A heavy fog over LaSalle Park clouded the view of Lake Erie on Friday, but the vision is now clearer for what this place could soon become with a major makeover as Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park. 

  • The park will be renamed after the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation donated $50 million for improvements
  • Renowned landscape architect teamed with the City of Buffalo, the University at Buffalo Regional Institute and the Ralph Wilson Foundation 
  • Major upgrades include new walkways and bike paths, playgrounds, water access, topographical changes

Renowned landscape architect Michael Van Vaulkenburgh teamed with UB and the City on grand designs for LaSalle Park. Behind a $50 million gift from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the 90-acre space will be reshaped.

"By being a magnet, it's a park that's going to draw the diversity of neighborhoods to LaSalle Park to meet each other there," Van Vaulkenburgh said. "One of the great gifts of this park is the opportunity of being at the edge of the lake and a big part of our design is improving on that naturally."

The proposed concept revealed Friday includes adding new walking and bike paths, creating hills and raised landscaping to make the area more interesting and block the noise and view of the I-190 highway to the east of the park. It will also include an outcrop with a launching point for kayaks and canoes, a lagoon, a new playground, space for festivals and concerts, and 2,500 trees planted to create distinct areas inside the park.

"I don't think people go there as much as they will after we improve it because it doesn't have experiential range right now," Van Vaulkenburgh said.

Bringing people into the park is also a top priority. Cars will park on the side of roadways winding through the many sports fields that will be reconfigured. A new pedestrian bridge over I-190 is also in the works to make the trek more inviting and safer for residents.

"This will certainly connect the West Side, will connect that area of the City of Buffalo to the park and give people the ability to get to the water's edge," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

The design also accounts for the possibility of one day removing the ramps to the 190 at Virginia and Carolina Streets leading to Niagara Street.

"We could build a new bridge for cars to bring people in from that neighborhood and of course there would be walking paths on the side of that," Van Vaulkenburgh said.

The 3-D model of the plan will be on display at several locations this month where people can continue giving their ideas for the future of the park. 

  • Buffalo Central Library (May 4-8)
  • Canalside (May 9-14)
  • Lasalle Park (May 16-19)
  • Northalnd Workforce Training Center (May 20-24)

Construction could begin in 2022, with a goal of finishing the initial upgrades in 2024.