Sears Paderewski Park

New York

Nov 22

Written By Sustainable Digital

Location
Buffalo, NY

Status
Pending Construction

Construction Completion
2025

Site Area
.5 acres

Construction Cost
$1.8M

People Served
3,621

Design Consultants
MNLA

Special Features
Stormwater management resiliency features, gathering plaza and pavilion

Many of Buffalo’s community parks—particularly on the East Side—have been entirely neglected for decades, at significant cost to the health and well-being of residents, particularly its children. In 2021 the City of Buffalo adopted a new Parks Master Plan (which New City Parks helped create) that presents a comprehensive city-wide vision for Buffalo parks, providing a blueprint to address systemic obstacles to park improvements and to develop ways to increase access to well-designed parks and outdoor recreation for all residents. Working closely with the Buffalo Division of Parks and Recreation, NCP commenced work in 2020 on the community-led redesign of Sears Paderewski and Roosevelt Parks to address the lack of well-designed, safe, programmed parks for children, families and adults who live on the East Side.

The Broadway-Filmore neighborhood surrounding Sears Paderewski is a federal Housing and Urban Development Opportunity Zone, recognizing the area’s economic distress. The “park” is an abandoned pavement-covered lot that has been in disrepair for 20+ years. The neighborhood has not seen needed investment or attention for decades and its residents have suffered from the effects of systemic racism and increasing income inequality. For good reason, the park is the City of Buffalo’s number one priority for restoration and revitalization.

The decision to improve Sears Paderewski Park was made in direct response to community requests from the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood for more green spaces, trees, and recreational opportunities. The Sears Paderewski community expressed great interest in creating a new and “greener” park in this empty lot; a family-oriented space for play, exercise, and contact with nature and relief from heat that shade trees and new plantings can provide. Recognizing the limited access to green space in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, NCP petitioned the city to add the two adjacent vacant lots to the park.

Low-maintenance native plantings in rain gardens, selected for their ability to tolerate both inundated and drought conditions, will enhance the park’s ecological health by reducing stormwater runoff and attracting pollinators. This transformation will turn an abandoned paved lot into a vibrant green public space with play equipment, seating, and a pavilion for community events.