MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO
September 20 at 11:00 a.m.
WHO:
Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Kevin Murphy, Buffalo Market President, Bank of America
Alan Bozer, Chair, Standing Committee of the Greenway Fund New Yorks State Officials
WHAT:
Kickoff the restoration and renovation of the Rumsey Shelter House, a historic structure in Delaware Park, that has been closed to park users for several years.
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy will celebrate this restoration with a tree planting in honor of the support provided by Bank of America and The Greenway Fund.
WHEN:
Thursday, September 20, 2018, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE:
The historic Rumsey Shelter House in Rumsey Woods in Delaware Park, on Rumsey Road, at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Forest Avenue. Parking is available on Rumsey Road.
WHY:
Bank of America and the Greenway Fund have awarded the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy a total of $500,000 to complete the restoration of the Rumsey Shelter in Delaware Park. Construction will commence on the 20th and renovations are expected to be complete by the spring of 2019.
The Rumsey Shelter, located at the Delaware Park entrance just off the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Rumsey Road, has long been vacant. The historic building once offered a comfort station, with bathrooms and a small main room featuring a fireplace. Park users would come to the shelter to take a break from jogging, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on nearby trails. Most of the original interior tile work remains, as do the original windows and interior doors. The fireplace remains, although the mantel shelf is missing, which will be reconstructed in the proposed restoration/renovation project. The reconstruction of the mantel shelf will be based on the original construction drawings, which survive in the City Hall archives.
Please click here to see attached for a PDF of this press release.
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About the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is the first nonprofit organization in the nation to manage and operate an entire urban park system that consists of 850 acres of beautifully designed historic parks, parkways and circles. Celebrating 150 years of Olmsted in Buffalo this year, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is a not-for-profit, membership-based, community organization whose mission is to promote, preserve, restore, enhance, and maintain the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks and parkways in the Greater Buffalo area for current and future generations. More than 2.5 million people use Buffalo’s historic, award-winning Olmsted Park system annually for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation. The parks were designed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted more than 148 years ago. Basic maintenance of the parks has been greatly improved since the 2004 groundbreaking public-private agreement with the City of Buffalo and Erie County. Since that time, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, now partnering with the City of Buffalo, has retained full responsibility for the management and care of these green spaces which are listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Most recently, the American Planning Association recognized Delaware Park as one of the 2014 Great Places in America and The Guardian named the Olmsted Park System as one of the best park systems in the world. bfloparksapp.wpengine.com
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System includes:
Six parks: Cazenovia Park in South Buffalo, Delaware Park in Delaware/Parkside District, Front Park at the Peace Bridge, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Fillmore Avenue, Riverside Park at Niagara and Tonawanda Street, and South Park at McKinley Parkway
Seven parkways: Bidwell, Chapin, Lincoln, McKinley, Porter, Red Jacket, and Richmond
Eight landscaped traffic circles: Agassiz, Colonial, Ferry, Gates, McClellan, McKinley, Soldiers, and Symphony
About Bank of America
At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We are delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at https://about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofANews.
About The Buffalo and Erie County Greenway Fund
The Erie County/City of Buffalo Relicensing Settlement Agreement was reached in support of the application for a new license for the Niagara Power Project. One provision was for the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to support the establishment of The Buffalo and Erie County Greenway Fund with an annual $2 million payment for the life of the license beginning in October 2007. The Fund is administered by a Committee comprised of one member each from the City of Buffalo, Erie County, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and NYPA. The Buffalo and Erie County Greenway Fund Standing Committee has awarded approximately $22 million since its first awards in 2008. More information on the committee can be found at: http://bit.ly/1XA6mTo.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 70 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
