For the first time in 10 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has a new facility in Buffalo, capping a construction project of nearly two years.
The new Station and Aids to Navigation building includes weightlifting facilities and locker rooms, workshops, and two bays for boat storage and maintenance.
Unveiling the new building refreshing because Coast Guard Station Buffalo often makes do with facilities that have leaky faucets and need repairs, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Ross Treiber, the officer in charge of Coast Guard Station Buffalo.
“It’s kind of a culture shock when we get this, this handed to us and say, ‘Here you go, this brand new (building).' We really don't know to do with it," he said. "Honestly, it's like we feel like we're doing something wrong. At least I do, and … I don't know what I feel to deserve a place like this. I'm not used to stuff like this.”
The $32-million facility’s completion is three months ahead of schedule and marks the first major investment since 2014.
Maritime law enforcement's history in Buffalo is extensive, going back to 1817 when the first lighthouse was built along Buffalo Creek and Lake Erie by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, said Rear Admiral Russell Dash, district commander for the Coast Guard Great Lakes District.
The 1817 lighthouse was one of the first two built along the Great Lakes, and possibly the first, according to historical group Lighthouse Friends.
But the Coast Guard's newest addition is a chance to look toward the future while demonstrating U.S.C.G.'s level of responsibility to residents, Dash said.
"This building is more than a modern facility," he said. "It's a commitment that our service has made to the maritime industry, to our partners and to the American public, to ensure that we remain vigilant, able to stand the watch, ready to answer the call."
The new space is an important landmark and allows the Coast Guard to greatly increase its capacity to get work done, Treiber said.
