Next week, the public will have an opportunity to see the latest proposal for developing Buffalo's Outer Harbor. It's a plan one local urban planner deems "lighter, quicker and cheaper," and a proper fit for that part of the waterfront.
Tim Tielman, principal of the urban development company Place Advantage LLC, believes his idea provides the right amount of amenities and attractions that will appeal to waterfront visitors. He'll present his proposal on Wednesday, September 14 in the auditorium of Hutch Tech High School in Buffalo, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
As Tielman suggested in a telephone interview with WBFO, Buffalo is getting a second chance with its Outer Harbor, more than a century after Frederick Law Olmsted designed a waterfront park only for it to become the site of Bethlehem Steel.
"It's our front lawn. It's our views on Lake Erie and we should use it in a certain way that recognizes what essentially is the carrying capacity of the place," Tielman said.
Previously proposals have included a new football stadium, more than 2,000 homes, a museum district and other developments. Currently, the Buffalo Common Councio has approved a plan to construct a 23-story apartment building on the site of the former Freezer Queen facility but project opponents filed lawsuits in July in an attempt to derail that project.
Tielman is seeking development that doesn't block citizens from the view of Lake Erie. His plan, as he described it,
"Any Western New Yorker who drives down Route 5 in Hamburg is familiar with how the waterfront is actually blocked off by restaurants and that thing," he said. "It's great if you're going for a meal there but for millions of people who drive by who don't go there for that, their views of the water are lost."
Tielman's plan has the support of elected officials including Congressman Brian Higgins and State Assemblyman Sean Ryan.
Sam Hoyt, regional president of the Empire State Development Corporation, says it's consistent with how public officials are already proceeding.
"We are currently in the process of engaging a consultant to help us implement the lighter, quicker, cheaper plans that are already proposed," Hoyt said. "It's perfect timing. Tim's got great ideas and I think that they can fit well with what our plans are out there."
