Community aspirations for Ralph Wilson Park are summarized in the Imagine LaSalle Community Vision Report, released in October 2018. The report explores the park’s history and context/usage, and summarizes key hopes and aspirations of a diverse community of park users.
As a culmination of several years of planning with thousands of residents, more than 600 community members joined the project team for a groundbreaking celebration in July 2022. This fun-filled day marked a pivotal milestone in the transformation of the former LaSalle Park.
The Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy was established in 2021 to work with the City of Buffalo to operate, maintain, and promote the park. It collaborates with neighbors and community leaders to improve park stewardship and ensure amenities and programming enhance quality of life.
Ongoing updates on the park construction process, as well as opportunities to contribute to future park stewardship, programming, and activities are shared at the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy website.
Imagine LaSalle was established as a community-driven initiative to guide the transformation of the former LaSalle Park into Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park (Ralph Wilson Park). This effort was made possible through the generosity of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The University at Buffalo Regional Institute worked in partnership with faculty and students from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning to manage this engagement process and ensure broad and meaningful community input shaped the park’s future. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, a New York-based landscape architecture firm known worldwide for its creative and unique urban design with projects that include parks, plazas, cultural institutions, gardens and more, led the design of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park. The City of Buffalo was an active project partner represented by its Division of Parks and Recreation, the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, the Department of Community Services and Recreational Programming, and the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning.
Community-driven vision process summarized in the Community Vision Report. $50 million gift announced to transform the former LaSalle Park in to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park!
Read the Community Vision Report to learn about this step in the process.
Community workshops build off the vision by exploring conceptual designs together.
Click here to view meeting materials from this step in the process.
Conceptual designs were refined in detail and design materials were prepared for construction with ongoing input from the community.
Click here to view meeting materials from this step in the process.
Detailed designs are complete, and construction drawings were created in preparation for bidding.
Through continued public collaboration, park construction will strategically minimize disruptions to existing park uses.
During the summer of 2018, 22 focus group members, 1,164 community members, and a team of local youth contributed their perspectives and ideas to help unveil how Buffalo saw the future of former LaSalle Park. Watch the video below for a glimpse into this process.
Imagine LaSalle was guided by a community focus group to steer vision planning and serve as ambassadors to the community throughout the project. Focus group composition was designed to represent the diversity of voices and cultures that regularly use Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park.
Focus Group members spent the summer of 2018 exploring LaSalle Park and looking at inspirational examples of parks in other US cities, and have provided insights and direction throughout the design process. The following people have volunteered their time to help envision the park’s future as part of the focus group:
Tuona Batchelor, Buffalo Quarters Historical Society
Dominic Bonifacio, West Side Little League Baseball/Softball
Dan Brady, Columbus Park Neighborhood
Jamil Crews, Buffalo Urban League Young Professionals
Mateo & Amanda Escobar, West Side International Soccer
Lacy Folga, Fargo Estates Neighborhood Association
Melissa Fratello, Buffalo Audubon Society
JP Gillespie, Sunday Skateshop
Renato Graham, Lakeview Family Homes
Ibrahim Iftin, Somali Bantu Community Organization of Buffalo
Lian Thluhlawng, Chin Community of Buffalo
Daniel Leong, Karen Society of Buffalo
Kevin Lynch, The Barkyard
Frank Lysiak, Waterfront Village
Marnetta Malcolm, Rick James Memorial Funk Festival
Deb O’Shea, Lakefront Commons
Christine Seibert, D’Youville College
Dinorah Santos, Marine Drive Apartments / The Belle Center
Charles and Christian Torres, Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade of WNY
George Williams, Pine Harbor Apartments
View materials (presentations, meeting summaries, visuals, etc.) from each engagement touch point below:
November 2021 Project Update Materials
Information Session Meeting Video Recording (Spanish captions included)
Information Session Meeting Slides
Pedestrian Bridge Design
January 2021 Project Update Materials
Information Session Meeting Video Recording (English)
Information Session Meeting Video Recording (Spanish)
Information Session Meeting Summary
Information Session Meeting Slides
March 2020 Design Update Materials
Engagement Recap Presentation
Updated Park Design and Bridge Design Presentation
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Presentation
March 2020 Meeting Summary and Comments
September 2019 Playground Workshop Materials
Project Update Presentation
Precedent Playground Element Posters
Sept. 11 Community Playground Workshop Summary (PDF)
Concept Design Graphic Plan
Sept. 12 Belle Center Playground Workshop Summary (PDF)
May 2019 Travelling Exhibition Materials
Design Vision Exhibition Public Comments
Exhibition Boards from the Design Team
Design Vision Plan Exhibition Boards – from the Design Team
Contextual Exhibition Boards from the Design Team
March 2019 Workshop Materials
March Workshop Overview Presentation (PDF)
March Workshop Design Team Presentation (PDF)
March Meeting Summary (PDF)
March Online Questionnaire Feedback (PDF)
February 2019 Workshop Materials
February Workshop Overview Presentation (PDF)
February Workshop Design Team Presentation (PDF)
February Meeting Summary (PDF)
January 2019 Workshop Materials
January Workshop Overview Presentation (PDF)
January Workshop Design Team Presentation (PDF)
January Meeting Summary (PDF)
Learn what the community imagines for LaSalle Park
Imagine LaSalle. A Community Vision for Buffalo's LaSalle Park
Managing High-Quality Park Environments
