BUFFALO (WBEN) - It seems like the discussion arises every few months, but Governor Andrew Cuomo said last week that the state is indeed ready to remove the Skyway.
"In Buffalo, we are taking down the Skyway, an idea first proposed 50 years ago, and creating a spectacular park overlooking Lake Erie," said Cuomo in a speech last Thursday. "Our construction team is ready to break ground as soon as the federal approval comes through."
So, what exactly does the federal approval process look like, and what kind of timeline is anticipated?
According to Congressman Brian Higgins, the Federal Highway Administration has to do a final environmental impact study, and he expects that by early summer a record of decision will be issued by the FHA, which will basically tell the state and local community whether the project can move forward.
Prominent downtown developer Doug Jemal says he'll believe it when he sees it, though the idea makes a lot of sense to him.
"Where's the money going to come from?" asked Jemal, as the project could take years and cost $340 million. "I think it's a great idea, a great plan, but I think it involves a ton of dollars, and I don't know if the municipality or the state has it at this time."
Jemal recently unveiled plans for a $42 million, nine-story apartment complex that would be situated in between the doughnut ring formed by the skyway/190 interchange, and the removal of the Skyway would be a major deal for that development.
"I think it would make it even nicer because the Skyway would be gone and it would be flat - it wouldn't be coming around a little circle," he said.
Mayor Byron Brown has said in the past that he wouldn't miss the Skyway if it were to be removed, but when pressed about his thoughts now, he didn't give a straight answer.
"I think it's critically important for the very careful, very strategic process that the governor has laid out to unfold, to listen to people, to talk to people, to do all of the engineering studies that are being done, and I look forward to seeing the results of that process as it moves forward." said Brown. "
