Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The Buffalo Planning Board will hold a public hearing Monday on the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation's plans for an 8,000 seat amphitheater, where Terminal B is.
There is opposition to the project and at least one state senator is among those against the development.
Back in May, ECHDC President Steve Ranalli announced the plans, which also included 200 acres of space along Lake Erie. "It's going to be a mix of all kinds of things. We've got places like Wilkeson Pointe that are a little bit quieter where you can watch a sunset or walk next door to Times Beach and go birding. You can go all the way to the Lakeside Bike Park and ride your bike and take your kids down there," said Ranalli at the time.
ECHDC Board Chairman Robert Gioia said he appreciates everyone's passion over plans for Buffalo's Waterfront and the various ideas they have had. There are no major plans for buildings to occupy green space, similar to what is happening at Canalside.
Ranalli declined to speak with WBEN this weekend, as those plans are facing a legal challenge from four nonprofit groups.
The lawsuit filed in July challenges ECHDC's "Buffalo Outer Harbor Civic and Land Use Improvement Project General Project Plan" out of concern that the ECHDC plan will benefit entrenched interests at the expense of both community and environmental health.
Earlier this year, State Senator Sean Ryan called on the ECHDC to give the public more time to comment. "We need to give the public a real chance for input and allow the public to vet these plans," said Ryan. "The amphitheater project will cost $10 million of public money, taxpayer money."
Ryan says the public has told him what they want. "They wanted trails, they wanted picnic areas, they wanted access to the water, fishing areas, all in a park-like atmosphere," adds Ryan. "Nobody would dream of putting an 8,000 seat venue at Chestnut Ridge Park or Goat Island. It's especially head scratching when you consider the plans for a 5,000 person event space 10 minutes down the road at Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park."
The public hearing is scheduled for 4pm.
