Front Park Full of Possibilities
Eric Ortner
West Side Times
From L to R: The misplaced statue of Commodore Oliver H. Perry overlooks Lake Erie while Michael Brown, a West Ferry Street resident, and Adonis Luck, a West Avenue resident, kick a ball around in Front Park on Friday, April 28. photo: Eric OrtnerApril 2000: The grandeur of Front Park, as part of the Olmsted Park system in its original design, cannot be overstated. Due to the construction of the Peace Bridge along with the subsequent expansions of its toll plaza, Front Park has lost most of its prominence during the 20th Century. The recent Peace Bridge debate has opened up the possibility of restoring Front Park to its glory days at the beginning of the 1900s.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2000 Cornell University Professor Peter Trowbridge brought some of his second year graduate students' work to D'Youville. Over the winter, Professor Trowbridge worked in conjunction with Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. Peter Trowbridge turned Front Park's dilemma into an opportunity for a class project, which his class spent six or seven weeks on.
What resulted was a great explanation of what has created the current conditions in Buffalo. One of Mr. Trowbridge's pupils, Peter Hudlund, a third year graduate student, made most of the presentation. He depicted the Olmsted Park system's history. A major part of this history is the park system's demise over the past 75 years.
Mr. Hudlund showed the awful effect that converting Olmsted's parkways into expressways has had on Buffalo's neighborhoods. Mr. Hudlund compared the 1990 version of the Neighborhood Condition Index to the areas where Olmsted's park system had been altered. The neighborhoods that once bordered Olmsted Parkways and now surround expressways are in the worst condition, while areas where Olmsted's system remains intact are in the best shape. This demonstrated the importance of improving the condition of Front Park. It also showed that Peace Bridge encroachment on Front Park was not the only place where Olmsted's vision had been lost.
Front Park, formerly known as The Front was at one time the most popular park in Buffalo. In 1862 it totaled 32 acres. Another 20 acres were added on the waterfront in 1890. The Front bordered on Fort Porter and it was originally hoped that the fort would be included in the area of Front Park. However, In 1925 construction of the Peace Bridge began consuming much of the obsolete military installation.
As the importance of this border crossing grew, so did the need for a larger toll plaza. Therefore, in 1951 8.3 acres of Front Park were commandeered by the Peace Bridge to improve traffic flow. In the 1940s and '50s the I190 was constructed, furthering the decimation of the park. Continued expansion of the Peace Bridge also encroached on the green space in 1970s. Today Front Park is just 20 acres.
It is important to remember that the presentation of the student work was just that. It is also important to note that while the class was working on the project, the recommendation to move the toll plaza to the north of its existing location had not yet been made. Therefore, many of the students were unwilling to use a northern toll plaza in their design. However, several students felt that moving the plaza was integral to a quality Front Park and they created a northern plaza in their designs.
One of the student's designs for Front Park included building a deck over I190. In this version, the section of the expressway would resemble a tunnel. The top of the deck could become an extension of Front Park, creating more parkland and also restoring the view of the headwaters of the Niagara River. It could also link Front Park to LaSalle Park.
A similar design was constructed in Seattle at Freeway Park. Another example of this sort of deck is part of The Big Dig in Boston. However, Peter Trowbridge and Peter Hedlund were unable to venture an opinion on how much such a deck would cost. This stems largely from the fact that the class is made of landscape architecture students and not engineers.
Other suggestions included constructing earthworks in the area where Fort Porter once stood. The earthworks would outline the original design of the fort. Additional ideas included creating a formal garden on the location to outline the historic fortification.
It was also suggested that the existing Peace Bridge be left intact rather than demolishing it, if a Signature Bridge is finally completed. The existing bridge could then be used as a walkway or bike path between the two countries.
Once the two Peters finished their presentation, the audience had a chance to share their views. A few of the audience members were not shy about standing up before the crowd of more than 50 and pointing out what they thought the park should contain.
Peter Hare is a relative of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. A statue of Perry was placed in Front Park in 1915 to commemorate the centennial of his Lake Erie victory. Peter Hare said, "I think it's a fine statue, but I don't think it should be where it is in its present location. It makes people look at him instead of the view. Move the statue somewhere else."
Another audience member suggested the creation of a beach near the West Side Rowing Club. Other ideas included a memorial to the soldiers who died in the area during the War of 1812, complete with cannons lining the bluff. It was also believed that some reference to Native Americans should be made in the park.
Although nothing in the forum is set in stone, it demonstrated a great deal of public interest in a restored Front Park. It also was great to see the fresh perspective of some visionary students from one of the nation's most respected institutions of higher learning. If there is only one thing that will definitely benefit the quality of life in Buffalo as a result of the Peace Bridge debate, it would be an improved Front Park.
