Mark Cerrone, Inc. has been awarded a $6,271,981 contract to return one lane of north and south vehicular traffic along downtown’s 600 block of Main Street — a stretch between Tupper and Chippewa streets in the Theater District.
“I am pleased that work to the 600 block of Main Street will soon begin,” said Mayor Byron W. Brown, noting that completion of the $2.2 million 700 block redevelopment project brought immediate private sector investment. “This is another important step in returning cars to Main Street in Downtown Buffalo, which has been one of my goals since taking office. It’s essential to link the dynamic development activity of the rapidly growing Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus with the continuing growth of residential, cultural and commercial activity throughout downtown.”
Construction is scheduled to start this fall; the total cost of this phase of the project is about $8 million. The 600 block work will extend what has already been completed on the 700 block of Main Street and serve as a prelude for the next phase of “Cars Sharing Main Street,” the prominent stretch between Chippewa and Huron streets. Work on the 500 block stretch could cost as much as $20 million. Last year, the City sought and won a $15 million federal grant, which coupled with $10 million already secured from the state, that will fund the street work.
In the 600 block, plans include the installation of bike lanes, 45 parking spaces, five loading zones and 49 street trees and 22 planters. New light and sign poles will also be installed as part of the project. This will be the first block that vehicular traffic will be returned to Main and will share the track bed with light rail cars.