Big changes are coming to the 1.5 mile stretch of the unused railroad corridor that runs from Solar City in Downtown Buffalo to the DL&W Terminal.Western New York Land Conservancy is looking for input on their Riverline Project designs, a project that has been in the works since 2017.
Conservancy Deputy Executive Director Jajean Rose-Burney said the goal of the project is to connect Buffalo residents to nature.
“These communities don't have a lot of access to nature,” he said. “And you know the Buffalo-Niagara region doesn't have a lot of access to the waterfront.”
Rose-Burney said the state-funded project has core ideas in place, but the public’s feedback will shape what the end result is.
“By April, we should have a more defined concept design. And by this summer, we should have a concept design that everybody, us and the community likes,” Rose-Burney said. “We obviously intend to build this and maintain this in the long run. And that will depend a lot on the design that comes out of fundraising that has to basically raise the money to build and maintain this. Also, the consideration of phasing, we will be able to build portions of this project at different times. It'll take a few years, we're hoping that within a year or two, we have shovels in the ground on a portion of the project.”
Rose-Burney elaborated on some long-term goals WNY Land Conservancy has.
“We want to connect and eventually build loops and extensions that get us not only to Canalside and to the Outer Harbor, but to Larkin Square and the District and beyond to Greater Buffalo, and across the Buffalo River to South Buffalo."
The land being used is currently owned by the NFTA, who Rose-Burney says has been supportive through the process thus far.
Wednesday night’s online meeting is being held at 7 p.m. on YouTube. You can view it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dqgoftp4JY
Those who register for the event before it starts will be able to give feedback on the early designs.
