Chippewa is looking a lot brighter and friendlier these days thanks to a now-completed streetscape project. It wasn’t that long ago that the commercial corridor known for its nightlife (and these days, for its daylife) was pretty chewed up.

It was a little over a year ago when I walked the district with Rachel A. DeDomenico, president of the Chippewa Alliance. At the time, there was a vision for the street, but the pandemic had put a damper on the excitement that should have been in the air.

Chippewa and Franklin Streets have been under construction for over six months.

Undeterred, the Chippewa business community was rallying behind the Reopen Buffalo initiative, which helped to keep the momentum going.

And now, there is something else to rally behind – the completion of a multi-million dollar project that includes:

• Improved and wider sidewalks
• New curbs
• Modernized streetlights
• Fresh pavement
• Catenary lighting overhead
• Trees will be planted in the spring of 2022

Seeing that the project has wrapped up, Mayor Byron Brown and the Chippewa Alliance are getting ready to cut the ribbon and celebrate what is being considered a big win for Chippewa.

On Friday, October 22, from 4pm to 8pm, the following festivities will ensue:

• An outdoor pop-up market comprised of 20 local vendors, including clothing boutiques, bakeries, food vendors, gift shops and more.

• Happy hour and dining specials at over 12 bars, restaurants and businesses including Local, Soho, Bacchus, Bada Bing, The Cowboy, D-Tour, 67 West, Bottoms Up, Rec Room, Buffalo Tap House, Chocolate Bar, Banshee, Chez Ami, and Chop House.

The public is invited to take part in the celebration, and to visit the refreshed and reinvigorated street that will hopefully spin-off into additional private and public investments in the near future.