Buffalo RiverWorks has become a popular spot carved out of the city's industrial past. Now, the goal for the people leading the charge is to make it a destination in Buffalo and beyond.

"I want you in Pittsburgh, with you and your family to choose to want to come to Buffalo as part of your next vacation," said Earl Ketry, managing partner.

What You Need To Know

  • A Ferris wheel and miniature amusement park are planned for Buffalo RiverWorks
  • The attractions are expected to begin operating next spring
  • $25 million of investments to make the site a destination for locals and tourists
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Ketry has big ideas in the works for the entertainment complex that already features hockey and curling rinks, a brewery, a restaurant, a ropes course and more among old grain elevators along the Buffalo River.

The exclamation point, as he calls it, will be a Ferris wheel that can hold up 120 people with views of downtown Buffalo and Lake Erie.  Ketry is investing roughly $1 million to purchase the Ferris wheel from Italy and build it in Buffalo. It could open in April.

"We realize we're not going to create Disney World, but we can create an industrial Disney World," Ketry said.

Plans also include a mini-amusement park for kids. There will be six rides in total, four of them being purchased from Fantasy Island.  

An adventure ropes course geared toward young children will be part of it too. Those attractions should be ready next spring.

"We're excited for the ability to offer a family alternative and something they can be comfortable with," Ketry said.

As his vision unfolds in phases, he's also planning to turn old grain elevators on the site into an events center and banquet facility with the possibility of a small hotel and more recreation and entertainment options inside.

"Nature's giving me an incredible view of the skyline, of the lake and its sunsets are magnificent," Ketry said.

It all has to be approved by the city's planning board and the rides will have to pass safety inspections. Ketry intends to invest about $25 million into these and other related projects. 

He sees Buffalo RiverWorks becoming something like Chicago's famed Navy Pier — Buffalo-style.  He wants the city to become a stopping point, not a place people drive by on the way to Niagara Falls.

"That Ferris wheel will become a permanent part of the sight line. When [NFL television crews] pan [shots of the city] for the Bills games, I'm not going to tell you we'll be part of the panning, but I will tell you I think we've got a shot," Ketry said.