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By Sunny Hernandez | ahernandez@nyup.com
In the heart of Niagara Falls, New York, two ambitious development projects, the Great Lakes 360 at the shuttered Niagara Gorge Museum and the Niagara Falls Heritage Gateways Project, will bring transformation to an area that has languished for years.
Set to be completed in spring of 2024, Western New York’s Great Lakes 360 project will transform the vacant Niagara Gorge Discovery Center into a living museum showcasing wildlife of the Niagara River and the larger Great Lakes ecosystem. Visitors will be able to view native turtles, amphibians, insects, and fish in 15 new exhibits.
The Great Lakes 360 project at the Aquarium of Niagara will take the shuttered Niagara Gorge Discovery Center and transform it into a living museum with 15 new exhibits.
According to the Niagara Gazette the Aquarium of Niagara acquired its neighbor, the old discovery center, in 2022. This will be the first biggest expansion project in the aquarium’s 57-year history, increasing the number of exhibits by 40 percent.
The aquarium development won’t stop there. WGRZ reported that the USA Niagara Development Corporation has approved an additional $18 million expansion plan, adding a 16,000-square-foot, double-level building and multi-lot property at 535 — 579 Second St., across from the main aquarium building’s parking lot.
With the Second Street expansion there will be room for new and traveling exhibits, an event space, playground, gift shop, cafe and more.
Once the Great Lakes 360 project launches this year, the Aquarium of Niagara hopes to break ground for the first stage of their two-phase expansion.
Also breaking ground in 2024 is the $12 million Niagara Falls Heritage Gateway Project which aims to connect the downtown area with Niagara Falls State Park with a walking path.
Announced last year by Governor Kathy Hochul, the Heritage Path will consist of several checkpoints that link together the numerous cultural, historical and natural assets of downtown Niagara Falls.
The proposed 1.6 mile path will form a loop connecting the north and south ends of Niagara Falls State Park, through downtown. Along the way visitors will be informed about history of the area from its indigenous peoples, pivotal role in the Underground Railroad, and the spectacular cascades of Niagara Falls.
Renderings were released last month by the USA Niagara Development Corporation showing designs for the future of downtown Niagara Falls.
Renderings of the Niagara Heritage Gateways Project show developments intended to bring residents back and improve tourism to the city of Niagara Falls, NY.PAU | Provided photo
The first phase of construction is set to break ground this year, focusing on a Hydraulic Power Plaza and Niagara Gorge Gateway Park. Both of these spaces will create a multi-use public space and include outdoor seating, tree-lined walkways, and misting fountains.
The Buffalo News reported that a separate ice skating rink will be brought in during the winter months.
Initial renderings for an elevated “Tree Walk” were also released. The Riverway Tree Walk will be accessed from Buffalo Avenue and Niagara Falls State Park via existing stairs, rising 40 feet in the air. It will also include the construction of a platform, where visitors can see panoramic views of the Upper Rapids and the eastern end of Goat Island.
This all comes as 2024 also rings in the 100-year anniversary of the creation of New York’s State Parks and Historic Sites. The New York State Park’s over 250 properties includes America’s oldest and first official state park: Niagara Falls, was established in 1885.
