Preliminary designs for the $12 million Niagara Heritage Gateways Project were unveiled Monday during a public information session hosted by USA Niagara Development Corp. and the City of Niagara Falls.
The Niagara Heritage Gateways Project was announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year and is the first phase of a broader Downtown Niagara Falls Heritage Walk concept that aims to strengthen connections between the city’s downtown and Niagara Falls State Park.
The first phase includes Hydraulic Power Plaza and Niagara Gorge Gateway Park. Together, USA Niagara officials said, the sites will create a multi-use public space that serves as a landscaped connection between the state park and downtown Niagara Falls.
Preliminary plans for a Tree Walk along the Riverway near the Niagara River Upper Rapids were also presented. The Riverway Tree Walk —which can be accessed from Buffalo Avenue and Niagara Falls State Park via existing stairs — includes the construction of a platform that emerges from a wooded embankment and extends toward the river. The Tree Walk will have panoramic views of the Upper Rapids and Goat Island and USA Niagara officials say it will serve as a beacon that guides visitors from Riverway to downtown.
“These placemaking projects are the next step in rebuilding Downtown Niagara Falls,” USA Niagara President Anthony Vilardo said. “Led by Governor Hochul’s vision, our aim with these designs is to tell the story of our city, and create beautiful, functional public spaces that set the stage for additional economic development in the years to come.”
USA Niagara officials were joined at Monday’s session by officials from the City of Niagara Falls, the New York-based studio Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) and landscape architect firm Hargreaves Jones.
“These Heritage Gateways are interesting ways to provide open green space downtown and also engage locals and tourists to rediscover points of interest in our downtown, Mayor Robert Restaino said.
Details about the designs were reviewed, giving attendees an opportunity to weigh in with input on the project — which is expected to break ground next year.
The Niagara Falls Heritage Gateways project is funded by the state through Buffalo Billion II and through the Regional Revitalization Partnership.
Development of the Heritage Gateways are part of USA Niagara’s Downtown Development Strategy, which focuses on properties acquired in March 2019.
The Heritage Gateways project is a first step in USAN’s process to bring these dormant sites back to productive use so they can increase the city’s tax base and contribute to a downtown that is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.