First Niagara Center is located on a prime piece of property at the epicenter of a number of burgeoning development projects in the city of Buffalo. You may not know it, but that is by design.
When it was determined that the Sabres new home would be built near the waterfront and Inner Harbor, it was certainly with the hope that the constant action in the area would help spur development along Buffalo’s underutilized waterfront. It took 16 years, but here we are.
As Canalside continues to trudge towards completion, the Outer Harbor is beginning to get attention along with the pending casino project and additional interest in the Cobblestone District. All of this action is happening within a stone’s throw of FNC. I think there is more to be desired.
What should be noted is that the text to follow is the precise definition of a pipe dream. This is written in the context of limitless funding, no obstructionists to stand in the way.
It is no secret that Buffalo’s waterfront is the city’s welcome mat and most prized possession. Providing real options for visitors needs to be part of the mission, despite being wholly absent from any action to this point.
I would start by connecting the inner and outer harbor via bridge. Not only would I develop the Ohio street corridor, as Brian Higgins has indicated, I would build the Harbor Bridge that was once a major part of the planning process. Connect from the end of Main street so that anyone going to or fro will be coming right to the heart of downtown.
If the Skyway could be taken down, then I would go whole hog after that. Personally, I think it is a long shot, but for the sake of fantasy, I’d tear that bitch down. The contingency plan here would be to light the base at night, just like the Peace Bridge.
After solving transportation issues, I’d build out a number of different locations for family friendly activities. There are grain elevators that are now re-purposed as indoor climbing centers; the Connecting Terminal would be a perfect candidate for this. You could provide ice climbing in the winter with traditional rock climbing going year-round. The Connecting Terminal would also receive a massive mural and lighting under my plan. In fact, all of the grain elevators would be lit up. Maybe it would be lipstick on a pig, but it is better than nothing.
The Connecting Terminal would also serve as a perfect terminus for a guided Grain Elevator tour complete with a museum. Ideally, the roof of the structure would be stabilized and the museum could be built there. Other activities like the Spirit of Buffalo, BFLO Harbor Kayak and the plans for Explore-N-More all could form to create a critical mass of family options in the area. The addition of a true Erie Canal Museum would be a brilliant and easy piece of the puzzle, as well.
As for the massive amount of land on the Outer Harbor, I would allocate most for a waterfront stadium for the Bills. The rest could be developed as park space as to accommodate for those who think grass and bike paths are all that are needed to develop districts. Considering that there is more than enough space out there to accommodate a stadium and provide ample public access in the form of beaches and trails, there should be no problem fitting both into the plans.
With the Ralph is steadily creeping towards obsolescence and will need to be replaced. Building a new, budget-conscious stadium would provide a beautiful new home for the football team far closer to downtown Buffalo.
Lastly, I’d love to see a 10,000 seat facility built somewhere in the area around Cobblestone or even the Outer Harbor. This would be a soccer-specific stadium capable of hosting football and lacrosse games (see: high school playoffs) along with summer concerts. It would also be a super cool home for FC Buffalo and the WNY Flash to play home games.
If that stadium could be fit on the surface lots in Canalside, perfect. However, I feel as if there wouldn’t be enough space there. Regardless, finding a location for that type of stadium would provide a true venue for concerts on a year-round basis, plus an appropriate for regional and state playoffs in football, soccer and lacrosse.
This idea pulls from cities like Glendale, Pittsburgh and Seattle which have consolidated their stadiums into the same neighborhood. Not only does this concentrate the action for each professional team into the same area, it ensures that those going to the stadium would be filtered out to the same neighborhood as well.
This is where Canalside, Cobblestone and the arena district as a whole would need to rise to meet the demand created by this type of development. The mixed-use proposals for the Webster Block are terrific projects that will provide one more location for arena goers to patronize. Finding more outlets to funnel people into is the key for the future.
Lawn chairs are nice for 20 minutes, but people can only sit and stare for so long. At some point there needs to be actual things to do. While simply building out a bunch of buildings would be foolish (see any Benderson strip plaza), at some point the chicken or egg needs to take charge.
Actively recruiting a few recognizable restaurants for the area would likely begin to spur overall development. Ensuring that all the structures built were in line with the Canal-era design structures would add character to the district. Allowing for the additional plans for Canalside to fall in line would provide the all-around, family friendly neighborhood so many are seeking.
What I want to see happen around First Niagara Center is a thriving district with activities for people of all ages and standings. A group of 24-year old guys could go grab some beers and catch a game on the same day that a family of four took in the Canal and Explore and More.
To recap all of the crazy plans I would love to see come to fruition:
– New Harbor Bridge directly connecting downtown to the Outer Harbor. Plus, the development of the Ohio Street corridor as an additional artery for traffic to follow.
– New Bills stadium located on the Outer Harbor
– Lighting provided on the Skyway and Grain Elevators.
– Connecting Terminal elevator developed to serve as an indoor climbing center with a Grain Elevator Museum located on the roof
– Development of Webster Block with either Paladino or Sabres proposal (in progress)
– Identify a location nearby for a 10,000 seat, multi-use facility to host concerts, high school sporting events and as a home for FC Buffalo and WNY Flash.
– Expedited recruitment and development for businesses in Canalside and Cobblestone
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