THE PROJECT
Funds are being raised to replace the current parking lot, driveway, accessible parking, and paved surfaces. These spaces are currently dilapidated and cause Issues with parking, accessibility for large buses and utility vehicles, watershed issues, and expensive temporary repairs. The surface is too thin and brittle and while it has lasted many years, the cracking and crumbling is beyond any repair methods. In addition to that, some areas are too narrow to accommodate the level of traffic received by the museum. School buses and tour buses have a hard time getting in the entrance and if they do make it up to the north circle drive for drop-off, it is difficult for them to turn around and will frequently have to drive over grassed areas resulting in mud pits and damaged curbing. School children and tour groups often must walk up from Tonawanda Drive if the bus can’t make it through the entrance. Most of our bus tours are for retired seniors. The parking lot is currently at a steep incline which can be very hard for these individuals to maneuver. In addition to these issues, current watershed leads to damaged grass areas, waterflow toward the building structure, and large amounts of deposited debris.  The project breaks the full scope into phases or zones. With one or two zones being completed each year for the next two to three years. This project will also add lighting, irrigation and beatification to the adjacent areas of the paved surfaces. 

PROJECT PHASES
The project has 4 different phases, starting with phase 1 at the top of the property and working toward the main entrance and parking lot which is phase 4. Fundraising for the project is also split into sections with phases 1 and 2 fundraising kicking off first. The plan is for construction of phase 1 to take place in the spring of 2025 but if the necessary funds have been raised for phase 2 then construction of both phases will be completed at that time. While project fundraising will be ongoing with the hope of raising the funds within a three-year time frame, the stretch goal is to raise the full amount of funds within two years. That would allow for phases 3 and 4 to be completed at the same time and reduce the number of construction years, thus the impact on our operating budget, from three years to two years.