BUFFALO, N.Y. — We are seeking more information about the state's new Terminal B site which people can now check out in the Outer Harbor area. With warmer weather on the way and sunshine like today, more people might want to go there maybe for a concert or some other event.
Through a drone, we got a bird's eye view of the lakefront previously closed to the public in part because of an old industrial building known as Terminal B. It has now been stripped to its skeletal frame as part of a grand plan as seen in sketches from the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.
That state agency's President Mark Wendel says "The main purpose of this was getting this site reopened to the public. Giving the public better access to the water."
So here's where we are right now in this eight-acre site with a 10,000 thousand-square-foot stage and open platform area which includes new buildings for storage and equipment and a talent green room space for bands and concert performers. And it overlooks Lake Erie.
However, we got some feedback from people questioning the look with the rusting, stained beams of the old building frame and the overall cost for this project at $13 Million dollars.
2 On Your Side asked Wendel 'Some people are saying for 13 Million - this is it?'
Wendel: "Well I mean again - I'll say that this site without this project this site would have remained closed to the public due to the soil condition. And taking an empty cold shelter building and transforming it in another step. I think there's future phases."
Understandably soil remediation, landscaping, and cleanup of an old industrial site can be costly. Wendel told us "There was environmental remediation for the building as well you know with roofing and everything So with the soil and then taking utilities all the way from Fuhrmann underground."
We asked, but the state agency so far did not provide a breakdown of remediation costs.
And apparently, there is more to come as an open-air event center. Wendel says "I think there's future phases for the back here but this is the one with the budget we had fit within and was available."
The Calandras of Clarence, who enjoy concerts, got a first look today as they walked their dogs. Mike Calandra pointed out "You say 13 Million dollars. Yes, it does sound like a lot of money. But if it's finally going to bring us access to these miles of shoreline that have for so long just sat desolate - I think it's money well spent."
His wife Sue had a slightly different take as she noted there were only porta-johns on site. "I do think with a budget that big, if they could find a way to put real structured bathrooms in here that would be worth it for people to come down."
So we asked about the addition of actual bathrooms instead of just porta-johns on site. Wendel said "It was something that was reviewed that wasn't initially able to fit within our budget at this time. So we're looking at a next phase to bring back more public amenities."
The concert season at Terminal B is set to begin May 24th. Tickets will be limited to roughly 5,000 because of traffic access issues at this point.
Overall the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is looking to open public access to about 200 acres on the Outer Harbor waterfront with a projected budget of $44 Million as planned back in 2021. That includes the Terminal B site.
The state and the ECHDC have also been seeking a developer or some other entity to show some interest in the adjacent Terminal A building and site.
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