Plans to fortify the shoreline along the emerging Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park against intensifying lake weather patterns got a major boost Tuesday.
A $4.5 million federal grant will advance shoreline resiliency, habitat restoration and public access to an inlet at the southern end of the Buffalo park, formerly LaSalle Park.
A groundbreaking ceremony at Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on Buffalo's waterfront heralded big things to come. 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.
The funds to help protect the park from erosion, habitat degradation and flooding will come from the National Coastline Resilience Fund, bolstered in 2021 by the passage of the federal infrastructure bill.
"These funds allow us to implement the plan to replace a seawall with much more resilient and ecologically beneficial stonework," said Andy Rabb, deputy commissioner of parks for Buffalo. "It will also help us to create some of the habitat essential for Great Lakes fish species and aquatic plant species."
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With construction of the $110 million park now underway, the shoreline work will also slowly become apparent, said J.J. Tighe, director of the parks and trails initiative for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
The study will focus on Lake Erie as well as the Niagara River, Black Rock Canal and lower portions of the Buffalo River and Scajaquada Creek.
"As we get into 2023, there will be very visible signs of progress in the park," Tighe said.
The new funding adds to $10 million in grants that Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper – working with the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Great Lakes Commission – secured earlier for the coastal work, with the Wilson Jr. Foundation providing a $5 million match.
Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, and U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand helped secure the funds for the park project.
"Ralph Wilson was a dear friend of mine, and this will help Buffalo have the beautiful waterfront park that our families deserve and is fitting to his legacy and unwavering commitment to Buffalo," Schumer said in a statement.
"This investment builds on efforts to reimagine the Buffalo waterfront while protecting the Lake Erie shoreline from harsh weather patterns," Higgins added.
"What that does is enable the resilience of the community (and) the resilience of the infrastructure we have here ... " U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers Lt. Col. Eli Adams said.
The focus on the park's shoreline comes after Buffalo's shoreline has been battered in recent years by more frequently occurring seiches – the wind-driven waves that cause drastic differences in water levels.
Damages in the millions of dollars have occurred at Times Beach Nature Preserve, Buffalo Harbor State Park, Erie Basin Marina and Centennial Park. Because of how Erie Lake and the Buffalo River interact, flooding and sewer issues have occurred in the First Ward, Seneca Babcock and Hopkins-Tifft neighborhoods.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper is conducting a study along 16 miles of city shoreline, and it is expected to be completed next year.
Almost a year ago, $10.6 million in repairs were made to over 1,300 feet of seawall outside of the Col. Francis G. Ward Pumping Station, which is at the northern end of the park.
Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News.
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