Earlier this week, Empire State Development (ESD) announced the completed restoration of the Buffalo Museum of Science (BMS) historic north facade.
The project includes:
- The restoration of the original formal staircase
- The restoration of plazas and sidewalks
- Curbing of the 100,000-square-foot Esenwein and Johnson-designed building, which opened in 1929
- Improvements to the limestone cladding the building
- Security upgrades
- Repairs to the original storm-windows
- Adaptations to allow for ADA-accessibility
For far too long, this magnificent entranceway has been shunned, due to its disrepair. Now, it shines again, as it once did, bringing with it a new sense of community pride.
Along with the destruction on Olmsted’s Humboldt Parkway, many of the architectural landmarks along “the scar” route have suffered, including houses, churches, and the historic north facade of the Museum. But thanks to a $2.6 million grant from ESD’s East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund, we can now reimagine and reevaluate the Museum’s re-connection to the neighborhood and to its host/home Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Now, it’s time to celebrate this long overdue achievement.
“The Museum of Science is one of many important neighborhood assets of Buffalo’s East Side,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight.. “The East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund’s support of improvements at the museum have a direct impact on the overall character of the neighborhood. Not only are we helping to restore an important historic building, but we are also creating future opportunities for both formal and informal outdoor programming by the museum to add to the MLK Park experience.”…