BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — City officials plan to use money from the "American Rescue Plan" to help re-develop Schiller Park, which is Buffalo's Broadway Bailey neighborhood.
It is all part of a master plan for city parks and recreation.
Schiller Park is one area marked in darker orange on this map which signals a high priority for improvements.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun spoke with people who live in that area who attended a public meeting designed to get their input on what they would like to see happen.
It is the first of four public meetings seeking input for the future of Schiller Park.
The roughly 50 acres of land sits right on the eastern border of the City of Buffalo, near Cheektowaga.
"We're just envisioning what this park could be. We've been able to secure about $1 million in stimulus funding. We have community leaders, block club leaders and residents here to talk about what they envision for their park," City of Buffalo Lovejoy District Councilmember Bryan Bollman said.
This funding is all thanks to the American Rescue Plan. $800,000 will go towards construction and $200,000 will go towards design fees for phase one.
City officials said funding for the next phase is pending.
"The idea is to find out does that fit the needs. We have a lot of green space out there. That'll be one of the big questions is what do we do with that available green space. Could be more athletic fields and athletic fields eat up a lot of space," Wendel Landscape Architect David Kenyon said.
Residents voiced their thoughts at the Schiller Park Senior Center on what they think the park should have.
"My suggestion would be pavilions around the senior center. Along with the still trashcans to keep the trash in it, inside the cans and fencing and lighting is very important," Charles Calvin, a resident, said.
"I was just wondering. I haven't seen anyone actually use them anymore. I am talking about water faucets. I used to see them all the time. The football team has to buy bottled water all the time which is a fund they have to implement," another resident, Rosa Suarez said.
Bollman added, "Things that I think of for this park is safety, security. We have a lot of teams that play here: soccer, football. So, we want to see some public restrooms to be functional, to be reinstalled."
The design phase for phase one will begin this fall and shovels will hit the ground in the spring of 2024.
The entire project is expected to take 10 to 12 years.
To view the complete master plan, click here.
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