Wilkeson Pointe, Outer Harbor Parcel A&E Services

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. developed Wilkeson Pointe, an Outer Harbor Parcel which is a 21-acre site on the Buffalo Outer Harbor in the City of Buffalo.  The development is named after former Buffalo Mayor Samuel Wilkeson who had been in charge of the construction of the outer harbor in the late 1820s.

The project includes a mixed-use development with recreational opportunities, boat dock for water taxi, a beach, sand volleyball courts, scenic overlooks, parking lot, shoreline stabilization, rain gardens, meadow areas, landform sculptures, wind sculptures, comfort station, gazebo, foot bridges, recreational trails, decorative site lighting, and an access roadway. Six acres of the land was cleared and capped with clean soil to create a shovel ready site for future mixed-use development.  

The goal of the project was to create a unique attraction that would draw people to the waterfront for recreation and to remediate a former industrial site to an extent suitable for recreation activities.  The new park has received great interest as evident from walkers, joggers, in line skaters, and bicycle enthusiasts that are using the park since its recent opening.

Watts' civil and electrical design services included recreational trail paving, parking lot, access road, site utilities, storm drainage management, site grading, earth work balance, site lighting, and construction cost estimating.  Watts assisted design team with site demolition, naturalization playgrounds, shoreline improvements, plantings, fencing, site feature selection, layout, and preparation of the Storm-water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to meet regulatory requirements.  Watts also provided construction contract administration support services.