This past Friday was a quiet landmark day for the City of Buffalo with the quiet opening of the Erie Canal Harbor, including the new Central Wharf! Alison and I had the opportunity to walk around the area this morning, and I can tell you that I haven't been so hopeful for Buffalo and the waterfront in particular for a long time! You can see my pictures of the Erie Canal Harbor and Buffalo Naval Park here.
The picture posted here is of the excavated Commercial Slip, the end of the Erie Canal where it met the Buffalo River and Lake Erie. When the canal opened in 1825, it created a link between the Hudson River and the Great Lakes, enabling the rapid movement of people and goods to the lands beyond. Rapid westward expansion was in part due to "Clinton's Ditch", the ridiculed dream of then New York Governor DeWitt Clinton.
So what's the big deal? Well, considering that this area of Buffalo's waterfront has been a barren wasteland for years, seeing Buffalo from this perspective is somewhat of a revelation. The Commercial Slip had been filled in years ago as canal traffic dwindled, and all traces of the formerly vibrant (and seedy) wharf district were left but to memory. With the Commercial Slip restored, foundations of original buildings uncovered, the old Whipple Truss design bridge in place and the new Buffalo Naval Park Museum facility open for business, there is just a feeling of rejuvenation. People who were there with us to see this minor miracle agreed; it was great to see anybody in Downtown Buffalo on a Sunday morning!
There's been a plan for this area for years, and there was a controversial plan some years ago to build a replica of the Commercial Slip, rather than excavate the original. Knowing that few people would show up for an ersatz landmark, preservationists fought for authenticity, even in the face of geologists brought in by the opposition who swore the original stone canal walls would "explode" if exposed to Buffalo winter weather. To no one's surprise, that didn't happen!
Much more development is needed as shown in my photos. Bass Pro Shops is still (apparently) committed to building a store on the site of the old Memorial Auditorium as a retail anchor and the Buffalo Naval Park is adjacent to the site, but various factions are still at odds as to how to most appropriately develop this important historical district. The sooner decisions can be made the better, but judging by what we saw today and the reaction of others, this is definitely the start of something good and glint of pride should come to the eye of any Buffalonian!
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