Mayor Anthony Masiello and Preservation Coalition Executive
Director Tim Tielman had announced a joint effort to build an elevated viewing pavilion
to overlook the ongoing excavations at Buffaloís fabled Canal District. The
deck is now finished and needs only Coalition-supplied text and visuals. These were
installed in a ceremony on Friday, June 1.
Visible right now are the full length and
breadth of the canal (also known as Commercial Slip) south of Marine Drive, the cobblestones
of Lloyd Street, and recently unearthed, the foundations of the Union Block (home
of Dug's Dive) and the Coit Block, as well as the stone west wall of the canal and
a wooden wharf dating to the early 20th century.
According to Coalition Director Tim Tielman, the deck will be "an instant tourist
attraction," and "will allow the people of Buffalo and visitors to see
the historic walls of the western terminus of the Erie Canal and the infrastructure
of the Canal District as they come to light."
The city will own the structure, while
the Coalition, which is coordinating the architectural design of the deck, will assist
in supervising its construction and will provide ongoing interpretive signage. The
structure will be of wood with a translucent roof covering the deck and access stairs
and ramps.
For more information about the
Canal District, see PresCo's Buffalo's
Canal District