Porter Avenue Reconstruction, Niagara Street to Symphony Circle

Watts was responsible for the preliminary and final design of this 3,000-foot urban corridor.  The corridor features a mix of uses including Victorian-era residences, D’Youville College, a library, the Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Holy Angels Church, and a skilled nursing home.   This section of Porter Avenue is also unique in that it is on the Historic Register due to its being part of the original Olmsted Parkway system in Buffalo.  The services included pavement reconstruction, landscaping, drainage, and lighting design, as well as environmental and cultural resource studies.  

Coordination of the project with SHPO was another key element that resulted in the use of exposed aggregate sidewalks, brick-stamped roadway gutters, re-setting of historic hitching posts throughout the corridor, and decorative lighting.

During design several public meetings were held to present design concepts and to receive comments.  Further, meetings were held with community groups to update them on the design and answer questions about construction.  

Another first for this project was the establishment of a new standard light pole for use on wider City of Buffalo Olmsted Parkways.  Previously, the City had used smaller pedestrian poles on its Olmsted Parkways, but decided that an overhead lighting style would provide a better distribution of light for wider parkways.  To establish the new standard, extensive coordination was performed with the public, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, and SHPO.  Having been used on Porter Avenue, the new pole is now being used on other City of Buffalo Olmsted Parkways.