Media Advisory: Jan. 17 public workshop will kick off LaSalle Park project

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The conceptual design phase of the Imagine LaSalle park redesign project will kick off Thursday, Jan. 17, with a public workshop featuring Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), one of the nation’s leading landscape architecture firms.

Members of the media are welcome to cover the workshop.

What: Imagine LaSalle public workshop

When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17

Where: International Preparatory School, 110 14th St., Buffalo, NY 14213

Who:

• The University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning and the UB Regional Institute (UBRI) are leading the public engagement part of the project.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates is leading the conceptual design of the park.

Why: To solicit feedback from the community on the transformation of LaSalle Park into Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.

Representatives from UBRI and MVVA will give short presentations to kick off the meeting. Afterward, community members can examine stations arranged by design theme, such as connectivity, water access, athletic recreation and others. The public is encouraged to review design concepts, talk about ideas with team members and share written input at each station.

MVVA will return to Buffalo for additional public workshops in February and March.  Each month, the design team will present updated concepts that have been revised based on input from previous meetings and offer a chance for the community to share additional feedback. In late spring 2019, MVVA will present a conceptual design, including renderings and a large physical model, which will go on public display after the design presentation.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s generous donation of $50 million to LaSalle Park, announced in October 2018, supports the ongoing design and community engagement process to transform LaSalle Park into Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.

On-site media contact: David Hill, UB Division of University Communications, 716-238-1001.