Notes
Slide Show
Outline
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Restoring Our Heritage. Recognizing Our Future. Lockport’s Flight of Five: Erie Canal Locks #67-71
  • Vision:  A world-renowned tourist destination:
    The Lockport Locks Heritage District.
  • Mission: The stabilization and restoration of the
    Flight of Five Locks to a functioning flight of locks representative of its 1862 condition (located within the Lockport Industrial District on the National Register of Historic Places).
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Project Overview: Executive Summary
  • The Erie Canalway has been designated a
    National Heritage Corridor by Congress (2000).
  • The Lockport Locks Heritage District consists
    of the most significant historic site from the
    1862-era Erie Canal that is still in operating condition.
  • A restored site will be a magnet for
    Niagara region tourists.
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Project Overview: Executive Summary (continued)
  • The Lockport community has received $3.2 million
    in state and federal appropriations. Funds will be used for:
    • Design and construction management
    • Hydraulics, water management
    • Site access
    • Rehabilitation and restoration of Locks #67-71
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Economic Impact Summary
  • Restored 19th Century canalways exist in the urban centers of Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, Canada.
  • A restored section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal in Washington, D.C., features authentic mule-drawn packet boat rides and attracts more than 4,000,000 visitors per year.
  • The restored Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada, attracts more than 634,000 visitors every year.
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Economic Impact Summary (continued)
  • The Niagara-Buffalo region draws more than
    25 million tourists annually who spend close to
    $3 billion per year.
  • The restored Flight of Five is projected to
    draw hundreds of thousands of these visitors
    into Niagara County each year.
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Section I: History & Background
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Section I: History & Background
  • The Erie Canal was hand-dug to connect
    the Hudson River with the Niagara River.
  • The 363-mile canal in 1862 featured 72
    stone locks to overcome the 571-foot
    difference in elevation between the rivers.
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Section I: History & Background (continued)
  • The complex was built as two sets of five flights
    of locks (one east-bound, one west-bound) and
    was considered to be an engineering triumph.
  • The locks allowed boats to overcome the
    60-foot change in elevation created by the
    Niagara Escarpment.
  • The opening of the locks was celebrated
    on October 26, 1825 with a grand procession.
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Section I: History & Background (continued)
  • The construction of the Barge Canal from
    1905 to 1918 required the demolition
    of the southern portion of the Flight of Five.
  • The southern Flight of Five was replaced
    with the current two enlarged electrically
    operated Locks #34 & #35.
  • Fortunately, canal engineers left the northern combine of the 1835-era Flight of Five locks intact during the 1918 enlargement.
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Section I: History & Background (continued)
  • Upon restoration, the Lockport Locks
    Heritage District will be the only location
    in the Erie Canalway National Heritage
    Corridor where historic manual and
    current electrical operation of canal lock
    technology can be viewed side by side.
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Section II: Scope & Details of the Restoration
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Section II: Scope & Details of the Restoration
  • The $3.2 million in grants secured to date will fund
    the following restoration activities:
    • Stabilization of wood foundations and stone masonry
    • Stabilization of remaining stone bridges and guardrail assemblies at stairs and ramps
    • Procurement of design services
    • Update of construction cost estimates and definition of project parameters
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Section III: Economic Impact of the Restoration
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Section III: Economic Impact of the Restoration
  • The Niagara Region features Old Fort Niagara, Niagara Reservation State Park, the Darwin Martin House, the Richardson Complex and other heritage sites of national significance.
  • A renovated Flight of Five Locks will build on the already popular Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises, the Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride attractions and the Lockport Visitor’s Center, Home of the Erie Canal Discovery Center.
  • More than 25 million visitors spend nearly $3 billion per year in the Niagara-Buffalo region annually.
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Section III: Economic
Impact of the Restoration (continued)
  • The Rideau Canal in Canada offers an excellent example of a restored canal becoming established
    as a significant magnet for tourism.
  • The 125-mile long Rideau Canal was completed
    in 1832 and has 52 locks along its length.
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Upcoming Tasks
  • Retain engineering consultant team for design and construction management
  • Request additional federal, state and private
    funding sources
  • Obtain necessary permits
  • Bid and award construction contracts
  • Complete restoration
  • Operate and market Lockport Locks Heritage District
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Summary
  • Lockport, with its Flight of Five Restoration,
    is one of only two preservation pilot projects designated by the Erie Canalway National
    Heritage Corridor Commission.
  • The restored site will be a truly unique,
    historically significant destination.
  • The restored Flight of Five should draw
    hundreds of thousands of visitors from the
    Niagara region’s growing tourism industry.
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