Speaking of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (BOPC), we want to highlight a project we were instrumental in funding!
The very first project we worked on as the grant writing consultants for BOPC in late 2016 was a proposal to the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) for funding in and around MLK Park on Buffalo’s East Side.
MLK Park was originally called The Parade by Frederick Law Olmsted and, along with Delaware Park, was a crown jewel in the Park system he envisioned as the first in our nation. The two were connected by a beautiful Parkway – Humboldt Parkway – that was destroyed in the 60s and 70s to create the 33 Expressway. But the Park remained.
As an expansive greenspace, it also houses an impressive casino, one-acre splashpad, numerous courts and playgrounds and the Buffalo Museum of Science. Families gather year-round for picnics and family reunions. Kids find fun in the splash pad in the summer, and then the splash pad magically becomes a skating rink in the winter with skate rentals on site so everyone can get out an enjoy a Buffalo winter!
It took several years, but in 2019 the REDC announced a $4.5 million grant to BOPC for projects in MLK park, including restoration of the Casino and the greenhouse that serves as the incubator for plants that grace the entire Olmsted Park system.
We are proud to have worked to help author and secure this grant that will ensure the safety, security and amenities enjoyed by so many in the heart of Buffalo!