A walking tour of the Market Street area on Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. will give community members an opportunity to provide input on revitalizing underused properties.
Participants can gather at Cornerstone Arena at 1 Grigg Lewis Way to join representatives of the Niagara County Brownfields Coalition in seeing and discussing brownfields, defined as properties where redevelopment is complicated by contamination or perceived contamination. According to Joy Kuebler, tour organizer, walkers will follow Market Street, turn onto Exchange and Spring streets, come along Chestnut Street and view the New York Central Train Station at Union Street.
Kuebler said, “This area is selected because it moves from the downtown core to historic buildings along the canal to industrial buildings that touch residential areas.”
The group will take a look at the Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises site as an example of an effective reuse that has already occurred, Kuebler said.
“There may be facilities along the canal that could follow the model of an unconventional business. It can lead us to look at other opportunities,” she said.
City resident Joe DiPasquale said he will attend. “I just want to participate because of my interest in seeing better days for Lockport,” he said. “I also want to show the county that there’s interest on the ground and in the communities themselves and to work with them to get this process started. I’m just excited that this is happening. People want to move forward in a positive direction. It’s a beginning. It’s got to start somewhere.”
Kuebler said there will be discussions with participants about the tour area’s identity, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges for future development, and what partners would need to be involved.
Planning is underway for a brownfield walking tour for the West End of the city before fall, Kuebler said.