1318 Niagara St., at the foot of Lafayette Avenue, was once a gigantic building used for malting, an aspect of beer production. The lot has been a contaminated DEC site for over a decade. Cleanup began in November and is nearly finishing up. So what next for this site, that offers a view shed of Black Rock Canal?

Vision Niagara advocated that the site be preserved as a green space. On November 26th, zoning was changed to D-OG (Green), thanks to the work of Councilmember David Rivera and staff!

We’d love to hear from our community on the Niagara Street corridor – what would you like to see here? Tell us at our next meeting and happy hour on January 8th (CBW, 4:00 pm) or pop us a note: info@visionniagara.org. We’d love to hear from you!

Buffalo Sewer Authority will give Vision Niagara participants a tour of their treatment plant on Thursday, August 8th at 4:00 pm. Count on a two hour fascinating session where you will learn about what happens to sewage and overflow, as well as the importance of our infrastructure, green and otherwise.

Send an email to info@visionniagara.org before Wednesday, August 7th, if you would like to secure one of the limited spaces for this tour. We will send you instructions where to meet.

We were delighted to announce at our June Vision Niagara meeting that a new mural will enhance our Niagara Street Corridor. Artist Nicole Cherry designed this bicycle themed image for the south side of 1330 Niagara Street. And it fits so well because the next tenant will be Campus WheelWorks, when renovations are complete.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery has teamed up with the artist and owner, Buffalo Spokes LLC, as part of their public art initiative. The surface was just primed – the artwork should be completed by the end of July.

We at Vision Niagara have a goal to turn the adjacent lot into a park. What a perfect backdrop this will be! Hearty thanks to Nicole Cherry, AKAG and Buffalo Spokes!!

Wednesday, May 1st @ 5:00 pm @Resurgence Brewery – side room next to the chalkboard.

Tom Duk and Julie Fetzer, City of Buffalo Department of Public Works – update about the long-anticipated, now underway complete street project for Niagara Street.

Jeff Empric, Bootleg Bucha– business and rehab progress in a big section of the corridor of Upper Rock (the middle section of Niagara Street).

Howard Rich from Rich Products – what’s happening @ Rich’s.

helping out at the clean up

Join us on May 11 from 10am to noon! We’ll be shining up beautiful Broderick Park including spreading mulch and a bit of weeding. Cuz we love this park so much and want it to look its best! Refreshments and free t-shirts for our volunteers!

Vision Niagara is excited to host Jane’s Walk Buffalo 2019 to be held on the first weekend of May. Look for specifics on the walks on our Special Events page.

This might not look like much, but it’s a real start on our long awaited project for Niagara Street. Pictured here is one bike lane on the south side of One Robert Rich Way, base of West Ferry Street into Broderick Park. Clear sailing for our bicyclists heading into the park in the future!

Yes, it’s a late start for 2018. The project was tied up in Albany for far too long so here is the scope for this year:

• Niagara Street from Hampshire Street to the Bridge over Scajaquada Creek –
• Busti Avenue from Columbus Parkway to Niagara Street –
• Robert Rich Way from the Lift Bridge to Niagara Street

The work will consist of milling the pavement; hot mix asphalt concrete inlay; PCC pavement; spot replacements of the sidewalk and curb/underdrain; new curb ramps; curb extensions at all signalized intersections; improvements to the drainage system; green infrastructure treatments; a new street lighting system; a protected bicycle lane (cycle track); replacement of existing traffic control signals; a new traffic control signal; signs and pavement markings; landscaping/tree plantings and street amenities; site restoration and other incidental work.

Cannon Design featured a forum about Niagara Street’s future at Rich Products beautiful atrium last month. Panelists included Paul Ciminelli, CEO of Ciminelli Real Estate Corp., Dr. Lorrie Clemo, President of D’Youville College, Barbara Rowe, Board President of Vision Niagara and Howard Rich, VP @ Rich Products. Michael Tunkey, Cannon Design moderated. (Summarized here).

This forum is part of Cannon’s Buffalo Urban Futures Forum.

A unique feature of this event was an interactive map where attendees had the opportunity to plug in what they would like to see on the corridor. And the map isn’t finished! If your organization will be having a meeting this summer, you could include this activity and have it recorded for posterity! Contact Michael Tunkey if you are interested!

Work will begin this summer on improvements to the Jesse Kregal Pathway. John Bidell, city engineer with Buffalo’s Department of Public Works, was very kind to walk the path with two of our board members to describe the changes to come. Also joining us, were Phil Galbo and Tom Buckley from Watts Engineering.

The illustration above shows before and after of the western head of the trail. Note, however, the blue surface will not be part of the changes.

We will see lighting installed at a few locations. The chain link fencing that is overgrown with weeds will be replaced with a cable fence which will make maintenance efforts easier. See current status in photos below.

Cable fencing will eliminate some of this sort of vandalism – a determined person can just crawl through!

Other changes include a new access road, again to ease maintenance loads but also will be a new way for folks to get to the path.

Changes will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate easily around the Army Corps of Engineers which now closes off part of the path on weekends. New signage will ease the confusion of navigation. It should be clear where folks can choose between the new bike lanes on Niagara Street and the path.

And this lovely but sad historical marker will be refurbished!

We’ll all have to be patient! The path will be closed while the work is going on – if all goes well, we’ll have a sparkly Jesse Kregal Pathway to enjoy late summer or early fall! Jesse would have been so pleased!

A big thanks to Andy Rabb, City of Buffalo Deputy Commissioner Parks and Recreation, for spearheading this project!

Councilmember David Rivera is sponsoring a meeting to give the community an opportunity to view plans for 990 Niagara Street: Wednesday, May 10, 6:00 pm, Niagara Branch Library (corner of Porter and Prospect). Andrew Crossed from Park Grove Realty and the architect will be present the project for attendees. The owner and developer are seeking a variance from the zoning board because of the height proposed for the building. Vision Niagara had an opportunity to meet and discuss the project. We are pleased that the zoning board tabled the variance request until the community has an opportunity to offer feedback.

This project will have positive impacts on the neighborhood in bringing more residents who will potentially support local businesses. It is a project that can bring needed investment and potentially spark more of the same. We welcome the increased density and urban infill. The enclosed parking is also a benefit.

At the same time, our waterfront is on the verge of becoming another example of high rent districts that could displace existing residents. Buffalo’s “renaissance” makes city living more desirable, but as developers find opportunities to create more high-end housing, rents throughout the City rise. Families who have lived in the same Buffalo neighborhoods for generations are rapidly becoming “priced out.” In fact, several organizations, including Partners for The Public Good and Heart of the City have requested a policy of Inclusionary zoning in the City of Buffalo that would require developers to include 30% of all units be made affordable to those in our community with incomes at or below 60% of area median income.

This project and potential new ones on the horizon begin to close off the already limited open views from Niagara Street to Niagara River and Canada. We ask the developers to consider making a commitment to work collaboratively with our membership to preserve the last available green spaces, especially those with views to the water, for the benefit of Niagara Street patrons, current residents, and visitors to our community. We are sure that visually connecting Niagara Street to the water will not only enhance the value of this project, but as well, will help to brand Niagara Street as a waterfront boulevard, will serve to beautify the area, and will continue to ensure that this a place where folks want to work, visit and play.