Jenss project brightens downtown

Celebrating Jenss

Editor’s note: The below status was posted to Facebook by Ally Spongr. We looked at the Jenss project earlier in the week. It is spectacular and will likely make a big difference in the future of the building.

Sometime in 2024, the city will likely foreclose on the Blue Cardinal properties. A Buffalo developer is rumored to be interested in acquiring the building and converting into residential lofts.

“The final portrait was placed on the 86th window (86!!) yesterday at the former Jenss Department Store building on Main Street and Division Avenue. Jenss was in operation in this building from 1916 to 1995.

“The Jenss building is iconic in Niagara Falls. It's walls and windows all tell stories of the past eras of Niagara Falls many still remember fondly. The artworks we curated to fit in the spaces of these 86 windows speak of a Niagara Falls that hustled and bustled along this former commercial stretch of Main Street. The Women of Niagara, painted by prolific Niagara Falls artist Polly King, shaped the City of Niagara Falls, and here they inspire us with their presence and their stories.

“This public art project is one of over 40 public art installations our team at the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area has facilitated over the past decade. In the recent few years, we have significantly focused our creative placekeeping work on Main Street in the North End. This project, along with others we completed in 2022 and 2023, are aimed at generating a dialogue within our community around the past, present and future of Main Street. We work with artists and creatives to bring awareness to our built environments, our streetscapes and our treasures within the places we call home. We ask, can you imagine the possibilities?”