Buffalo’s DL & W Station was abuzz with literal fanfare Monday morning, as special guests and dignitaries packed together to celebrate the newly opened downtown terminal.
But the station’s full potential already is in jeopardy, since the NFTA no longer has a formal agreement with developer Sam Savarino to establish shops on the terminal’s second floor.
NFTA will issue a new request for bids early next year, Executive Director Kim Minkel said. She declined to speak further on topics related to pending litigation.
“The rest is coming this summer. We have $30 million in total that will provide new decking to over 50,000 square-foot, square feet of patio on the second level, a new truck elevator and a new floatless skywalk to the arena,” she said.
Completing the first-floor train station cost $57 million, Minkel added. The expectation is to have 75,000 square feet for development on the second floor, and they already are hearing from interested parties.
The next steps for the second level are underway, with work happening simultaneously on the skywalk, truck elevator, and stabilizing the shoreline along the Buffalo River.
Another key feature of the station is a sculpture by artist Harumo Sato and Sato Studios in California. "Tapestry" is a large fiberglass sculpture with several fingers extending out from a central body and head, all covered in a medley of patterns from checkerboard to flowers.
It's meant to convey the cultural significance and diversity of Western New York, which required Sato and the studio to gather input from more than 200 residents about what patterns are significant to their lives.
"My intention was to connect (the) past, present and future of people who live in Buffalo. And that's the reason why I talked (to people), from Indigenous people to European immigrants, and then new immigrants, you know, all kinds of people who who have lived in Buffalo and made historical marks," said Sato, a University at Buffalo alumnae. "And then I also ... have layered several meanings (for many) patterns. So, one pattern design is not only reflecting one culture. It's more like one pattern reflects two or three cultural meanings."
Congressman Tim Kennedy was central in securing $100 million in funding for the train’s 2019 capital improvement project during his time as a state senator.
He wants to see even more development in the future.
“The connective tissue of bringing people together is the transportation system," he said. "And this light rail system that, for now 40 years strong, has brought people into downtown Buffalo, has now had a bigger vision for the future.”
One of the key developments Kennedy and other speakers express anticipation for is a possible station in Amherst that provides access for students on University at Buffalo’s North Campus.
