BUFFALO, N.Y. — Back in May, a view reached out to 2 On Your Side and asked why the Tifft St. Pier had been closed for years.
As we previously reported, the pier opened in 2014, was damaged in 2015 and never reopened in 2016.
The pier had sat, fenced off from the public, closed for seven years.
Now, after our reporting, the City of Buffalo is moving forward to make repairs on the $4.5 million pier. Originally the pier was built by the New York State Department of Transportation.
"We're working on the repairs right now we've got a informal RFP out on the streets for some contractors to come and do some of the final repairs," Buffalo Department of Public Works commissioner Nate Marton said.
U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins office confirmed a meeting among his staff, the City of Buffalo, and the NYSDOT recently took place for the issue to get resolved.
In a statement to WGRZ back in May, the NYSDOT said "the Tifft Street Pier was constructed by NYSDOT on behalf of the City of Buffalo, and ownership of the structure was transferred to the city upon completion."
2 On Your Side submitted Freedom of Information Law requests with the NYSDOT and City of Buffalo for the transfer agreement for the pier project.
As of June 16, neither entity could produce the agreement documents.
Multiple sources have told 2 On Your Side that the city never accepted the transfer of the pier when it was completed in 2014, citing potential design flaws.
In a previous story, 2 On Your Side obtained emails between contractors and the NYSDOT outlining design concerns for the Tifft Street Pier project.
Regardless of who is actually responsible for the pier, Marton says the city is taking the lead to repair it.
"I think it's important for for all of us, both the state and the city, to get get this open," Marton said. "So we're able to execute the project and some of the work that now has to occur fairly quickly."
Marton says the repairs to the pier could be completed as soon as mid-August.
According to a statement from Congressman Higgins office, the state will be providing financial assistance for the project.
"The Tifft Street Pier is one of several unique destinations along the Outer Harbor. It has been closed to the public for way too long. We convened a productive meeting with the City of Buffalo and the New York State Department of Transportation. The City of Buffalo informed us that they have issued a request for proposals for a contractor to fix the structure and make it safe to reopen again. The State will provide financial assistance to the City for this work. The Congressman is grateful to Governor Hochul and Mayor Brown. Their effort to prioritize this project, in coordination with their respective transportation agencies, led to speedy issuance of the solicitation so soon after that meeting,"
It still remains unclear why exactly it took 7 years for the pair to be repaired. However, one month after the initial report from WGRZ, a solution is seemingly on track.