss the environmental ramifications of the project, which is being considered a “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” set of improvements. The group’s biggest concern is the land at the Bell Slip, which is considered delicate natural habitat. It is the hope of the Outer Harbor Campaign that these newly introduced amenities will be positioned at Outer Harbor areas that do not disrupt “rare and unusual plants, migrating and nesting birds, and the newly repopulated habitat of increasingly rare Monarch Butterflies.” The intention of the Outer Harbor Campaign is not to eliminate these features, rather find more appropriate sites that do not disrupt the environmental initiatives that are already in place.

In turn, the ECHDC has assured the Outer Harbor Campaign that the proposed sites are not finalized, and they are willing to negotiate preferred locations.

Nicole Matteson, representative of the Our Outer Harbor campaign and Executive Director of 21st Century Park on the Outer Harbor, Inc., said, “We are very pleased that the ECHDC has responded positively and quickly to our concerns. We hope this proactive stakeholder-driven relationship continues to grow, with an emphasis on long-term citizen concerns and interests.”

Jay Burney, a founder of the Campaign and Chair of the Friends of Times Beach Nature Preserve, said, “This is a very rare lakeshore habitat that contains native legacy plants and wildlife that contribute to the health and vitality of our waters, outer harbor lands, and shorelines. ECHDC’s positive response is an enormous step in the right direction.”

Lynda Schneekloth, a campaign founder and representative of the Western New York Environmental Alliance, said, “This is such a positive step. The meeting was important for all of us, and we believe that it could open up a new era in community ECHDC relationships that is open and respectful. We can leave a legacy for future generations much as Olmsted and the citizens of his day did. And protecting our ecological assets is the foundational step toward a future that is resilient and beneficial for all of us.”

Empire State Development Regional President Sam Hoyt has also stated that sensitive lands will not be impacted, and that appropriate sites will be identified for the proposed projects.

Moving forward, the Outer Harbor Campaign plans on holding a set of public meetings to discuss the plans and concepts at the Outer Harbor. The first meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm upstairs at Riverworks, 359 Ganson Street, on Wednesday, September 28. Interested members of the public can meet ahead of the meeting at 5:00 pm for publicly guided tours of the site at the Wilkeson Pointe Park sign on Fuhrmann Boulevard.