With respect to the elevated I-190 that runs like a gash through downtown Buffalo, we are hardly alone. Back in the 50s and 60s, many other older cities actually wanted to separate their thriving downtowns from their smelly, industrial waterfronts. An elevated highway to make it easy to pass through or commute to downtown was a welcome addition. In Buffalo, the I-190 snakes its way not too far from the shore of the Niagara River, and is at-grade pretty much all the way down until it reaches the Niagara Street exit.

Buffalo could pioneer a prototype “Adaptive-Reuse” model for the future by reusing one of its most unique monumental structures.

Imagine the Buffalo Skyway creatively re-engineered and readapted to function as a signature “green” multi-use mega-structure, complete with a glass enclosed “green roof” and pedestrian pathway instead of as an overhead roadway. In addition to creating 400,000 sq. ft. of usable multi-purpose floor space, its 32,000 sq. ft. of enclosed roof would allow the people of Buffalo to walk and enjoy the elevated views year-round in a conservatory-like setting.

It would also create a walkway to and from downtown and the waterfront. The proposal we will discuss throughout next week with Ran Webber, the structural engineer behind this proposal, can be implemented in its entirety which would connect Buffalo’s outer and inner harbors or in smaller pieces as a complimentary feature to the existing inner harbor plans.

A major factor to be considered is that the Skyway’s superstructure is already complete as is, including foundations, structural support frame, roof (former roadway), and electrical supply and drainage systems. Once the Skyway no longer functions as an overhead roadway the advantages gained would answer and outweigh all of the arguments for taking the structure down.