Buffalo waterfront built on decades of state investment

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Once known primarily for its industrial past, Buffalo's waterfront has become one of the city's busiest public spaces. What was once a shoreline defined by shipping and grain elevators, Buffalo's present-day waterfront shows how years of investment can be used as an example for waterfronts across the state.

Erie Canal Harbor Development President Mark Wendel said the transformation didn't happen overnight.

“The waterfront has become a destination," said Wendel. “I think it tells you that there is a draw when you want to get to the water because it’s such a rare amenity.”

Years of public investment have turned Canalside and the Outer Harbor into places where people can kayak, bike, attend concerts, or just grab dinner.

“To give people access in a variety of forms, and I think that’s what we really try to do," said Wendel. "It’s for the businesses, it’s for the residents, it’s for the tourists.”

While the Buffalo waterfront was built with Buffalonians in mind, Wendel said its impact extends well beyond Western New York.

“This waterfront could be something that shows it started as a destination, so other cities that have waterfronts, it’s really a unique resource that can be built upon," said Wendel.

One of the biggest signs of Buffalo's waterfront transformation isn't just what was built along the shore, it's how people are using the water itself. Visit Buffalo President and CEO Patrick Kaler said that from kayak rentals and boat tours to concerts and festivals, tourism leaders are looking at what the transformation means not just for Buffalo, but for the state’s economy as a whole.

“They’re looking at how they’re going to develop their cultural corridor and their area," said Kaler. "So I think it’s a great opportunity to partner with the state.”

Kaler said as communities across the state invest in public spaces, he sees Buffalo as an example of how a former industrial shipping port can become the city’s biggest attraction.

“It attracts not only our residents to our waterfront, but brings visitors to the waterfront and creates jobs," said Kaler.

Boat tours owner Rich Hilliman said the waterfront’s impact is showing up in businesses along the shoreline, where restaurant owners and recreation operators are now seeing summer crowds extend far beyond peak season.

“The recreation for the waterfront, the purpose for the waterfront has shifted greatly," said Hilliman.

For many first-time visitors, Kaler said that first impression now form at Canalside, where the waterfront is connecting residents and tourists to a shoreline that helped build the city more than a century ago.

“This is truly the welcome mat to Buffalo. That our waterfront now really is the place where people start their visits to our community," Kaler said.

Seventy-one communities, including Buffalo, have applied for a share of nearly $14 million in the state's latest Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Those applications requested a total of $94 million, a sign of just how competitive the program has become. Buffalo has already received more than $7.7 million through the program since 1997, funding nine waterfront projects.