A third public Imagine LaSalle workshop is set to take place on Wednesday, March 13. This is your chance to learn more about the re-envisioning of this unsung waterfront park, which is scheduled for a makeover thanks to a $50 million donation from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

The intention of these public workshops is to get as much feedback on the conceptual designs of the park, while talking to team members about the overall scope and details of the project. This is the third and final meeting. In May, once all of the feedback has been punched in, a conceptual design presentation will be held.

Essentially, LaSalle Park is a blank canvas. That’s the best part about LaSalle Park as it stands, because up until this point it has been severely lacking in public art, maintenance, flow, design, and inspiration. Now, finally, we have a nice chunk of change to play around with, that will allow us to do things that we never would have dreamed. That’s because, in the past, we have only ever witnessed incremental advancements due to lack of funding and lack of interest. Moving forward, in one fell swoop, we can create a waterfront destination that will make people rethink Buffalo’s waterfront potential. But it’s up to us to push the envelope, which will help to define LaSalle Park as a unique destination unlike anything else that we have seen to date.

What: Imagine LaSalle public workshop

When: Wednesday, March 13, 2019 | 6-8 p.m.

Where: Waterfront Elementary BPS #95, 4th St. Buffalo, NY 14201

Who:

The University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning and the UB Regional Institute (UBRI) are leading the public engagement part of the project.

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates is leading the conceptual design of the park.

Why: To present more detailed and refined conceptual designs for Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park to the public and solicit feedback on those designs from the community.

Representatives from UBRI will briefly recap the conceptual design process. MVVA will then present updates on the evolving conceptual designs for the park, which were revised based on feedback received from the public during workshops held in January and February.

MVVA will incorporate the public’s input gathered from the workshop into revised designs that will be presented to the community through a public exhibition of the park model in May. Starting this summer, MVVA will begin schematic design, which will incorporate public input as the park is designed in further detail.

Project website: ImagineLaSalle.org