Design the Next Vision for the Buffalo Skyway: Apply by June 28

CNU, Monday, May 20, 2019

Could your design transform Buffalo's waterfront? 

New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced a design competition for a future vision for the Buffalo Skyway Corridor in Buffalo, NY.  Through June 28, urban designers, economists, planners, and architects are invited to submit their ideas for transforming the four-mile swath of land along the city's waterfront, which for more than sixty years has been occupied by the Buffalo Skyway Corridor (NYS Route 5), a four-lane, limited-access expressway elevated on an earthen berm, connecting to a 110-foot-high bridge crossing over the federally regulated shipping channel of the Buffalo River, ultimately connecting with both the elevated I-190 expressway and downtown Buffalo.

Once a link for industrial traffic, the corridor has evolved to involve primarily recreational uses focused on its waterfront location. Since these changes have occurred, “what to do with the Buffalo Skyway” is an ongoing point of discussion, mostly focusing on its removal and replacement of its traffic capacity somewhere else, all with no clear sense of what the ultimate objective of a “Skyway removal” even is. The desired outcome of the Competition—a future vision of a re-imagined waterfront that yields measurable community benefits that outweigh its costs—could ultimately set the stage for required state/federal documentation and impact analyses of alternatives on how to achieve the vision.  The winning submission receives $100,000, with prizes of $50,000 and $25,000 for second and third place submissions.

Part 1 of the competition ends June 28. To submit your online form, plus attachments, visit the competition website.

In Part 2, up to 20 submissions will be invited to submit a full technical proposal by July 15.

Read the Governor’s Press release here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-launch-buffalo-skyway-corridor-competition

Visit the Competition website: https://esd.ny.gov/skyway