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Assemblyman Ryan: Canalside should not be considered for train station

Posted at 11:09 AM, Mar 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-28 11:09:47-04

New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan is asking the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) to take Canalside out of the running as a potential location for the new Buffalo train station.

Ryan says he is concerned all the years that went into planning Canalside will go to waste if the train station was located there instead of the Central Terminal.

"We have spent a significant amount of time and money planning for the future of Canalside," Ryan said. "A train station at Canalisde would throw a wrench into many years of expensive planning."

Ryan points out that the Canalside Modified General Project Plan (MGPP), which focuses on the goals of Canalside and was last updated in 2013, calls for a "new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhood." Canalside is expected to feature housing, restaurants, retail and entertainment.

The MGPP also specifically says that the former Aud Block site, the potential location for the train station at Canalside, is to be used as a public marketplace and a main focal point of the Canalside neighborhood.

Assemblyman Ryan says he does not think a train station is the best use of this space. Ryan also says that Canalside's economy is already doing well with the plans in place. Putting the train station in the Central Terminal would give an economic boost to an area that needs it more.

"The best place to focus this investment, if we want to have the biggest economic impact, is at the Central Terminal," said Ryan. "A new Central Terminal train station will be an economic boost for both the East Side and the entire City of Buffalo. We cannot truly have a New Buffalo if neighborhoods in the city are falling behind and not attracting economic investment."