BUFFALO, N.Y. — It has stood sentry over Buffalo's East side for decades and now the public will soon get a chance to weigh in on the future of the Central Terminal.
The Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation says work has already started on a master plan for the landmark structure. The first of four virtual meetings is set to take place on Thursday, October 8 at 6 PM.
The plan is intended to provide a road map for both near and long-term development of the property, including its connection to the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood.
The Corporation says the plan will build on recommendations from the Urban Land Institute to start the re-use by creating a year-around regional venue at the Memorial Drive site utilizing the diverse spaces within the terminal's main concourse.
“Many people have worked for many years to save the Terminal,” said Paul Lang, Chair of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp. “This plan will be an opportunity to knit community hopes, values, concerns and opinions into the future reuse of the Buffalo Central Terminal in the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood.”
"Well COVID's going on right now, but I see an event venue," the corporation's program manager, Jacques Garcia, added. "Where people are congregating and enjoying the space as it relates to the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood, just something for the people in this space."
The Master Plan includes three main components:
- A guide to redevelopment and reuse of the Central Terminal
- A plan to strengthen connections between the Central Terminal and the neighborhood and its existing assets in a manner that reflects the neighborhood values
- A development and financing structure to establish a framework to solicit and evaluate developer proposals
A the link and credentials for Thursday's 6 p.m. meeting can be found here.
An overview of the planning so far, information on the public meetings and other information about the Central Terminal can be found here.