The Central Terminal Restoration Corp. (CTRC) is taking important steps to advance reuse of the Buffalo Central Terminal following the significant investment of $61 million in this living landmark from the public and philanthropic funding partners of the Regional Revitalization Partnership.
Momentum is building for the future of the Buffalo Central Terminal as a lasting cultural and economic hub for the community.
The CTRC has 1) launched Phase 2 of major capital improvements, 2) engaged an architecture and engineering team to oversee the project, 3) engaged a team to complete a required Historic Structures Report and Cultural Landscape Report, 4) invited finalists to submit proposals for a private development partner.
Phase 2 Capital Improvements
A major construction project is starting, utilizing a portion of the Regional Revitalization Partnership funding. This phase will address the highest priority safety and stabilization issues, reopen the Passenger Concourse for public access on a limited basis, and expand use of the Plaza and the Great Lawn. Work includes 1) major structural concerns and masonry conditions in the Main Terminal Building, Tower, and parking garage, including repair of the historic Guastavino vaulted ceiling in the Passenger Concourse and 2) roof and window repairs to stop water intrusion and related deterioration.
This second major capital phase builds on the capital work completed in 2019-2022 which focused a $5 million investment from Empire State Development on repair and replacement of the former restaurant roof – ending severe water infiltration and damage. Additional companion work included new roof drains, repair of a collapsed sewer line for drainage, asbestos abatement, masonry repairs, and repair of a portion of the barrel roof. The former restaurant area is now dry, and ready for the next phase of construction.
Phase 2 of construction is a $13-$16 million project that will start in April 2023 with a conditions assessment of the Main Terminal building and garage. This will be followed by a design phase with construction documents to be issued in late 2023 and early 2024; bidding and construction will take place starting in 2024 and will continue through 2025.
Engagement of an Architecture & Engineering Team
After a competitive process that began in November 2022, Quinn Evans was selected to serve as the prime architect for the Phase 2 Capital Improvements. The project will involve a multi-disciplinary team of consultants, including several local and MWBE firms, including Barbara A. Campagna/Architecture + Planning and Design Synergies Architecture. Additional team members are: Silman as structural engineer; Buro Happold as mechanical and electrical engineer; GHD as fire protection and life safety engineer; Tredo Engineers as civil and environmental engineer; Jablonski Building Conservation as building conservationist; and Dharam Consulting as cost estimator.
Quinn Evans, among the nation’s largest women-owned architecture and planning firms, has extensive experience in the renovation, restoration, and adaptive use of historic buildings, including our nation’s early twentieth-century, industrial train stations. The firm is currently working on the modernization of Detroit’s Michigan Central Station as well as Baltimore’s Penn Station and has completed numerous rehabilitation projects for Amtrak.
Completion of Historic Structures & Cultural Landscape Report
A Historic Structures Report and Cultural Landscape Report will take place this year and the final report will be completed in October 2023. A Historic Structure Report and Cultural Landscape Report are important preservation and rehabilitation tools to guide decision-making about how to respectfully utilize and or modify historic preservation features. This work is also a foundation to obtain state and federal historic tax credits. Barbara A. Campagna/Architecture + Planning, PLLC, a nationally known local preservation architect with a team of nearly all MWBE firms has been engaged to undertake this work. Additional team members are: Design Synergies Architecture for architectural documentation; Elizabeth Kennedy Landscape Architecture as landscape architect; Robinson & Associates, Inc. as landscape historian; SmithGroup as preservation peer advisor; Silman as structural engineer; Altieri Wieber Sebor, LLC as mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineer; Jablonski Building Conservation as building conservationist; Nancy J. Parisi as project photographer; and Get Fresh Industries, Inc. as graphic designer and report layout.
Private Development Partner Solicitation
The CTRC continues the process to identify a development partner aligned with the community-driven vision for the revitalization of the Central Terminal as a center of activity and as a catalytic anchor within the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood and East Buffalo, and a generational investment in the City of Buffalo and the WNY region.
The solicitation for private development partner has moved to the second stage of the search. A Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) was issued in partnership with the City of Buffalo in July of last year and the amount and quality of responses was a strong first step in the process. Several qualified teams were invited to submit responses to a Request for Proposal (RFP) that will provide additional information and clarity on items such as vision, plan and program, financial capacity and feasibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and strategies, team structure, as well as experience and capabilities. The private development partner will be selected in the Fall of 2023.
The selected team will lead development for the combined CTRC and City parcel, with a long-term vision that aligns with the CTRC’s community-driven Master Plan and City of Buffalo 2023-2027 Four-Year Strategic Plan. This long-term vision will be paired with an actionable early phase that is practical and achievable. This early phase will create energy and occupancy at the site, providing the type of activation that will attract positive activity and provide confidence in subsequent phases of the project.
The CTRC will continue to have a role in the ongoing revitalization and operations of the Central Terminal as the owner of the property and long-term steward of the historic site. In particular, the CTRC expects to have a long-term presence at the Terminal leading educational and awareness efforts and to have an advisory role in the development strategy and programming.
Momentum is Building
With help of our funders and the capacity-building support of East Sides Avenues, we are on a path to a successful future — moving forward to advance the Buffalo Central Terminal as a prime project in a prime location. The Central Terminal is a singular catalytic opportunity to ignite a shared vision for a new future,a vibrant mixed-use complex, one where the newly revitalized Central Terminal is an integral part of creating opportunity for all.
About Central Terminal Restoration Corp.
The historic Buffalo Central Terminal is a prominent feature of Buffalo’s East Side and the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood. The not-for-profit Central Terminal Restoration Corp. (CTRC) has been the caretaker for more than 20 years. The future of the Buffalo Central Terminal is a singular catalytic opportunity to ignite a shared vision for a new future. The community driven Master Plan re-establishes the Terminal as a hub of activity – a beacon that attracts people and investment, celebrates, and fosters community voice and connections that shape broad and equitable revitalization efforts, and contributes to the strong future of the city and region. More information and photos can be found in the CTRC Media Kit.
About the Regional Revitalization Partnership
The Regional Revitalization Partnership is a $300 million private and public regional co-investment in three interconnected geographic areas: Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Rochester. This community-driven strategy seeks to build local wealth and empower residents using a model that drives economic development through government and philanthropic partnerships. New York State has committed $200 million to the strategy; the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, ESL, the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation and other philanthropic and corporate partners have committed $81 million; and the remaining $19 million is provided by each city’s local government.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of “I LOVE NY,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, please visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.
About East Side Avenues
East Side Avenues is a capacity building initiative developed to fund, plan and coordinate revitalization strategies and initiatives aimed at improving economic conditions in four main commercial corridors on Buffalo’s East Side. It is backed by a unique partnership of private and philanthropic organizations that created the pooled, $8 million East Side Collaborative Fund administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The grants and supports are being provided to complement capital funding that is being awarded by Empire State Development (ESD) as part of its $65 million East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund (ESCEDF). East Side Avenues stemmed from UB Regional Institute’s (UBRI) partnership with ESD and the City of Buffalo to reach out to community members, to listen, analyze past investments and create a comprehensive plan focused on what key stakeholders said they’d like to see happen and what projects they believe are important for promoting economic activity. East Side Avenues is led by a Project Implementation Team (PIT) from UBRI that is working to build organizational capacity by ensuring appropriate supports such as infrastructure, staff and funding are in place; assisting with strategic planning, program design and problem solving; reporting on progress and ensuring responsible use of resources. UBRI is the research enterprise of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. Learn more at www.eastsideavenues.org.
About Quinn Evans
Established in 1984, Quinn Evans provides services in architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture, urban revitalization, and historic preservation, including sustainable preservation and stewardship. The women-owned firm employs more than 200 professionals in six office locations in Washington, D.C.; Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; Baltimore, Maryland; and Richmond, Virginia. Nationally ranked in its sustainability practice, Quinn Evans is a charter signatory of the AIA 2030 Challenge and a member of the Center for the Built Environment. Current projects include the redevelopment of Baltimore’s historic Penn Station and restoration and adaptive use of the landmark Michigan Central Station in Detroit. For more information, visit www.quinnevans.com.
About Barbara A. Campagna/Architecture + Planning, PLLC
BAC/A+P is an architectural firm that provides both traditional architecture services and specialized preservation and planning services, with a focus on integrating preservation, modern heritage, and green building practices. The firm founder, Barbara Campagna, a preservation architect with 30 years of experience, is one of the national leaders in sustainable preservation – combining the best of preservation and green building practices. BAC/A+P has pioneered a green audit – The Greening Plan – for existing buildings which is trademarked. BAC/A+P is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise and a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. For more information, visit www.barbaracampagna.com.
How many of these firms are from the City of Buffalo so that our city can benefit from this work?