David Corrigan, Rotary Speaker Monday November 3, 2014

Posted by Vern Anderson 
on Nov 03, 2014
 

                Some of David Corrigan’s background  is as follows:

Chairman of Launch New York.

1 of 5 Directors of ECHDC.

1 of 9 members of Advisory Committee for Outer Harbor

Past Chairman for Buffalo Olmstead Conservancy.

Past Co-chair of Re-Tree WNY.

Former member of Business Backs Bills

  • Buffalo waterfront has 3 zones: Canal side, Outer harbor, Buffalo river/Ohio street
  • Canal side is designed to be all walkable. All sorts of parking around for Sabres games etc.
  • The Water side of the canal has been activated and there are several points of interest. (Queen City ferry, water ferry, there are potential 8 points to stop via the ferry). Skyway lighting is on the way. Permanent washrooms. There is a Beer Garden, Naval Museum with a restaurant. New restaurant coming up across Marine Drive.
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  • East of main street has a lot going on also. 1 canal side is one of the most attractive building in Buffalo. It has a hotel with valet parking. It is well landscaped and there is a Beer garden expected around the east of Main Street.
  • Harbor center future plans are almost coming to completion. There was a Canisius College hockey game there last week.
  • The future South AUD Block will have the Children’s museum located there.
  • There is a “Sea of Change” down in the area around the AUD, east of Main Street and the water front.
  • There are 10 spots where you can put a boat and light water vessels down in the Buffalo River.
  • Buffalo’s Grain Elevator Map was shown and where the new solar plant is going to go and how it will look with lighting.
  • Ambiance Design and Grain Elevator lighting will be done by next summer.
  • Ohio Street Parkway a yellow brick road is under construction and is expected to be beautiful by next summer.
  • The concept has sidewalk, thru traffic, planned buffer, bicycle path and pedestrian path. The goal is to get people out and walking in the city of Buffalo.
  • Synergy exists because of the various things that are happening around the yellow brick parkway. Projects are being proposed around the work that is already being done around that area.
  • Buffalo river works is the entertainment complex. This is where the pond hockey will happen.
  • Buffalo rowing club will be located here.
  • Buffalo River landing is not built as yet.
  • Outer Harbor Commitment – New State Parks is already in works and the north side is being developed by ECHDC.
  • Wilkeson Pointe is under construction. One of its features is the wind chimes. The wind chimes are rated to 120 mph.
  • Outer Harbor housing will be serviced by a water taxy
  • Good payback on the investment. $280 million in investment.
  • Good press coming Buffalo’s way as a result of these developments.
  • Brian Higgins was able to get 379 million and ECHDC was able to get the rest to make it about a billion dollars and that provided the opportunity to move things. It is not top down as much as things have been in the past.
  • The way to support is to have 2000 housing units to pay for part of the ongoing maintenance cost and partly from the increase in tax base.
  • There is no warm up hut close to the skating rink as yet. Harbor center is close by so people could go in there to warm up.
  • There has been a lot of talk around Broadway Market and Chippewa Market potentially being moved down. There are a lot of opportunities around it but the Broadway Market is one that people do not want moved from its original location.  There is no current plans for a market at this time.
  • Parking is available for a fee. ECHDC was going to build a parking ramp but it did not pan out for a variety of reasons.
  • The future of skyway is unknown but it is expected that there will be a traffic calming aspect at the end of the skyway to bring the speed down and there will be through lanes.
  • There is a location that could be a potential for the stadium however David did not have any inside information on it.