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TONAWANDA STREET CORRIDOR Brownfield Opportunity Area TONAWANDA STREET CORRIDOR Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 Nomination Document TABLE OF CONTENTS CITY OF BUFFALO Byron W. Brown, Mayor 1. OVERVIEW 1 Elizabeth A. Ball, Deputy Mayor Project Description Vision, Goals, and Objectives Boundaries OFFICE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING Community Participation Brendan R. Mehaffy, Executive Director 2. ANALYSIS 5 CONSULTANT TEAM Community and Regional Setting Community and Regional Trends Fisher Associates Tonawanda Street Corridor Trends Bergmann Associates Camiros 3. INVENTORY 19 Pan American Natural Resources RKG Infrastructure Transportation Urban Design Project Parks and Open Space Urban Strategies Archeological and Historical Resources Watts Architecture & Engineering Land Use 4. STRATEGIES 53 October 2015 Alternative Scenarios Community Feedback Land Use and Zoning Recommendations 1 OVERVIEW 1.1 Project Description This document was prepared for the City of Buffalo under the In 2011, the City of Buffalo was awarded funding from the The BOA builds on the work of the Tonawanda Street Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program. The New York State New York State Department of State to establish a Corridor Plan, which recognized the potential for Tonawanda Street Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Area. brownfield redevelopment, while simultaneously Department of State provided financial support and technical This funding allows recipients to plan for the revitalization integrating neighborhood, commercial, and institutional assistance; and the New York State Department of Environmental of underutilized, vacant, and brownfield sites by assets that serve as regional attractions. Few areas in the Conservation provided additional technical assistance. establishing a vision for their redevelopment, and city offer such a mix of activity and well-positioned assets. strategies to return the sites to productive use. This BOA is being evaluated as part of a Generic The Tonawanda Street Corridor BOA encompasses 650 Environmental Impact Statement that will review the acres – roughly one square mile – in the northwest section impacts of adopting four Brownfield Opportunity Area of the city. It contains a large number of brownfields and Plans (Buffalo Harbor, Buffalo River Corridor, South underutilized parcels; a legacy from the industries that Buffalo, and Tonawanda Street Corridor), the Local were once located along the Belt Line rail corridor that Waterfront Revitalization Plan, changes to existing Urban serves as the geographic basis for the BOA. Renewal Plans, and an updated Land Use Plan and Unified Development Ordinance. Redevelopment of this area will be based on its strategic location. Highways and rail lines connect to destinations in The Common Council was declared lead agency, and a both the United States and Canada. The Niagara River Positive Declaration and draft scope of work prepared. and Scajaquada Creek offer access to natural settings. The GEIS will be submitted to the Common Council for Ongoing efforts to restore waterfront lands, improve public review and approval, and a public comment period will amenities, and leverage nearby neighborhood attractions take place in the fall of 2015. will bolster interest in the area and create opportunities for land uses that match the needs of the community. 1.2 Vision, Goals, and Objectives The BOA process seeks to initiate, prioritize, and guide ensuring that the various concerns and goals were land remediation and redevelopment by identifying discussed in an open fashion. Community contributions economic, social, and cultural opportunities. A vision for and acceptance are vital to the success of any the future must be guided with broad-based community, redevelopment plan. municipal, and state support; and solidly grounded in current and emerging challenges, initiatives, and Planning is essential to ensure that future development opportunities. does not compromise recent gains. The need to generate employment opportunities and tax revenues must be The long-term goal is to pursue both environmental balanced with strengthening neighborhoods, expanding enhancement and sustainable development by creating a recreational opportunities, preserving industrial heritage, plan designed by stakeholders, including area residents, ensuring waterfront access, and improving habitats and businesses, environmental advocates, and government. watershed ecology. Consensus building began at project inception, by OVERVIEW 1 1.3 Boundaries Map 1.1 Boundaries The boundaries were selected to include heavy industrial areas along the Belt Line rail corridor. These include Aurubis Buffalo, Chandler Street, the Buffalo Free Trade Complex, Tonawanda Street, Scajaquada Creek, and the Niagara Street corridor. A number of mixed-use neighborhoods surround these employment centers, including Black Rock, Grant-Amherst, Riverside, West Riverside Elmwood Hertel, and Upper Rock. [Map 1.1] The northern boundary is Skillen Street; the eastern boundary includes rail and industrial properties which form West the edge of residential areas; the southern edge extends Hertel along Niagara Street to Albany; and the western boundary links to the Niagara River via the Black Rock Channel and Hertel the International Railroad Bridge. Grant Black Amherst Amherst 1.4 Community Participation Rock A community participation plan was designed to enable Stakeholder Sessions input at a variety of levels and stages during the A series of stakeholder sessions were held in November development of the Nomination Document. The plan was 2011 and January 2012, to assist the consultant team in organized around project tasks to provide timely inputs to understanding the dynamics of the study area. These deliverables. A range of opportunities for community sessions included developers and investors, businesses involvement were identified, from public open houses to and large landholders, non-profits and community-based small stakeholder sessions. The project website also organizations, regulatory agencies, and city departments provided opportunities for interested parties to submit that serve the community. comments. Forest These early consultations were designed to: The consultation process employed numerous outreach methods to ensure robust public and private participation. Inform stakeholders about the study process and The design and production of accessible materials, and objectives; Upper the provision of multiple opportunities for feedback were Rock seen as essential to a successful communication strategy. Discuss issues and opportunities, along with policy and development concerns; and Several different audiences were engaged during the Lafayette planning process. In order to effectively communicate with Identify potential projects and initiatives that would each group, contact lists were developed and updated benefit the community. with names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail A “Business Breakfast” was also held in June 2012, to addresses. These lists included residents, block clubs, provide business owners and developers with an Ferry non-profits and community groups; advocacy opportunity to more openly discuss their objectives outside organizations, educational institutions, businesses and of a public forum. developers; county, state, and federal agencies; city departments and boards; elected officials; and steering committee members. Opportunities for community participation included: Niagara 2 OVERVIEW OVERVIEW 3 Steering Committee Meetings Open Houses ANALYSIS A 20-member steering committee was appointed to review A total of four open houses were held over the course of material prepared by the consultant team, provide input the planning process to share information with the public 2 regarding project direction, and serve as liaisons to the and solicit comments and feedback: larger community. Members included representatives from January 2012 – the first open house introduced the local businesses, developers, community-based 2.1 Community and Regional Setting organizations and other non-profits, institutions, and the project objectives, provided an overview of the analysis conducted to date, and then broke out into general public. Staff from agencies providing project Buffalo is the regional center of Western New York, which The region’s transition from manufacturing to a service- visioning sessions to allow participants to discuss support were also invited to attend steering committee consists of Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, based economy has been slow, but is now firmly under- emerging principles and their vision for the BOA over meetings. A total of five meetings were held during the Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties. Erie way. The University of Buffalo is a major research institu- the next two decades. course of the Step 2 process: and Niagara are the most urbanized, and together form tion that advances the technological capabilities of the the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. region. The training offered by UB and other higher educa- December 2011 – the initial meeting introduced the June 2012 – the second open house started with a brief review of the community input from the prior tion providers represents a significant resource; while the project team; provided overviews of the BOA The regional setting reflects long-term trends in Erie and meeting, discussed the economic analysis for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus reinforces Buffalo’s posi- program and study process; and included breakout Niagara counties. Buffalo’s population peaked in
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