Buffalo is about to make a “big, big mistake” by recommending a new rail station for Canalside, Rep. Brian Higgins said Monday, promising to continue his advocacy for a revitalized Central Terminal.

During a meeting with editors and reporters of The Buffalo News, the Buffalo Democrat said he suspects a special panel convened by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and headed by Mayor Byron W. Brown will recommend $25 million in state money for a new Amtrak station at the waterfront attraction when it issues its final report in April.

But the move will only clutter a Canalside site that he says is veering away from its original purpose.

“Trains and buses do not belong at Canalside,” he said. “This is supposed to be a celebration of the Buffalo waterfront for pedestrian use.

“I think they will end up making a big, big mistake,” he added.

Higgins, who has emerged as the most influential supporter of resurrecting the East Side landmark abandoned by Amtrak in 1979, did not single out Cuomo for the decision he anticipates. But he made it clear he views the Canalside decision as stemming from the state.