BUDC, City of Buffalo and partners highlight Placemaking Projects
The Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) in partnership with the City of Buffalo, Buffalo Place and funding partners from the M&T Charitable Foundation welcomed project partners and volunteers to Roosevelt Plaza in downtown’s central business district to celebrate the installation of several Downtown and Waterfront area Placemaking Projects. These projects bring new painted crosswalks, street furniture, planters, and wayfinding to the area to improve vibrancy, pedestrian access, and look to increase visitation and improve downtown’s sense of place.
Over the last several months BUDC, its consultant team, MIG, Inc., Highland Planning and Lu Engineers, and partners at the City of Buffalo have engaged local stakeholders, businesses, and the public in a community driven process to improve downtown’s sense of place.
BUDC’s Placemaking Project involves three (3) placemaking installations including Roosevelt Plaza; Commercial Street and Marine Drive near Explore & More Children’s Museum and Michigan Street near Broadway within the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. The placemaking installations look to improve walkability and add vibrancy within each of these unique areas by using colorful and creative tactical urbanism elements.
Key highlights of the Roosevelt Plaza project involve closing and painting Genesee Street between Main and Huron Streets to allow for expanded seating and programming. The project also added lighting, colorful furniture, planters and other elements to activate this highly visible space in the heart of Downtown Buffalo.
The Commercial Street installation at Canalside involved enhancing crosswalks and bicycling lanes, adding colorful jersey barriers and intersection street mural. These look to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and incorporate colorful wayfinding elements that reflect the activities at area venues such as Explore & More Children’s Museum and the Buffalo Naval Park.
The Michigan Street installation included traffic calming elements; colorful crossing enhancements, plantings and sidewalk painting. The project will also include restoration of the iconic African American Heritage Corridor Archway which will take place in the month of August.
“This innovative, community driven initiative between BUDC, The City of Buffalo, Buffalo Place, area small businesses, partners at the M&T Charitable Foundation and a whole host of incredible local volunteers – looks to improve the quality of downtown’s public realm in a creative and highly visible way through placemaking that elevates Downtown Buffalo,” said Brandye Merriweather, BUDC President.
“On behalf of the Heritage Corridor and its cultural anchors, I would like to thank Brandye Merriweather and her dynamic team at BUDC in selecting us to be a part of such an exciting opportunity. As most in our community know, our Heritage Corridor and anchors are in the midst of significant construction projects to renovate or expand our historic sites. Despite the construction, BUDC’s Placemaking Project offers a temporary but impactful solution to beautify the areas around this construction to allow our community to still enjoy our sites and each other,” said Terry Alford, Executive Director of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission.
BUDC is also looking to get additional feedback on these placemaking efforts through our survey at https://tinyurl. com/Intersection-Redesign Survey.