Mayor Brown Announces Opening Of Erie Basin Marina Beach

Mayor’s Commitment to Improving Access to City’s Waterfront Continues

Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the opening of the new Erie Basin Marina Beach, a new waterside destination for city residents and visitors seeking greater access to the City of Buffalo’s historic waterfront.

“This past winter I pledged to increase access and recreational opportunities for city residents and visitors along Buffalo’s waterfront, particularly in this beautiful Erie Basin Marina, and today that pledge has been fulfilled,” said Mayor Brown. “Working with many colleagues, including Congressman Brian Higgins, City Councilmember Brian Davis and the recently formed Erie Basin Advisory Group, we are now actively changing the face of waterfront access along Buffalo’s lakeside and riverside locations.”

On February 19, 2008, following the great success of the February 16th Labatt USA Pond Hockey tournament in the Erie Basin Marina, Mayor Brown and Congressman Higgins announced the end to the area’s winter off-limits status for public access by removing the traffic barriers at the entrance to the Marina.

At that time, Mayor Brown called for the end of the annual Oct 15th to May 1st closing of the Erie Basin Marina and stated that a committee would be formed to provide recommendations on how best to utilize the marina area and the surrounding Erie Basin year round.

To achieve that goal, on April 25th, Mayor Brown brought together a group of citizens – the Erie Basin Advisory Group – who shared the mutual objective of improving access to the city’s waterfront, broadening recreational opportunities in the area and establishing programming and planning for year round waterfront special events and related outdoor activities.

The Working Group is expected to provide the Mayor with their formal short-term and long-term recommendations on Tuesday, May 27th, but the Mayor’s initial goal was to have the Erie Basin Marina Beach opened by Memorial Day Weekend, which was celebrated today.

“This is the latest in a number of new public access points along Buffalo’s waterfront,” said Congressman Higgins.  “In the months ahead people will continue to see real change along the inner and outer harbors – change that improves the quality of life for local residents and provides new opportunities for tourism, growth and development in Western New York.”

The new Erie Basin Marina Beach is a passive recreational location, meaning no swimming is permitted at the site, but it is open for people looking to enjoy a beachfront area where they can read, sunbathe, watch boating activity on the lake or just take it easy. The location was cleared of winter storm driftwood and it features a new pedestrian boardwalk that improves access to the water’s edge.