A groundbreaking ceremony at Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on Buffalo's waterfront on Tuesday heralded big things to come.
After years of community engagement and planning, the construction of Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park – formerly LaSalle Park – starts. On tap are the first three projects: a new pedestrian bridge over the Niagara Thruway, new baseball diamonds and soccer fields, and a redesigned shoreline for public access and habitat restoration.
The former LaSalle Park will be transformed in phases over the next several years at an estimated cost of $110 million in public and private dollars.
Last month, Gilbane Building Co., a company whose projects include the expansion of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, was selected to also be the project manager for the park. The Providence, R.I.-based company, with offices in upstate New York, is in preconstruction planning for the project in consultation with the Ralph Wilson Park Conservatory and the City of Buffalo.
The park is expected to be completed in late 2025.
Vaeda Ferrer, 7, considers what to draw on a fence poster after attending a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Ralph Wilson Park, formerly LaSalle Park, with her grandmother, Cathy Rivera in Buffalo July 19, 2022. Vaeda is a cheerleader in the West Side Little League football and cheer, which utilizes the park.
Here's what's coming:
• Topographical changes to what is a flat park that include a sledding hill and "great lawn."
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• An inlet at the park's southern end providing habitat restoration, public access and a more resilient shoreline to protect the park from higher lake levels and severe weather. A Buffalo Blueway stop further north will feature a paddle sport launch.
• A 2½-acre playground geared for education, exploration and adventure.
• A new bridge across the I-190 into Lower West Side neighborhoods.
• New ballfields, including one hardball, four little league and softball diamonds, and two soccer fields.
• Walking trails and new landscaping.
Work is going to begin first on the bridge, the inlet and the ballfields. It will take months and likely into 2023 before any of the projects are near completion.
Flags promoting the new Ralph Wilson Park are prepared for a a groundbreaking ceremony for the new park, formerly LaSalle Park in Buffalo July 19, 2022.
Andy Rabb, the city's deputy parks commissioner, said the public should expect to see construction fences up this summer.
While much attention has been on the public benefits to the park, there will also be substantial environmental improvements.
The environmental improvements will also help restore degraded fish and wildlife habitats in the area, said Basil Seggos, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, working with the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Great Lakes Commission, secured $10 million for the coastal work, with the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation providing a $5 million match.
Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News.
