A long-neglected shelter in Buffalo's Delaware Park will undergo an extensive restoration and reopen next year. The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy announced it has received a $250,000 grant that will make the project possible.
The grant was awarded by Bank of America in a competitive bidding process. Olmsted Parks Conservancy executive director Stephanie Crockatt told WBFO it's the largest grant they've ever received by that entity. It will allow work to proceed this year on the Rumsey Shelter, located in Delaware Park not from the intersection of Rumsey Road and Delaware Avenue.
"The shelter house has been neglected for a long time. It just kind of sat boarded up," Crockatt said. "It has seen its days of graffiti and everything else that can typically happen when a building is not being used."
When it was active, the shelter offered dedicated restrooms, a comfort station and a main area with a fireplace. Crockatt said all of that will be restored.
"We're bringing the entire building back to life. I believe the historic documents and construction details are going before the Preservation Board next week," she said.
Completion is expected in the spring of 2019.
This year marks the 150th year since Frederick Law Olmsted first designed the City of Buffalo's network of parks. Celebrations are planned throughout 2018.
