Construction is full swing in the Theater District where cars will be returning to the block between Chippewa and Tupper streets next year. Buffalo Place, the City, NFTA and NYS Department of Transportation are working with downtown property owners and stakeholders on the next phase of the project between Chippewa and Mohawk streets. Preliminary designs were released in late-October and have been since revised, shown here, pillaged from the Buffalo Place website. Construction on the roughly $20 million project is expected to start next year.
Automobile traffic was removed from Main Street in 1982 when the Metro Rail system, including the pedestrian-transit mall free-fare zone on Main Street was built. The 500 block of Main Street has been shabby since at least the early-1980’s when the Hyatt Hotel opened its doors. Three decades of abandonment is being erased one building at a time. Projects on surrounding blocks are creating some momentum for the area.
Download proposed landscape plan here.
Plans for Roosevelt Plaza have not been settled. Two alternatives are proposed, each will feature one new lane of traffic east-bound from Main to Huron.
Parking will be provided for 11 cars along E. Mohawk Street, six spots in Roosevelt Plaza, 23 cars along Main Street’s 500 block and 23 cars in the Fountain Plaza block. Removable bollards will be located at the Roosevelt Plaza and Main Street parking spots to close those spots during special events. Signalized arms will be located at the cross streets to block vehicle access to Main Street if necessary.
The Theatre/Fountain Plaza Metro Rail Station will be demolished and replaced with a smaller, modern shelters and ramps.
The design team is led by DiDonato Associates, who were also the lead consultants for preliminary engineering. Team members include Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, Foit-Albert Associates, and Parsons Brinckerhoff Engineers.
Construction of this section will start in the fall of 2013 and it will be completed in 2014. A $15 million federal TIGER III grant awarded in 2011 is funding most of the project. City and State funds are part of the mix as well.
Above: Work on 600 Block: Main/Tupper