First look at Marine Drive ramp plan
Some tenants fighting it
Rich Newberg
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - As Buffalo's inner harbor takes shape, people are going to have to park somewhere to take advantage of the attractions.
But on Thursday, some Marine Drive Apartment residents are saying "Not in my backyard!"
With Bass Pro coming in along with hotels, museums, and water attractions, 2,700 new parking spaces will have to be created.
Almost half are slated to be located on Marine Drive.
A six story parking ramp, plans seen for the first time, would accommodate 1,200 cars and include retail stores and offices.
It would replace the surface lot where tenants of Marine Drive Apartments now park.
Some tenants have major concerns.
Tenant, Edward Ball asked, "What are we going to have to do, drive up to the fourth and fifth level? And also, is there going to be security in the ramp?"
The Tenant Council wants the ramp put somewhere else.
Tenants' Attorney, Joseph Makowski said, "When you go from a 400 car residential lot to a 1,200 car commercial lot, there is lots of traffic, congestion, smog."
But waterfront planners say the location of the ramp is critical, across from the Commercial Slip and all future Canal Side attractions.
Matt Davison of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation stated, "It's very important. It's part of our first phase of Canal Side and really establishing a tourist destination in downtown Buffalo. We need a place where people can come and park and are able to visit Canal Side."
But the ramp's Senior Project Manager, Steve Ranalli, is reassuring tenants they will have priority parking, with their own separate entrance.
"It will be free. It will be separated out physically from the ramp, so that we're not getting commuters, or visitors, or anyone else into the BMHA's parking," Ranalli said.
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/First_l..._plan_20090924