1660 Niagara St. – Buffalo, NY
The 1660 Niagara Street site was vacant from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. In the early 40s, the Project Site was identified as the “Buffalo Marine Mart”. The site was utilized for retail gasoline sales, boat sales, vehicle repair, and collision repair from the early 40’s until 2011. Historical records identified for the site as many as eight gasoline underground storage tanks (USTs). The Project Site has been vacant since 2014. Site structures were demolished in the fall of 2015. Properties adjacent to the Project Site have historically been utilized for various industrial and manufacturing operations.
Goals / Vision
The overall vision of 1660 Niagara Street is to use the property as a safe and publicly accessible passive waterfront greenspace. In addition, through existing and restored ecological features, the site offers recreational opportunities along the shoreline in the form of paddle sport launch spaces, viewpoints, and fishing areas.
The primary goal for the site is to create safe, gentle, public access to the existing and restored natural features of the site while maintaining the restored ecological integrity of the property. Creating public access to the site will benefit the Buffalo and Westside community. The property will bring forward the natural features of the site and be easy to access, use and navigate to ensure enjoyable experiences for neighborhood visitors.
Location & Map
1660 Niagara Street is an approximately 0.4± acre site located within an urban area north of the interchange of Interstate I-190 and New York State Route 198 (Scajaquada Expressway), approximately 200 feet northwest of the intersection of Niagara Street and Tonawanda Street (see Figure 1). The shoreline along an outlet of the Scajaquada Creek and a dock form the western edge of the site boundary. The sidewalk that runs along Niagara Street forms the eastern edge of the property and commercial uses exist north of the project site. South of the site is a wooded area that lies beneath a railroad bridge.
Location & Map
Recreational – Conservation Use
Site amenities at 1660 Niagara Street encourage passive recreational use by the public. The site features a crushed stone walking path, trees, grasses and other low maintenance plantings (i.e. no mow grass) interspersed throughout the site. The site also encourages fishing along the western bank and launching kayaks/watercraft. Landscaping boulders for sitting are also present.
Project Partners
- Buffalo Niagara Waterkeepers
- Buffalo & Erie County Greenway Fund Standing Committee
- Niagara River Greenway Commission
- New York State Canal Corporation
- Land Trust Alliance of New York
- NYSDEC
- LaBella
Gallery
