BUFFALO (WBEN) - Less than a week after four nonprofits announced a lawsuit against the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation regarding development plans at the Outer Harbor, State Senator Sean Ryan is calling on the organization to resume in-person public hearings.
Specifically, Ryan is urging the ECHDC to seek more public input for the proposed 8,000-capacity amphitheater.
"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.
"It will divert business from other venues - it's not good economic development," he continued. "More important than that, it's not what the public is looking for out here - the public has been very clear about what they want out here, and they want a park-like atmosphere. Nobody would dream of putting an 8,000-person amphitheater at Chestnut Ridge Park."
Ryan stated concerns that the land that will be used for the amphitheater project will take away public land and block access to the waterfront. He's also confused as to why there's a need to build an amphitheater on the Outer Harbor when there are numerous downtown venues, as well as a planned amphitheater for Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park.
Andrea O Suilleabhan serves as the executive director of the Partnership for the Public Good, and she explained that the ECHDC has already acknowledged the public's vision for the Outer Harbor - a place that is separate and distinct from Canalside and its activities and attractions.
"This is not the right use for our Great Lakes waterfront, and it is not the right way to spend public money," she said. "ECHDC should instead invest in natural regenerationand build a world-class park on the Outer Harbor with well-designed trails and paths for all members of the public to enjoy.
"ECHDC should reopen public comments and hold in-person hearings for local residents," O Suilleabhan continued. "These hearings should not just check the box of public engagement; ECHDC should commit to amending its plan based on residents' feedback, priorities, and collective vision for our public waterfront."
Officials from the ECHDC told WBEN they are aware of the pending litigation and have no comment.
