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INNER HARBOR
Phase One - Complete
This phase, which encompassed
the redevelopment of the Erie Canal Harbor into a new harbor with
waterside and landside components, was an outgrowth of the Inner
Harbor Development Project Master Plan completed in 1999. Those
elements completed during Phase One include:
- Relocation and rehabilitation of the three naval vessels to
a new excavated Naval Basin west of their original location.
- Relocation of memorials to a new Veterans Park.
- Enhancement and expansion of existing esplanade facilities
to create a continuous walkway along the water's edge.
- Pedestrian connections from the waterfront esplanade to the
proposed Phase Two Commercial Slip and to Scott Street.
- Force Main relocation.
Phase Two -
Complete May 2008
Phase Two of the Preferred Master Plan is designed to
provide basic infrastructure for the full Master Plan with a
priority of finished projects at the water's edge.
As in all
phases, the design allows for incremental development. As
additional funds are identified the site will be further
enhanced as per the design vocabulary established in the
Master Plan including historic finishes and interpretation.
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View the Site Plan |
Commercial Slip
- A re-watered navigable Commercial Slip in alignment with
original Commercial Slip.
- A towpath/walkway on the west and east sides of the
Commercial Slip.
- Construction of a bowstring truss bridge.
- Commercial Street reconstructed and made available for
service and emergency access.
- Steamboat Hotel and Lloyd Street ruins uncovered and
preserved as an archeological site with a combination hard and
grass surface.
- Site of the former Union Block as an interpreted site with a
grassy, sloped lawn.
Historic Streets
- Reconstructed cobblestone
street sections rebuilt by the City of Buffalo at historic
grade.
- Reconstructed Lloyd, Perry
and Hanover Streets for pedestrian and limited access
vehicle use only.
- Commercial Street re-built
and reopened as a cobblestone street (complete).
Central Wharf
- 40 ft. wide wooden wharf at
upper level with steps down to floating steel framed wooden
surface dock.
- Hardscape with interpretive
elements integrated into the paving.
- Interpretive exhibits.
- Festival site.
- Floating steel framed
wooden surfaced docks floating 400 ft. along Buffalo River.
Buffalo and Erie County Naval
and Military Park
- Two buildings with walkway
over Commercial Street.
- Buildings sited to have
immediate connection and open access to Exhibit Yard.
- Exhibit building in the
yard will allow for flexible expanded exhibition space that
will open out to Naval Yard.
Open Space
- Transitional greenway with
pedestrian and service access under skyway.
- Development Parcels defined
by historic building footprints and treated as landscaped
space.
- Crossroads Plaza north of
Naval Yard at Commercial Street.
- Intermodal Transit Plaza at
Main and Scott Streets.
Phase Three – Project Commencing Winter/Spring 2008
Phase Three of the project encompasses the much-anticipated twelve
acre Canal Side redevelopment plan. This project, located adjacent
to the Erie Canal Harbor site, will include significant mixed-use
retail, office and housing facilities under planning by the
Benderson Development Company, to help reestablish Buffalo’s
historic canal district as the focal point of downtown Buffalo.
Under the plan, a Bass Pro Shops megastore is slated to occupy a
significant part of the former Memorial Auditorium (Aud) site and
will become one of the largest retail attractions in the greater WNY
region. Canal Side redevelopment activities will include:
- Execution of a revised
Pre-Development Agreement with Bass Pro Outdoor World and
Benderson Development Company.
- Title transfer of the Donovan
State Office Building from NYS and the 16,000 seat Memorial
Auditorium Aud from the City of Buffalo.
- Site-preparation for asbestos
remediation and demolition at the Aud and Donovan buildings by
removing various semi-hazardous materials
- Recovery of spectator seats and
dasher boards from the Aud for public auction.
- Asbestos removal and demolition
of the Aud and Donovan building to make way for Bass Pro Shops
megastore and other Canal Side redevelopment.
- Initiation and completion of
SEQR process for the entire Canal Side project area, inclusive
of review of schematic drawings of key buildings and public
facilities.
- Initiation of NEPA process and
preliminary engineering design process with NYSDOT for proposed
Buffalo River bridge connecting downtown to the outer harbor.
- Execution of property transfer
agreement with the City of Buffalo for an additional 13 acres of
project area.
OUTER HARBOR
ECHDC’s near-term outer harbor plans comprise of acquisition of
significant land parcels for beautification, including planting of
lawns and other grassy areas, as well as native vegetation, trees
and other aesthetic improvements to the waterfront site. The focus
is to prepare these sites for long-term redevelopment opportunities.
Efforts include:
- On-going negotiations regarding
interim lease of over 113 acres and eventual transfer of 200+
acres of NFTA property and facilities.
- Acquisition of a seven-acre
outer harbor site from Cargill, Inc. (complete).
- Transfer of the NYPA ice boom
site parcel is under contract subject to relocation of ice boom.
OVERALL PROJECT BUDGETS
The budget for the Erie Canal Harbor project was established in 1997
at $27 million. This budget was increased to $46 million in June of
2002.
The sources of funds for the project are as follows:
New York State Thruway
Authority
Federal Transit Administration
State of New York
County of Erie
City of Buffalo
Buffalo Sewer Authority
US Army Corps of Engineers |
$11,700,000
$14,323,832
$10,000,000
$6,000,000
$300,000
$2,000,000
$2,000,000 |
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| Total |
$46,323,832 |
The project team was also directed
to prepare a Master Plan that included the addition of the heritage
theme including restored historic elements and interpretive
exhibits, and the use of such funds was structured as follows:
| Phase I completed projects
2003: |
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Naval Basin
Naval Vessels
Veterans Park
Force Main Relocation |
$8,020,000
$2,120,000
$2,020,000
$540,000 |
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| Phase II completed projects
2004 - 2008: |
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Commercial Slip
Hamburg Drain (Alt. 2)
Public Open Space Infrastructure
Central Wharf Bulkhead
South Basin and Pier
Naval Museum
Soil and Sludge Disposal
Soft Costs
Contingency |
$3,733,000
$3,497,000
$5,425,000
$300,000
$2,700,000
$3,000,000
$656,000
$12,712,832
$1,600,000 |
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| Total |
$46,323,832 |
The budget for the Canal Side
project is currently slated to include over $275 million in public
and private investments. The project is expected to generate nearly
$240 million in tax receipts alone, over the course of 20 years.
DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT
(10/12/07) Bass Pro Store
Assumptions:
(1) Size: 150,000 sq. ft.
(2) Direct jobs: 300 (est. based on 175 jobs at Auburn 90,000 sq.
ft. store)
(3) Ave. Gross Payroll per job: $22,500
(4) Total Annual Payroll Costs : $6,750,000
Sales Estimates:
$350.00/ sq. ft. X 150,000 sq. ft. equals $52.5
million in annual sales
Sales Tax (Erie Co.) : 8.75% X $35.0 Million equals $4,594,000
Number of annual customer visits:
2,000,000. This is a rate of 5480
customers per day, or 450 per hour (12 hour shift) Based on
estimated total annual sales, the average customer purchase would be
$26.25.
Balance of Canal Side Retail/Restaurant Space
Assumptions:
Retail Size: 330,000 sq. ft.
Direct Jobs: At 2 jobs/1000 sq. ft. equals 660 jobs
Ave. Gross Payroll cost per job equals $22,500
Total Annual Payroll Costs: $14,850,000
Sales Estimates:
at $200/Sq. Ft. X 315,000 sq. ft. Equals $63.0
million in sales
Sales Tax Rate: 8.75% X $63.0 million equals $5,512,500 in sales tax
revenue
Other Development
(1) Hotel sales tax revenues estimated at $350,000 per year
Direct Jobs: 50
(2) 60 units of middle income Housing
Direct Jobs: 10
(3) Museum sales tax revenues estimated at $250,000 per year.
Direct Jobs: 10
Total Annual Payroll (Other Development): $22,500 X 70 jobs =
$1,575,000
SUMMARY
Canal Side Totals:
- Total New Jobs: 1090 – 1020 new retail/restaurant jobs, 70 other
jobs in hotel, housing, other uses.
- $10,706,500 in Total Annual Sales Tax Revenues
- $1,300,000 in Real Estate Tax revenues @ 2.50/ sq. ft. X 520,000 sq.
ft. of private buildings.
- Total Annual Payroll: $23,175,000
- Total Rent Payments: $600,000 X 50 years = $30,000,000
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