Yesterday marked the soft opening of the Commercial Slip (Phase 2). A lot of people have been waiting for the day that they could have free-reign of the project. Once the barrier to the Whipple Truss Bridge came down, visitors were allowed to walk over to the expansive boardwalk (Central Wharf plaza), roam the old Lloyd Street foundations, and reconnect with a historic Buffalo Harbor.
The overall reaction from the people that we talked to was very positive. Some people told us that they thought they would never see the day. Other people said that the advancements only made them more excited about what was to come next. One of the best improvements that I noticed since I was last there was the waterfall contraption that planners rigged up to keep the water from becoming stagnant in the Commercial Slip. The water also needed to be powerful enough to keep the debris from floating in. There is an additional bonus though... even though it may not be historically accurate, the sound of the water falling virtually eliminates the traffic noise from The Skyway overhead. Until The Skyway is eventually brought down, I highly suggest adding more moving water elements to the site.