The USA Niagara Development Corporation (USAN) Board of Directors met today and approved a $13.8 million construction contract to advance two prominent placemaking projects near Niagara Falls State Park: Gorge Gateway Park & Hydraulic Power Plaza. The projects involve the construction of multi-use public spaces on currently vacant parcels, featuring “heritage checkpoints” or interpretive stations to encourage and amplify visitor activities and experiences.
The properties were originally acquired by USAN through the state’s Strategic Land Acquisition Program, aimed at returning long-dormant properties back to productive use. Scott Lawn Yard, a local company awarded the contract, plans to begin construction this fall, with an estimated summer 2026 completion.
Funding for these projects came, in part, from the Regional Revitalization Partnership (RRP), a multi-year collaborative initiative between New York State, local municipalities and private philanthropic partners.
“The Gorge Gateway and Hydraulic Power Plaza projects are now set to move forward into the construction phase,” said USAN President Anthony Vilardo. “These exciting projects will address the needs of residents and visitors by providing public spaces to complement and facilitate future mixed-use developments and create new accessible and safe pedestrian connections between Niagara Falls State Park and downtown.”
“Both of these projects are an important and exciting step in the continued redevelopment of Niagara Falls,” said KeyBank Buffalo Market President and Regional Executive Michael McMahon. “KeyBank is proud to support this effort that will connect downtown, encourage development and create opportunities for neighbors and the many tourists who visit our region each year.”
“Niagara Falls is one of our region’s greatest assets, both in terms of the natural beauty it provides and its potential to support the economic vitality of the Greater Niagara region,” said Five Star Bank President and CEO Martin K. Birmingham. “Five Star Bank is proud to support these multi-use projects through our involvement with the RRP and we look forward to seeing the thoughtful and innovative designs for the new public spaces come to life.”
“With the former DiFranco Park set to transform from city-owned vacant land into Gorge Gateway Park, I’m excited for the recreational opportunities that will be coming for city residents and visitors,” said City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. “It’s important that we work strategically with the state to return dormant properties back to productive uses that aligns with our vision for a vibrant downtown with economic opportunities for all. Today is another step forward toward that vision.”
Gorge Gateway Park will transform approximately 2.27 acres of city-owned vacant land (formerly DiFranco Park) into a multi-use recreational space to act as transition between the natural setting of Niagara Falls State Park and the dense urban setting of downtown Niagara Falls. The park will include an event lawn for gatherings and picnicking; woodland gardens with walking paths and benches; stormwater meadows to capture and store rainwater on-site; and an accessible seat wall terrace that will allow for views above the rest of the site.
Hydraulic Power Plaza will be built on vacant land between 1st and 2nd streets. The approximately 1.4-acre plaza will follow the alignment of the historic hydraulic canal that once ran through the site to provide a power source for early local industry and eventually large-scale electricity generation. The plaza will include landscaping, informal seating areas, a small play structure and an array of lights supported by steel structures, inspired by historic transmission towers.
The site will also feature 105-foot-long misting fountain that invokes the former canal. The plaza’s design incorporates space for the installation of a temporary ice rink during the winter months. In addition to providing a new connection from the State Park to downtown Niagara Falls, the plaza will be an asset for future developments to be constructed on the surrounding state-owned land. Once completed, the plaza will remain accessible to the public.
In 2018, USAN began purchasing parcels near Niagara Falls State Park to return long-dormant properties back to productive use. In total, USAN acquired seven buildings and more than eight acres of vacant land through its Strategic Land Acquisition Program. Shortly after the acquisition, USAN began to focus its attention on strategies that will reactivate these properties.
The first step in this process was the creation of a formal strategy to ensure that any new development is done in a thoughtful manner that responds to the character of downtown. The resulting “Downtown Niagara Falls Development Strategy” illustrated a range of interim interventions and attainable development guidelines to reimagine a more vibrant downtown in the near-term while building momentum and continuing to promote sustainable dynamic growth over time. Implementation of the Development Strategy includes the construction of several mixed-use buildings on USAN’s acquired land to restore its productive use, promote new year-round activity and support new economic opportunities.
The RRP is designed to target economically distressed city neighborhoods. Developed through a collaborative effort, the initiative is a $300 million private and public regional co-investment in three interconnected geographic areas: Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls. This community-driven strategy seeks to build local wealth and empower residents using a model that drives economic development through government and philanthropy partnerships.
A combined $40 million effort in Niagara Falls is supplementing initial funding growing out of the ESD/City 2021 planning efforts, including a $19 million program focused on food entrepreneurship anchored around that city's historic City Market area along Pine Avenue; a $15 million program to restore, highlight and promote various heritage and community anchor facilities, like the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center’s theatre restoration and improvements to historic Oakwood Cemetery; and $5 million for the Niagara Falls Small Business Property Improvement Program, which is providing financial assistance for facade and other building improvements in targeted neighborhood business districts.
Construction Contract Approved to Advance Gorge Gateway Park and Hydraulic Power Plaza in Niagara Falls