Letter to the Hon. Ricky James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and the Hon. Todd Semonite, Commanding General of the Army Corps of Engineers - Schumer: Lasalle park & ward pumping station's $100m revitalization in danger from crumbling seawall; Feds have yet to approve emergency funding for 100% of project, +$5m, putting city's renaissance on hold; senator urges Feds to approve project & get shovels in the ground ASAP

Letter

Dear Assistant Secretary James and Lt. General Semonite,

I write to request the swift approval of the seawall project on Buffalo's waterfront at LaSalle Park near the Colonel Francis G. Ward Pumping Station. The utilization of approximately $5.93 million in emergency supplemental funding for this critical project will help safeguard Buffalo's water infrastructure and help ensure the timely completion of modernizations planned for some of the City of Buffalo's most beautiful public land. With your approval, this project will be able to commence without further delays, which jeopardize a vital portion of LaSalle Park's water protection.

The City of Buffalo is in the middle of a renaissance, clawing its way into the 21st century from its long and proud industrial past. Buffalo is also home to a historic and vibrant park system that makes use of the city's vast natural resources and beauty. LaSalle Park is the beneficiary of the largest ever philanthropic gift in Western New York's history. My friend, Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson, remained dedicated to the betterment of Western New York throughout his life. The Ralph C. Wilson foundation established in his memory has contributed $100 million to a complete reimagining of this park, which will be known thereafter as Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park. This is to be a modern and vibrant public good, ensuring that generations to come will be able to enjoy the splendor of Buffalo's waterfront. This park is also the home to the Colonel Ward Pumping Station, which was designed as a state-of-the art engineering marvel more than 100 years ago. This pump station continues to reliably supply water to the City of Buffalo and has been in continuous use since before the First World War.

However, the seawall that protects these important public entities is in danger of failure. More than 1,300 ft. of this wall is in need of critical repairs, which have been identified by the Army Corps Buffalo District as meeting the criteria for emergency supplemental funding. In addition to potential delays this could cause to the revitalization project and the public's ability to access their own parkland, the destruction of the seawall puts all of Western New York's water infrastructure in jeopardy. In short, failure is not an option.

With these facts in mind, I request that you immediately approve the emergency supplemental funding request and allow this project to begin as quickly as possible.

I appreciate your attention to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff should you have any further questions.

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