Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - After some delays due to increase in costs, construction will soon commence for the extension of the Crow's Nest, a popular, yet congested vantage point to get an up-close view of Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls State Park held their ceremonial groundbreaking of the project on Tuesday.
"It's very popular, and you get up there, but you have to turn around and come back, so it does get congested during our busiest times. And we really think we could do better and this project is about doing better," said Mark Mistretta, Niagara Regional Director for New York State Parks.
"The project we're about to break ground on today is going to provide a venue that is going to offer a view of the falls that nobody has ever had. We're going to build a platform, pretty close to the edge. It'll seem like you could almost go out and touch the falls. It's going to be spectacular."
In addition to the platform being built, Mistretta notes they will be extending a stairway from the Prospect Point observation area down to the Crow’s Nest, essentially adding an extra trail and extra entry point to the Crow's Nest without visitors having to rely on the elevators in the Niagara Falls Observation Tower.
"The $9 million project is going to begin right after Labor Day a week from today," added Mistretta, who also notes the project should be complete before the start of the official 2026 season for the park.
Mark Cerrone, Inc. which Niagara Falls State Park has worked with in the past, will be the general contracting team for the project.
"This is visionary," says Tom Alworth, Commissioner of Natural Resource at the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "And what I love about it is, not only is it a way to get out of the gorge without using an elevator, but it also is provides a little more intimacy to the gorge itself. These gorge walls are ecologically sensitive and important. The history of the gorge is important. So I think going up that stairwell can bring our visitors to a new experience, a new way to experience the water."