The Gateway Center is a proposed next-generation facility that will exemplify New York State’s commitment to climate leadership and zero-emissions goals. With a total cost of $13.5 million, the project reinforces Buffalo’s 2022 certification as a “Climate Smart Community.”

The Center features a 21,000-sf canopy with a photovoltaic array, is designed to meet Passive-Design standards, and be net-energy positive. The facility can generate sufficient electricity to “island” itself and other park amenities during extreme weather events. While being grid-connected, it will also include battery storage to function independently during peak demand times, black/brownouts, and climate emergencies.

Site features include advanced stormwater collection & management strategies, native plantings, and minimization of impervious surfaces.

The Center serves as a trailhead for New York’s Empire State Trail - a continuous 750-mile route from New York City to Canada and Buffalo to Albany - and includes offices, comfort stations, and indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, all residing beneath the solar canopy providing shade for visitors while generating power. 

The project is awaiting total construction funding but has received a $1 million grant commitment from NYSERDA. The project will be a destination for visitors and showcase leading edge sustainable infrastructure. The Gateway Center will symbolize the State’s commitment to sustainability and be a model for other facilities.