The City of Buffalo is investing $121,000 in bond funds to clean-up the former Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) site on the West Side. The MAP building was destroyed by a fire and was subsequently demolished by the City at a cost of $86,000. Redevelopment plans for the property on Massachusetts Avenue at Shields Avenue include ADA-accessible picnic tables, park benches, new bushes along the fence line, new trees, grading and seeding, and a new parking area adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club.
“This is an investment in the neighborhood that will improve the quality of life for the residents that live around the former Massachusetts Avenue Project site,” said Mayor Brown. “This redevelopment of the vacant lot will provide a more park-like environment and expand green space for the residents.”
“This is the type of redevelopment my Administration is committed to, where we can make this type of investment to beautify a site that has been vacant and make a positive contribution to the health of our city’s neighborhoods,” said Mayor Brown. “More needs to be done throughout the city and working with the appropriate city departments and community-based organizations, we will continue to make the smart, targeted investments that will contribute to neighborhood strength and stability.”
Dave Majewski’s landscaping company, Premium Services, is donating time and material to the landscaping effort. “We will be prepping and constructing the base and foundation for a rain cistern, then installing the cistern,” says Majewski. “We will also donate the use of our labor and equipment there to help them cleanup, rearrange, and modify the composting operation they have going.”
Entry Image: Mayor Byron Brown and Public Works Commissioner Steve Stepniak unveil the plans for the new project with community supporters and children from a nearby daycare.