Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - The impact of the planned redevelopment of four Downtown Niagara Falls buildings could be the spark that may lead to other private-sector backed projects taking hold along the city's Main Street business corridor.
"It will definitely be easier to get the next one," said Andrea Klyczek, Niagara County Industrial Development Agency executive director.
Less than one year after Mayor Robert Restaino began an effort to gain control of 38 buildings along Main Street in Niagara Falls, the first four developments were formally announced on Oct. 1.
The centerpiece is a $17 million makeover of the long vacant, former flagship location for the Jenss Department Store chain at 1708 Main St. by a development team including attorney/developer Jason Yots, investor Gerald Kelly and architect James Baptiste.
Plans call for the four-story building to be anchored by 30 market rate apartments and a street-level market place. Construction may start by summer 2026 and the building should be tenant-ready by 2028.
"This is a very solid adaptive re-use candidate," Yots said.
Yots compared the Jenss project as similar to his redevelopment of the former Record Theatre building on Main Street in Buffalo into a mixed-use, retail-anchored project - The Monroe.
"Jenss has some great bones," Yots said.
Besides the Jenss project, the other developments included in the first wave of the Niagara Falls' urban renewal effort include:
- Turning a vacant house at 723 Division Street into a short-term rental location.
- Renovating a former church at 1509 Main Street into an artisan market and antique mall.
- Converting a former nightclub at 2109 Main Street into a six-unit apartment building with some street-level retail.
Combined, the four projects represent more than $20 million in private sector-backed investments, said Restaino.
"This is the start I'd hope I would see happen," the mayor said. "It gives us a good starting point."