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Buffalo Avenue Heritage District Revitalization Strategy
Niagara Falls, New York
USA Niagara, in partnership with the City of Niagara Falls, is currently advancing the Buffalo Avenue Heritage District Revitalization Strategy. This project will build upon the City of Niagara Falls’ recent and on-going planning and zoning efforts to facilitate and foster revitalization of the neighborhood as a Heritage District—a distinct and unique development area within downtown Niagara Falls.
A request for proposals was issued in early September 2006 for consultants to:
- Perform a survey of neighborhood conditions,
- Create detailed urban design guidelines, and
- Create a targeted grant program aimed at the development of small businesses that fit within a heritage district.
The intent is that revitalization of the district would stabilize a valuable neighborhood, while at the same time expand the City’s overall tourism base with a unique offering other than conventional high-density lodging/retail uses. In turn, a well-planned heritage district would represent an appropriate land use to transition from the center of downtown to Niagara Falls State Park and the Upper Niagara River—particularly in consideration of pending plans to reconfigure a portion of the Robert Moses Parkway and the State Park Access Road to better connect this neighborhood to the River’s edge.
The Buffalo Avenue district, generally encompassing lands south of Rainbow Boulevard and extending from John B. Daly Boulevard (Quay Street) to Old Main Street, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City of Niagara Falls. The neighborhood was once home to some of the “first families” of Niagara Falls—including Augustus Porter and General Parkhurst Whitney. While the Porter estate has been since demolished, the Whitney mansion still stands and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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