The NFTA's long-vacant property on Buffalo's waterfront should be made into a family play space, according to the group Citizens for a 21st Century Park on the Outer Harbor. The group also wants the new park to be dedicated to Fredrick Law Olmsted, the man who designed much of the city green space.
Former Erie County Legislator Joan Bozer says it's an opportunity to carry out Olmsted's plan for a waterfront park, which had to be moved inland in what became South Park. Bozer points out the Greenway Plan and other waterfront proposals call for extending the "Olmsted legacy."
"Here we have this opportunity to use his design concepts and conservation principles in the development of the Outer Harbor and celebrate that," Bozer said.
The advocates say a new Outer Harbor park would would help revitalize Buffalo's waterfront and connect more than 50 miles of continuous bike paths from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. They're urging other residents to weigh in during a public meeting being held by Buffalo's Office of Strategic Planning at the end of June.
Meanwhile, the NFTA Boat Harbor will be opening for the season this Tuesday, May 1. That's two weeks ahead of the usual May 15 opening, thanks to the milder than normal winter.
The NFTA says the facility's 1,001 slips will be ready for use at the Fuhrmann Boulevard site and there are still several docks available for rental. Food and beverages are already being served at Dug's Dive at the Boat Harbor. A new service for boaters this year is the ability to file a float plan for longer trips away from the harbor.
