2017 ACE Team 8 Blog

Deliverables

Research:

Sectors/Technologies the facility will support Aritra

Buffalo - current condition & future

Existing conditions of site BLS/EC/Waseer/Nelson http://central.terminal.railfan.net/

http://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/businesses/buffalo-central-terminal/
Reach out to Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corporation

Local businesses/resources for construction Alex

Program for a research center:

Library

Labs (Computer/Science/Technology)

Meeting rooms

Auditoriums for presentations

Storage room

Mechanical room

Cafeteria (Optional)

Design Concept Images

Produce:

Write-up on :

reasons for Buffalo Matt Indar

reasons for the building selection Jonathan Joa

Research Facility

Restoring Rail Service - In September 2016, the roof of the downtown Exchange Street Amtrak station collapsed. This has led to calls for a new train station in Buffalo and a discussion of moving the stop back to the Central Terminal. Congressman Brian Higgins is calling for a study for a new train station to be done at both Central Terminal and a site at Canalside saying about the terminal “It may not have been possible 15 years ago, but restoration of the Central Terminal is possible in the new Buffalo.” “In the enormous scale of that redevelopment project, it may be possible to carve out a small ‘station-within-a-station’ that would squarely and singularly focus on providing a highly functional train station to meet current and projected needs. This (the Central Terminal) location would allow the restoration of service to Chicago within the city limits, and it certainly merits a meaningful engineering review.”^[15] Higgins call was later reinforced by Senator Charles Schumer.
On October 5th, 2016, Congressman Higgins along with Buffalo Common Council Member David Franczyk toured the terminal with Mark A. Lewandowski, president of the CTRC where Higgins came out in support of the station at the terminal as part of a larger redevelopment plan.^[16] A public campaign to bring Amtrak back to the Central Terminal has since been launched complete with a website and social media.^[17]

A plan to return Amtrak to the Central Terminal could possibly later add a long discussed NFTA Metro Rail extension from Downtown to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport which would include stops at the Central Terminal as well as the Walden Galleria.^[18] This would connect the Central Terminal to the airport as well as to the heart of downtown. (wikipedia)