A local preservation group has put out a “call to action” as part of a larger effort to secure local landmark status for the former Native American Center for the Living Arts, more commonly known as “The Turtle” building, in downtown Niagara Falls.
Preservation Buffalo Niagara, a Buffalo-based non-profit organization that works to protect and preserve culturally and historically significant structures in Western New York, is asking people to sign an online letter of support encouraging city officials to approve a landmark designation for the building which has been empty since 1985.
The letter describes the Turtle building as “unique and iconic” and as an “important part of the history and culture of Niagara Falls.” It also argues that the building, which has been owned for decades by the private firm Niagara Falls Redevelopment, “deserves to be preserved and protected.”
The letter can be signed at: http://tinyurl.com/4kypjenw
Representatives from Preservation Buffalo Niagara assisted members of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission in developing a formal application to designate the building, located at 25 Rainbow Blvd., as a city landmark. Landmark designation would mean the Turtle building could only be demolished under an emergency determination. Formally designating a building as a local landmark requires approval by the Niagara Falls City Council.
As noted in PBN’s letter, the Turtle building, designed by Northern Arapaho architect Dennis Sun Rhodes, was constructed in 1977 as a cultural and educational center for the Native American community in Niagara Falls. The building’s design was inspired by by the Haudenosaunee legend of the Great Turtle, who carried the earth on its back after a great flood. PBN’s letter notes that the 67,000-square-foot building features a circular shape, a domed roof, and a turtle-shaped entrance and that the interior features a circular auditorium that can seat up to 500 people as well as exhibit space.
“The Turtle is one of the few remaining examples of Native American architecture in Niagara Falls and a rare example of zoomorphic architecture in Western New York,” the landmark status support letter reads. “It reflects the cultural values and artistic vision of the Native American people who created it. It also represents a significant period in the history of Niagara Falls, when the city was undergoing urban renewal and trying to attract tourists and visitors with new attractions and amenities.”
NFR, a company owned by New York City real estate developers Howard and Edward Milstein, acquired the building in 1997, more than a decade after the structure ceased operations as a Native American arts center.
In response to questions from the newspaper in October, NFR spokesperson James Haggerty said the company has continued to actively market the parcel, and “there has been no viable interest in developing the site.”
He described the condition of the building as “substantially the same” as when NFR acquired it, indicating that it has the “usual issues and required upgrades you’d expect in a building its age.”
“Potential for future renovation would depend entirely on the proposed use,” Haggerty said.
Over the years, NFR has publicly floated two potential plans for redeveloping the property, including in 2000 when it considered an “entertainment and cultural center” at the Turtle, and in 2017 when the company proposed tearing the structure down to make way for a 20-story hotel.
Neither project materialized.
Haggerty said NFR spent “considerable” expense and nearly two years attempting to open an entertainment and cultural center on the site. He said the process included hiring a museum consultant and touring the site with representatives of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“In the end, NFR couldn’t find any financially viable Native American group with an interest in moving forward,” Haggerty said.
He said the hotel project, as proposed, violated height restrictions imposed on buildings in the area downtown where the Turtle building is located. When the proposal was submitted to city hall, Haggerty said city officials were not interested in granting a request for a height variance to restore the property’s original height limit.
Haggerty stressed that it was officials from the City of Niagara Falls who approached NFR about acquiring the building in 2000 and, at the time, it was not on the tax rolls.
“Through NFR ownership, the property is on the tax rolls and has never been delinquent,” Haggerty said.
As to the effort to secure landmark status for the building, Haggerty said NFR and its owners, the Milstein family of real estate developers from New York City, remain open to discussing potentially viable reuse options.
“We are aware of the latest efforts, and are always willing to work with the community on practical solutions,” he said.
Residents will get a chance to weigh in on the Turtle building landmark plan during a public hearing scheduled for 6 p.m., Jan. 18 inside city council chambers at Niagara Falls City Hall, 745 Main St.