Board of Directors Jordan Levy, Chairman David J. Colligan Michael DiVirgilio Maureen O. Hurley Julie M.

Barrett ONeill Mindy Rich Chris Collins, Ex Officio Byron W. Brown, Ex Officio Historic District Advisory Group Jordan Levy, Chair Richard G. Berger, Esq. Bruno Cagliostro Henry Giorino Mark Goldman Peter F. Hunt Kathy Konst Eric Lander Newel Nussbaumer Christel Peacock Paul Redding Casmiro Rodriguez Mike Schmand Lynda H. Schneekloth Catherine Schweitzer Tim Tielman Outer Harbor Advisory Group David J. Colligan, Chair Anthony Anderson, P.E. Alan Bedenko, Esq. Louis Benton II Vince Connors Tucker Curtin Peter Demakos, P.E. John M. Fell, AICP Don Finkle Sergio Fornasiero Mark Goldman Marti Gorman Erin Heaney Bill Jones Renata Kraft Scott McKee Laurence McMahon John Montaque Carl Montante, Jr. William Nowak Alan Oberst Marc Odien Jud Payne Anne Perry Alfred Price David Stebbins Pierre Wallinder Marty Walters Buffalo River Advisory Group Julie Barrett ONeill, Chair Justin Booth William Breeser Ronald Chapin Timothy Delaney Lisa DuBois Jessie Fisher Erin Heaney Leanna Hefferman Jill Jedlicka Laura Kelly William Novak Jackie OBannon Margaret Overdorf Carl Paladino Lorraine Pierro Daryl Rasuli Sam Savarino Erin Sharkey Jim Simon Steven Stepniak Gregory Stevens Gerhardt Yaskow Greg Wisniewski Rick Smith III James Simon Jennifer Sepulveda Cultural Advisory Group Maureen O. Hurley, Chair Peter B. Dow, Chair Cindy Abbott-Letro Ted Bickford Melissa Brown Kevin Cottrell Donna Fernandes Dottie Gallagher-Cohen Duncan Hay Paul Hogan Michael Kimmelberg John S. Montague Christopher Schoepflin Catherine Schweitzer Art Selection Advisory Group Jordan Levy, Chair Molly Donovan Sandra Q. Firmin Louis Grachos Michael Joseph

For Immediate Release: August 26, 2011

95 Perry Street, Suite 500 Buffalo, NY 14203-3030 P: (716) 846-8200 F: (716) 846-8260 www.eriecanalharbor.com

Contact: Erich Weyant (ECHDC) | eweyant@empire.state.ny.us | 716.846.8258 ECHDC appoints members of the Canalside Design Committee Group is comprised of award winning architects, urban design professionals and community members The Board of Directors of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) today appointed members to the Canalside Design Committee, which is tasked with assisting the ECHDC Board with the development, adoption and implementation of the Canalside Design Guidelines, which were adopted by ECHDC in 2010. The Committees role is to help ensure that the Guidelines and all development at Canalside promote a cohesive atmosphere that is inspired by the architecture of Buffalos historic canal district. The members of the committee are: Hiro Hata, Rishawn T. Sonubi, Douglas G. Swift, Amelida Ortiz Weinmann and Max Willig. Our goal is to make Canalside a place that is true to Buffalo, while at the same time adhering to the highest design standards said ECHDC Chairman Jordan Levy. By building off of the guidelines established in the 2004 Erie Canal Harbor Master Plan and bringing in world class talent under the guidance of the renowned Stanton Eckstut, we are ensuring that Canalside will be a place to be proud of. As originally drafted, the Canalside Design Guidelines (Guidelines) anticipated that the Committee would be comprised of three members but in order to get a broader range of participation, the committee will consist of five members. The Committee members shall be appointed by, and will serve at the discretion of the Board with input from the Mayor of the City of Buffalo. When the Committee has completed review of all proposed permanent structures within Canalside, the Committee shall be dissolved and have no further duties. Mr. Hiro Hata is an Associate Professor of Architecture in Urban Design and Visiting Associate Professor of Urban Planning at The State University of New York at Buffalo. He is a registered architect. His extensive experience includes urban design, large-scale infrastructure projects, community development, brownfield/grayfield redevelopment, streetscapes/public space planning and design, mixed- use and high-density housing. 1

He previously taught urban design and architectural design studios at the New York Institute of Technology School of Architecture, Aarhus School of Architecture in Aarhus, Denmark, Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Boston Architectural Center. Mr. Hata earned a Master of Architecture in Urban Design (post-professional degree) from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge MA. Prior to Harvard, he earned a Master of Architecture from Washington University, St. Louis, MO, receiving the best architecture student prize. He earned his BA in English and English Literature from Reitaku University at Chiba, Japan and later studied basic design and fine art at the Ochanomizu Academy of Fine Arts in Tokyo. Under his current position with at The State University of New York at Buffalo he has been the Principal Investigator for Funded Research in a number of studies/plans including: South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity Area Redevelopment: Connectivity Study/DL&W Greenway Plan; A Plan for the North End+North Star Heritage District, Niagara Falls, NY, The Main-Eggert District Revitalization Plan, The Northtown Plaza Redevelopment Alternatives Concept Plan Niagara Falls Pine Avenue Streetscapes and Urban Design Guidelines (co-author). He is currently working on a book(A Complete Niagara Street: An Urban Design for Buffalo") summarizing the graduate studio he conducted with the host of stakeholders in spring 2011 for making Niagara Street a safer, more prosperous and sustainable place for all. In addition, he has also been involved with other projects including: SpatialVisual-Functional Analysis for the Buffalos Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital Project, Master Landscape Plans for UB North and South Campuses, A Concept Plan for Grand Island Town Center, Alternatives for Revitalizing the Uptown Main Street Corridor; Lackawanna in a time of Transition (co-author) and Corn Hill, Rochester, NY: Strategies for Restoring the Historic Neighborhood; Erie-Buffalo Central Library Forecourt and Lafayette Square Redevelopment Concept Plan. Prior to his appointment at the University at Buffalo, he worked for Sert, Jackson and Associates in Cambridge, MA as senior designer on large-scale housing in Roosevelt Island and Yonkers sponsored by the NYS Urban Development Corporation. He also served as an urban design consultant for a number of projects including a Gloucester, MA Waterfront Urban Design Plan and Comprehensive Plan for Cambridge, MA. Mr. Hata has also served as a member of Buffalo Complete Street Coalition, Steering Committee for the NFTA Metro-Station Areas Master Plan, the City of Buffalo and South Park Botanical Gardens Planning Advisory Group, the County of Erie and has performed a number of professional community services. Mr. Hata has received the following distinctions: Outstanding Student Project Award, from the American Planning Association, New York Upstate Chapter and 2

Western New York Chapter, Third Prize from The Buffalo Urban Retail Core International Design Competition, Graham Scholar-Traveling Fellowship, Graham Foundation, Frederick Widman Prize-the best architecture student at Washington University. He has authored a number of published reports, along with various articles, papers and has served as a professional consultant for private firms and public institutions. Mr. Rishawn T. Sonubi has worked for Young + Wright for the past 5 years and has been working in the field of architecture and urban planning since 1999. He has been involved in a variety of projects, which include educational facilities, historic restoration and other urban/suburban projects. His responsibilities have included schematic design, construction documentation and coordination. In addition, Mr. Sonubi has extensive knowledge of graphic visualization and urban design. Mr. Sonubi earned both a Master of Architecture and Master of Urban and Regional Planning at The State University of New York at Buffalo in 2003. He earned his Bachelor of Professional Studies in Architecture in 2000 at The State University of New York at Buffalo. Personal accreditations include an innovative design project published in the nationally distributed Arcadia Quarterly and work on the award winning urban design for Buffalos waterfront entitled Lighting the Way for Buffalos Waterfront Gateways: Urban Design and Interstate 190. Mr. Douglas G. Swift is the President and Director of Design for CityView Properties, Inc. He joined the CityView group in 1995, initially as an investor and later as a partner. He graduated in 1979 with a BA, Drama, for Scene Design and Technical Direction from San Francisco State University, and in 1992, earned a Masters Degree in architecture from The State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving the AIA School Metal and Certificate of Merit for Graduating first in the class. Prior to joining the development group Mr. Swift was the owner and operator of Residential Development Inc., in Washington, DC. There he was responsible for financing, designing, contracting and selling restored town homes in the Capital Hill district. In 2000, Mr. Swift took a sabbatical from his operational responsibilities to join the Teton County Housing Authority, in Jackson, Wyoming, as its director. During his association with the Authority, Mr. Swift became familiar with all aspects of public benefit housing developments and the various nuances of financing projects where public/private partnerships are required. Mr. Swifts primary responsibilities with CityView pertain to all aspects of initial 3

design, design development, construction drawings and documents and construction plan administration. He is the overall coordinator of long range planning and marketing. He also participates, from an internal office consultation position, in construction management aspects of the operation that are design driven. Working with his partners at CityView, Bill Jones, Joe Petrella and Howard Zemsky, he has developed several downtown Buffalo properties. CityViews portfolio includes City Centre, 620 Main Street, 598 Main Street and the Root Building at 70 W. Chippewa Street. CityView has recently completed adaptive reuse of the Larkin at Exchange Building and plans to develop additional properties in the emerging Larkin District. CityView has recently partnered with the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation in an effort to restore the Genesee Gateway project, located between Oak Street and Ellicott Street. CityView owns and manages over 1 million square feet of downtown real estate. Mr. Swift is President of the board of the Roycroft Campus Corporation. He is currently chairing the Roycroft Campus Corporations $17 million Capital Campaign. He is the founding board member of Preservation Buffalo Niagara. He is a former board member of: The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, The Darwin Martin House restoration Corporation, The Graycliff Conservancy, The Preservation League of New York State and of The Elmwood Franklin School in Buffalo. He is a native of Buffalo, NY. Ms. Amelida Ortiz Weinmann is currently Sergeant at Arms for the Erie County Democratic Committee (ECDC), and a 3rd generation committee member. She is one of the few non-attorneys on the ECDC Judicial Screening committee, lending a fresh non-legal perspective. She studied at SUNY Binghamton, working in college residential, transportation and research at the University and later transferred to The State University of New York at Buffalo where she earned her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Early Childhood Education, permitting her to be an elementary school teacher. Prior to that Ms. Ortiz Weinmann has worked at Hispanics United at Buffalo, the Massachusetts Avenue Project, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Buffalo Public Schools. She participated on committees at the Junior League of Buffalo and Jewish Federation of Buffalo. She also served on committees for Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence and the Hispanic Conference of Western New York. Ms. Ortiz Weinmann is a charter member of a new initiative, Cultures of Giving Council at the Community Foundation, a 7-year member of MENSA, a 15-year member of the Hispanic Womens League, Western New York Hispanic and Friends Civic Association, and a Life member of Hadassah, an American Jewish volunteer women's organization. 4

Ms. Ortiz Weinmann is a recipient of the of the Western New York Girl Scout Leader of the Year Award for Amherst/Eggertsville, for the establishment of a multi-level Girl Scout Troup which she continues to serves as a Leader. Max Willig is a licensed architect in the State of New York and holds a National Certification from the National Council of Architectural Regional Boards (NCARB). He graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Architecture from the College of Architecture, Planning & Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Willig has been engaged in private practice since 1988 and in addition has served on the faculty of the School of Architecture and Planning at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the College of Architecture, Planning & Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Willigs architectural skills have been coupled with the Education Department and the Clifton Hall Exhibition System, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY, The Buffalo and the Amherst Buildings for The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo Inc. Leader All Surface Printing, Printing Prep Inc., Buffalo, New York, Headquarters Expansion Study, Rich Products Corporation, Buffalo, New York (in association with Peter Castle Architect), Dolinar Dental Offices, Hamburg, New York, Sheridan Pediatrics, Amherst, New York, Council Opticians, Williamsville, New York, City Spa, Buffalo, New York, The Law Offices of DiNardo, DiNardo & Lukasik, Buffalo, New York, the Law Offices of Magavern & Magavern, Buffalo, New York (in association with Peter Castle Architect) along with an array of private residences in Western New York within Buffalo, Amherst, Clarence, Elma, Orchard Park, Lewiston, Bemus Point, and Westfield. In addition, Crystal Beach and Thunder Bay, Ontario, Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota, and Nantucket, Massachusetts. He has also consulted on projects in the Hamptons, Water Mill, New York, and New York City. Previously, Mr. Willig worked as a Designer and Project Architect for Cannon Design, Inc. His project experience at Cannon Design Inc. included: Aircraft Controls Division - Moog Corporation, West Seneca, NY, Clifton Hall, AlbrightKnox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY, NYS Urban Cultural Parks Project, Office of Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Albany, NY, School of Medicine, Cary Farber, Sherman Hall, State University of NY at Buffalo, Veterans Memorial Building, Camp Hill Medical Center, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Shore Memorial Hospital, Somers Point, New Jersey, The Country Club of Buffalo, Amherst, New York, The Boston Garden Redevelopment, Boston, Massachusetts, Senior Hall, Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri, Lafayette Court Building, Buffalo, New York, Maple Office Park, Amherst, New York, Corporate Headquarters of Norstar Bank, Newburgh, New York, and the Marine Midland Development, Buffalo, New York.

Within his professional career in Buffalo, Mr. Willig currently serves as the CoChair of the Community Advisory Group for Richard Olmsted Complex Master Plan, Vice-President for the Grant-Amherst Business Association in Historic Black Rock, Steering Committee & Professional Design Review Committee for Black Rock/Riverside Good Neighborhood Planning Alliance, and the Steering Committee of the Buffalo Neighborhood Alliance. In addition, he has served as a Juror for the 2006 Annual Design Awards New York Upstate/Canada East Chapter/American Society of Interior Designers and on the Review Committee for the West Village/National Landmark Preservation District in downtown Buffalo. The Guidelines were prepared by Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut and Kuhn Architects, July 2009 and revised March 2010 and apply to all development parcels within Canalside. These Guidelines take as their foundation, both in terms of intent and detail, the guidelines approved as part of the 2005 Erie Canal Harbor Amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan for the Waterfront Redevelopment Project. The guidelines established in that document are preserved to the maximum extent possible, especially where concerning the Erie Canal Harbor Parcels. As the scope, program, and type of the proposed project has evolved and expanded since the 2004 Erie Canal Harbor Project Master Plan, some elements of that projects associated guidelines have been revised. The emphasis of the Guidelines is on the public spaces. The goals of the Guidelines are to provide high quality, attractive and active spaces that employ contemporary techniques but connect to the unique history of the site and Buffalo as a whole. To this end, the Guidelines are focused on the impact of buildings on the public environment. The Guidelines seek to create spaces, not projects. The goal is to create an ever changing, lively atmosphere and visual appeal throughout (this is not a traditional business or residential district). The focus is on the pedestrian - to provide a human scale, good wayfinding, and a comfortable walking environment. The automobile is considered and sought to be convenient, but not dominate the view. Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is a subsidiary agency of Empire State Development Corporation whose vision is to revitalize Western New Yorks waterfront and restore economic growth to Buffalo based on the regions legacy of pride, urban significance and natural beauty. ###