Experts will judge alternatives to Buffalo Skyway Corridor

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has appointed Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Dean Lee Fisher to a panel of experts, who will judge a competition to explore alternatives to the Buffalo Skyway Corridor. The panel will include experts in the fields of architecture, design, urban planning, transportation and community growth, as well as public officials.

“I’m honored to be part of the panel to select a creative alternative to the Buffalo Skyway Corridor,” said Dean Fisher. “Innovative design has the power to enhance the quality of life in today’s cities and reconnect communities with their natural surroundings.”

The panel of experts will explore new creative possibilities to re-imagine Buffalo’s waterfront. The six-month competition will solicit ideas from design firms, community planners, urban planners, and architects, with the expert panel reviewing the proposals and choosing a winning design. The winning proposal will receive a $100,000 prize for their design.

The competition will explore alternatives to the Skyway Corridor that will maximize waterfront access for residents and increase economic development opportunities while providing safe and convenient transportation for motorists.

"The skyway is outdated and aging infrastructure that separated Buffalo from its waterfront, representing a much different city than the one we know today," Gov. Cuomo said. "Replacing it must include new ideas and creativity, which is why we're launching this competition to incentivize the best urban planners, architects, and design firms in the country to present their plans so we can continue to revitalize Buffalo and build on the enormous economic progress we're making in the city and across the state."

Prior to becoming dean of C|M|LAW, Fisher was President and CEO of CEOs for Cities, a national network of cities that share the best ideas and practices for urban success. Dean Fisher’s past experience includes service as a State Representative, State Senator, Lt. Governor of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General, and President and CEO of the Center for Families and Children.

The other panelists include:

• Rossana Rosado, New York Secretary of State
• Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo
• Bob Shibley, Dean, University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning
• Hal Morse, Executive Director, Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council
• Ethan Kent, Senior Vice President, Project for Public Spaces
• Lynn Richards, President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism
• Danielle Arigoni, Director of Livable Communities at AARP
• Jennifer Vey, Director, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking and Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institution
• Calvin Gladney, President and CEO of Smart Growth America