Congressman Brian Higgins, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Buffalo District Commander Lt. Col. Owen Beaudoin and Niagara Greenway Executive Director Rob Beleu gathered at the Bird Island Pier on August 13, 2013 for a ribbon cutting ceremony to announce the official reopening of the pier.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District, the City of Buffalo and the Niagara River Greenway Commission partnered to obtain the required funding, manpower, equipment and materials to complete rehabilitation to the Bird Island Pier and reopen it to the public. The pier had been closed since August 2010 after an inspection uncovered significant degradation of the structure.
The Bird Island Pier serves a two purposes: it is a navigation structure providing safe passage for vessels to navigate the Black Rock Channel rather than the swift current of the Niagara River. It is also a recreational structure providing access to the public for fishing or walking along the Niagara River.