Cleanup and Redevelopment

South Buffalo Development LLC (SBD), working under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is remediating and redeveloping the former Buffalo Color site in South Buffalo. SBD is an affiliate of Ontario Specialty Contracting, which has extensive experience with similar projects, particularly in the Buffalo area. The Western Railway Historical Society and the Steel Plant Museum unveiled plans for a new Heritage DiscoveRY Center at the site in October 2010.

SBD, which purchased the property in 2009, has made significant progress since it commenced demolition and cleanup activities in June 2009. In early May 2011, SBD completed the demolition of all buildings that will not be reused as part of the redevelopment. A significant majority of the site has now been remediated, covered with clean soil, and seeded.

SBD volunteers in the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program. The program provides incentives to clean up and redevelop Brownfields. Brownfields are former industrial properties that require environmental cleanup but are appropriate for redevelopment. Two out of three final reports were submitted to DEC that document the competition of Brownfield cleanup requirements. DEC has now determined that the requirements have been met and has provided SBD with a New York State Brownfield Certificate of Completion for a majority of the site.

On October 6, 2010, local government officials, business and community leaders, and DEC joined SBD, Honeywell, the Western New York Railway Historical Society and the Steel Plant Museum to announce the Heritage Discovery Center. The Center will reuse and transform the former Schoellkopf Power House into the new home for the Railway Historical Society and Steel Plant museums as well as other uses, including public space for local community groups and organizations. The vision of the Center is to honor Buffalo's industrial heritage and architecture.

On June 17, the Railway Historical Society officially became the owner of the former Buffalo Color Administration building at 100 Lee Street and the former plant hospital and parking lot on Elk Street. The Railway Historical Society completed cleanup and painting of the former Administration building interior this past summer and the building currently houses temporary displays for the Railway Historical Society and Steel Plant Museum. The Railway Historical Society's administrative offices and the Buffalo Lighthouse Association office are located on the building's second floor. On November 10, 2011, the building was formally dedicated the Don Owens Center at a ceremony that included several community dignitaries.

The Heritage DiscoveRY Center's railway and steel plant museums are currently open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The project will:

• Preserve and showcase Buffalo's industrial heritage
• Become a vibrant, cultural tourism attraction with expected annual visitations of more than 350,000 that will help the local economy
• Help revitalize and improve the quality of life in the local community
• Clean up and redevelop a vacant industrial property
• Provide potential for new jobs and tax revenues
• Offer a catalyst for other redevelopment initiatives in the broader Elk Street Corridor and South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity Area
• Allow for public access to significant riverfront green space

The cleanup is being done under an agreement between SBD and Honeywell. Honeywell's Buffalo Research Laboratory has been located on Peabody Street for more than 50 years. Allied Chemical formerly owned the Buffalo Color site and sold it to Buffalo Color in 1977. Honeywell is Allied Chemical's successor. In 2005, under DEC oversight, Honeywell voluntarily removed more than 1.5 million pounds of chemicals abandoned by Buffalo Color, and in the early 1990s Allied completed the remediation of a 19-acre area known as the "Peninsula." SBD and Honeywell worked with DEC to finalize the cleanup plan for the remaining 55 acres.

This redevelopment is a powerful example of how former industrial sites can be returned to productive use with the cooperation of government, environmental agencies, local developers, the community and corporate partners.