City Will Use Federal Stimulus Funds to Reconstruct Historic Waterfront Streetscape

Mayor Byron W. Brown and Congressman Brian Higgins today participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of four historic streets in the city’s Inner Harbor area.
Financed with $3.8 million in federal funds, including $2.3 million in federal stimulus monies and other federal funds secured by Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins, the project was announced on May 18th of this year and it is scheduled for completion by August 2010. The city’s Department of Public Works will oversee the reconstruction project.

“The city’s waterfront continues to improve and the reconstruction of these historic streets in the Inner Harbor will build upon the successful redevelopment of this vital tourism and recreational area of Buffalo,” said Mayor Brown. “By using actual cobblestones that are original to sections of these streets, we intend to provide a faithful and historically accurate reconstruction of these long covered streets that are essential to the continuing restoration of Buffalo’s storied waterfront.”

The work will consist of reconstruction of four cobblestone streets (Prime, Lloyd, Perry and Hanover), installation of granite curbs, exposed aggregate concrete sidewalks, new street lighting, landscaping, traffic signal work; the street alignment is designed to match the existing street grid as much possible.

“As the second successful summer season at the Commercial Slip comes to an end, new work begins to further enhance our waterfront experience and opportunities,” said Congressman Higgins. “By taking full advantage of our proximity to water, historic Erie Canal and cobblestone streets we work project by project to build a waterfront that is not only attractive to visitors and economic development, but one that is uniquely Western New York.”

Two-way vehicular traffic will be accommodated along Lloyd and Prime Streets and one-way traffic will be accommodated on Hanover and Perry Streets. Lloyd Street will provide for ingress to and egress from the site at Marine Drive. One-way access into the site will be provided on Hanover Street from Marine Drive. Perry Street will provide a one-way exit across the light rail system tracks onto Main Street. The reconstruction project calls for the use of cobble pavers salvaged from the site; cobbles salvaged from Genesee Street in the city and cobbles salvaged from old cobblestone streets that match the existing pavers in Buffalo, but were once in place in Cleveland, Ohio.

Other construction elements will include exposed aggregate concrete sidewalks, granite curbs, signal improvements to accommodate the Marine Drive/Hanover Street intersection, signage, markings, street lighting and drainage improvements.

Project funding sources: $2.3M Federal Stimulus Funds
$1.3M Federal Highway Administration Funds
$ 200K Federal Transportation Funding
Total: $3.8M

Following a formal bid process Mark Cerrone of Buffalo will be the project contractor and DiDonato Associates will perform the inspection and design work for the project.



View Original Article from www.house.gov