Public Space
In 2018, USA Niagara Development Corporation began acquiring vacant and underutilized parcels across downtown Niagara Falls. In total, USA Niagara acquired seven buildings and more than eight acres of vacant land through its Strategic Land Acquisition Program. Following the acquisition of these parcels, USA Niagara undertook a development strategy and has begun to redevelop the land by creating new public spaces and working with the private sector to restore existing structures and build new mixed-use buildings that will rebuild the downtown neighborhood, enhance the tourism industry, diversify the economy and benefit those who live and work in Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls Heritage Gateways
This project will be the first phase of the Downtown Niagara Falls Heritage Walk to be built.
The project includes three components—The Hydraulic Power Plaza, Niagara Gorge Gateway Park and The Riverway Treewalk.
The Hydraulic Power Plaza and Niagara Gorge Gateway Park will be constructed first. Together, the sites will create a multi-use public space that serves as a landscaped connection between the natural wonder of the Niagara Falls State Park and downtown Niagara Falls just north of the Rainbow Bridge.
The Riverway Treewalk—which can be accessed from Buffalo Avenue and Niagara Falls State Park via existing stairs—will be constructed second. The project includes a platform that emerges from a wooded embankment and extends towards the river. The Treewalk will have panoramic views of the Upper Rapids and Goat Island and will serve as a beacon that guides visitors from Riverway to downtown.
In December 2023, USAN and the City of Niagara Falls held a public information session to present preliminary designs for all three components of the $12 million Niagara Heritage Gateways Project. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
The project is to break ground in 2024. The Niagara Falls Heritage Gateways project is funded by the state through Buffalo Billion II and through the Regional Revitalization Partnership.