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ECHDC approves contract for Canalside wayfinding and interpretive signage project

Submitted

Tue, Oct 11th 2016 11:45 am

Entro Communications Inc. will provide design, fabrication and installation services

Submitted by Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. met Tuesday and approved a contract with Entro Communications Inc. for design, fabrication and installation services of ECHDC's Canalside wayfinding and interpretive signage project.

The summer of 2016 was the most successful to date, with more than 1.2 million visitors and more than 2,500 events and activities at Canalside. It was evident by the size and consistency of the crowds that wayfinding and interpretive signage is needed to connect and showcase all the assets Canalside has to offer.

"Canalside requires a wayfinding and placemaking program that enables visitors to get to their destinations and navigate the environment with ease," ECHDC Chairman Robert Gioia said. "We look forward to working with Entro Communications to identify key features and attractions, and enable visitors to learn about the historical significance of the district."

"We are thrilled and very much looking forward to working together with ECHDC and our project partners on this exciting project," Entro Principal Associate Randy Johnson said. "We've watched the transformation of Canalside from across the lake in Toronto, and recognize the potential of this great destination. We see this program as an essential component in the development of a seamless transition between the waterfront and downtown Buffalo. Beyond navigability, the planned wayfinding and interpretive signage program is also a fantastic opportunity to reinforce sense of place and all the character, memory, identity and fun that is reflective of the Canalside experience."

Entro Communication is internationally renowned for building experiences through visual communications. The $1,150,000 contract between ECHDC and Entro Communications has a goal to design, fabricate and install a comprehensive signage program that welcomes and guides visitors from major highways and entrance points into the Canalside district, and establishes design standards for district-wide wayfinding signage that is reflective of Canalside's fun, colorful and eclectic identity. While guiding visitors through the Canalside district with ease, the team's program will also educate and enlighten visitors on the historical significance of and the role the terminus of the Erie Canal played in both Buffalo and U.S. history.

The Entro team includes the Crystal McKenzie Inc. (M/WBE), Design Communications Inc. and Signs and Decals (MBE), and is well-suited for the project, having completed similar projects in entertainment and waterfront districts, including downtown Yonge (Toronto), Prince Arthur's Landing (Thunder Bay, Ontario) and elements at Governor's Island (New York City). The Entro team has extensive experience and expertise in architecture, graphic design, media, fine arts, industrial design, engineering, planning and project management.

Design services are expected to begin in November. The fabrication and installation phase is expected to begin in March 2017. It is anticipated that various components, for example highway signs and on-street wayfinding signs, will be complete by next summer. The project funding source is the New York Power Authority.

For more information on ECHDC, visit www.eriecanalharbor.com.

 

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