The City of Niagara Falls April 2002 Achieving Niagara Fal l s’ Fut u r e An assessment of Niagara Falls’ waterfr ont planning The Urban Design Proj e c t School of Arch i t e c t u r e and Planning University at Buffalo, State University of New Yor k Fo i t - A l b e r t Associates Bu f falo, New Yor k The Wat e rf r ont Regeneration Trus t Tor onto, Ontario Canada B Celebrating Niagara Falls’ Heritage ★1 The City of Niagara Falls Family Museum Niagara Falls Discovery Center 2 Fr ederick Law Olmsted Interpretive Center 3 Hi s t o r y of Civil Engineering exhibition 4 Niagara Gorge Discovery Center expansion and trailhead 5 Early Hydroelectric Power and Industrial Heritage Museum 6 Natural History Interpretive Center & Visitor Amenity Center Other Heritage Interpretive Sites 7 Love Canal Education and Interpretive Center 8 Gr i f fon Park interpretive materials 9 Bu f falo Avenue industrial interpret a t i o n 10 Intake Park overlook and Ft. Schlosser interpretive venue 11 Adams Power Plant adaptive reu s e 12 Reveal and interpret the Hydraulic Canal 13 Un d e rg r ound Railroad interpretive site 14 (Old) Customs House restoration and reu s e 15 Niagara Arts and Cultural Center C Upper River Proj e c t s ■1 “R i v e r view” upper river hike and bike trail 2 Naturalize Niagara River shorel i n e 3 Re c o n f i g u r e Parkway to “boulevard” 4 Pre s e r ve Century Club access point 5 Connect City to Trail and Parkway at 53rd St. 6 Connect City to Trail and Parkway at Hyde Park Boulevard 7 Connect City to Trail and Parkway at Portage Road 8 Ri v e r view Park birding area and overlook 9 Remove Parkway from Daly Boulevard to Main Stree t D State Park/City Interface Proj e c t s ●1 Cr eate new pedestrian connections to the Niagara Reserva t i o n 2 Change Rainbow Boulevard North and South to two-way stree t s 3 Remove Parkway segment nearest the Niagara Reserva t i o n 4 Na r row Main Street segment 5 Repave Rainbow Boulevard South for “traffic calming” 6 Im p r ove landscaping of West Mall 7 Modify Win t e rg a r den for visual and pedestrian access 8 Im p r ove landscaping and pedestrian connections at The Turt l e 9 Remove parking and res t o r e Olmsted’s “Upper Grov e ” 10 Build new park building on Olmsted inspiration 11 Re d e s i g n / r edevelop street level retail in buildings next to park 12 Redevelop buildings adjacent to park for higher quality 13 Continue linear park along Hydraulic Canal rou t e E Niagara River Gorge Proj e c t s ◆1 Go r ge trails and trailhead improvements (low bank) 2 “G o rg e V iew” Hike and Bike Trail (high bank) 3 Re c o n f i g u r e Parkway 4 New Amtrak railroad station 5 De v i l ’ s Hole State Park naturalization and interpret a t i o n Achieving Niagara Fal l s’ Fut u r e An assessment of Niagara Falls’ waterfr ont planning Prepared by The Urban Design Proj e c t School of Arch i t e c t u r e and Planning University at Buffalo, The State University of New Yor k 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214 (716) 829-3483 ext 218 The Wat e rf r ont Regeneration Trust 207 Queen’s Quay West, Suite 403 Tor onto, Ontario M5J 1A7 (416) 943-8080 Fo i t - A l b e r t Associates 763 Main Stree t Bu f falo, NY (716) 856-3933 With The City of Niagara Falls April 2002 2 C l i f f o r d Calverley, one of Niagara’s many daredevils, 1893. ISBN: 1-931612-09-0 Copyright 2002 The Urban Design Proj e c t School of Arch i t e c t u r e and Planning University at Buffalo, State University of New Yor k On the cover: View of the American Falls from Goat Island, 1930 (C o u r tesy Niagara Falls Public Library) Achieving Niagara Fal l s’ Fut u r e An assessment of Niagara Falls’ waterfr ont planning Pre f a c e . 5 In t r oduction and summary. 7 Pr oject locator map . Inside Front Cover A. Niagara Falls Wa t e rf r ont Recommended Pr o j e c t s . 12 1. Bike and pedestrian trail 2. Naturalize Niagara River shoreline and gorge 3. Re c o n f i g u r e Robert Moses Parkway 4. Plan the Niagara Falls "Green Struc t u re " B. Celebrating Niagara Falls’ Heritage . 14 Cr eate a World Class Visitor Attraction . 14 1. The City of Niagara Falls Family Museum Develop a "Niagara Discovery Center"*. 15 2. Fr ederick Law Olmsted Interpretive Center 3 3. Hi s t o r y of Civil Engineering exhibition 4. Niagara Gorge Discovery Center and trailhead 5. Early Hydroelectric Power and Industrial Heritage Museum 6. Natural History Interpretive Center and Visitor Amenity Center Develop other heritage interpretation sites . 17 7. Love Canal Education and Interpretation Center 8. Develop Griffon Park interpretive materials 9. Industrial heritage interpretation – Buffalo Avenue route 10. Intake Park overlook and Fort Schlosser interpretive venue 11. Adams Power Plant adaptive re- u s e 12. Reveal and interpret the Hydraulic Canal 13. Undergr ound Railroad interpretive site 14. (Old) Customs House restoration and reu s e 15. Niagara Arts and Cultural Center *Earlier versions of this rep o r t used the terminology “Niagara Gorge Discovery Center.” We now omit the word “gorge” for two rea s o n s . Niagara Falls, and the Niagara Region more generally, have many more stories and sites to offer than are described by the word “gorge . ” Also, the New York State Office of Parks has renamed the Schoellkopf Geological Museum as the “Niagara Gorge Discover Center” and omit- ting the word “gorge” from this title can avoid possible confusion. C. Upper River Pr o j e c t s . 21 Sh o r t Ter m . 21 1. "R i v e r V iew" upper river Hike & Bike Tra i l 2. Naturalize Niagara River shorel i n e Long Ter m . 22 3. Re c o n f i g u r e Parkway to "boulevard" 4. Pre s e r ve Century Club access point 5. Connect City to Trail and Parkway at 53rd Stree t 6. Connect City to Trail and Parkway at Hyde Park Boulevard 7. Connect City to Trail and Parkway at Portage Road 8. Ri v e r V iew Park: birding area and overlook 9. Remove Parkway from Daly Boulevard to Main Stree t D. State Park/City Interface Pr o j e c t s . 25 Sh o r t Ter m . 25 1. Cr eate new pedestrian connections to the Niagara Reserva t i o n 2. Change Rainbow Boulevard North and South to two-way stree t s 3. Remove Parkway segment nearest the Niagara Reserva t i o n 4. Na r row Main Street segment 5. Re-pave Rainbow Boulevard South for "traffic calming" 6. Im p r ove landscaping of West Mall 7. Modify Win t e rg a r den for visual and pedestrian access 4 8. Im p r ove landscaping and pedestrian connections at the Turt l e Long Ter m . 29 9. Remove parking and res t o r e Olmsted's "Upper Grov e " 10. Build new park building on Olmsted inspiration 11. Redesign/ redevelop street level retail in buildings next to park 12. Redevelop buildings adjacent to park for higher quality 13. Continue linear park along Hydraulic Canal rou t e E. Niagara River Gorge Pr o j e c t s . 32 1. Go r ge trails and trailhead improvements (low-bank) 2. "G o rg e V iew" Hike & Bike Trail (high-bank) 3. Re c o n f i g u r e Parkway 4. New Amtrak railroad station 5. Devil's Hole State Park naturalization and interpret a t i o n A p p e n d i c e s A. Table of Project Recommendations with Estimated Costs . 34 B. Analysis of Recent Plans for Niagara Falls . 39 C. Niagara Discovery Center Project Narrative and Program Summary . 41 P reface Th e r e have been many plans for Niagara Falls and its waterfr ont. There will be mo r e. But we don’t need more plans before we can act. Nearly two decades of technical planning and public discussion have already laid a firm founda- tion for immediate action to achieve Niagara Falls’ future. We already know what needs to be done first. This study has taken the best ideas from nearly a dozen diffe r ent plans, rep o r ts, studies and proposals for the Niagara Falls waterfr ont and crafted an ag g r essive strategy to help Niagara Falls assume its proper role in the eco- nomic res u r gence of the region. The projects in the strategy are feasible, have citizen support and, taken together, will have transformative impact. They de s e r ve to be developed and implemented.