The Niagara Falls Planning Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to extend its approval of a site plan for a new six-story, $38.6 million South End project, featuring affordable housing units and a retail complex.
The project’s current site plan approval, which was set to expire on March 13, will now run until August 2026. The site plan was originally approved by the Planning Board on Sept. 13, 2023.
The request for the extension came from the project developer, Community Services for Every1 (CSE1), a Buffalo not-for-profit, and USA Niagara (USAN).
Kelly E. Kinderman, CSE1 vice president of program support and development, said the project, located on a former brownfield site, is not quite ready to break ground. She told the planning board that delays involved in tearing down the former TeleTech call center building, which had previously occupied the project development site at 333 First St., necessitated the site plan extension.
“There needed to be a brownfield site investigation (after the demolition) and that has now been completed,” Kinderman said. “The reports from the (New York State) Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation are due in mid-March and we expect they’ll be approved by the end of March.”
Kinderman said CSE1 hopes to “close the first week in April” and “pull permits” to begin construction by the following week.
“We’re fully funded,” she told the planning board, “and the project is ready to go.”
The project site is among 21 South End land parcels acquired from Tuscarora businessman Smokin’ Joe Anderson by USA Niagara, the subsidiary of Empire State Development that is assisting in the redevelopment of the Falls. An Empire State Development spokesperson said unforeseen delays in the start of major construction projects are not uncommon.
“This is part of the process,” the spokesperson said. “Sometimes all of the various steps necessary to move forward with a project take a little longer than anticipated. We are excited to be breaking ground in the spring.”
Community Services for Every1 currently operates programs in the Falls School District and has been looking to expand its presence in the community and establish a local base of operations. CSE1 has dubbed its project “THE NEST.”
The currently approved site plan calls for a six-story building with 73 apartments and 4,700 square feet of commercial space. Kinderman said her organization’s local staff will initially occupy the commercial space.
The long-term goal of the project, Kinderman said, is to bring a commercial tenant into that space, consistent with a request by USA Niagara that the project have a retail component.
The building will have fifty-eight 745-square-foot one-bedroom apartments and fifteen 970-square-foot two-bedroom units. The apartments will be targeted to households earning up to 50-60% or 80-90% of the area’s median income.
Eight units will be designed to accommodate individuals with mobility impairments, four will be for persons with hearing or visual challenges and 18 apartments will be dedicated for survivors of domestic violence. Kinderman said the mission of CSE1 is to support domestic violence and crime victims and people with disabilities.
The project architect has said that the building will be environmentally friendly and “all electric.” The project also calls for a parking lot for tenants and green space, including a playground.
USA Niagara has characterized the project as helping to “meet the local need for new housing, while street-level commercial and community spaces will contribute to pedestrian activity and street life.”
The project is being funded by a combination of private investments, through the sale of tax credit bonds, and a host of state and local government grants and incentives. CSE1 representatives said they anticipate that construction will be completed in March 2026, with commercial and residential tenants moving in by December 2026.