Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairman Jordan Levy has issued the following statement regarding Bass Pro and the Canal Side project:

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is committed to the redevelopment of Buffalo's waterfront and the vision that Canal Side will be transformational for our region's history. We have been actively engaged with Bass Pro during the long and complicated process of bringing Canal Side to this stage of implementation. Bass Pro, along with the Western New York community, has contributed valuable input that has helped ECHDC create and shape the overall plan for the project. Although we always welcome the  Congressman's input and appreciate the overwhelming assistance he has given to this important project,  we do anticipate being able to resolve this frustration by bringing this process to a positive conclusion in the next few weeks.

It remains our sincere desire to bring Bass Pro Shops to Canal Side as our anchor tenant and we are working closely with the company's management in Springfield, Missouri. Our development partner, Benderson Development Company, is enthusiastically engaged in the development of Canal Side and continues to have substantive discussions with not only Bass Pro, but with several additional tenants for the project. We can appreciate that this arduous process has worn on everyone's patience; however, we do believe we are acting in the best interest of the community and for Buffalo's future.