41° and Mist
Image
We’ve seen a lot of false promises over the years in Niagara Falls, from Aqua Falls to a mega mall, a hotel on the site of the Turtle, and the Centennial Park Hockey Arena. Big-ticket dream projects never built or never likely to be.
This time is different. All 4 developers tabbed for the first round of Main Street projects have experience successfully competing large projects.
Failed past projects were undercapitalized with developers not sufficiently vetted by disinterested third parties.
Early on in the Main Street, Niagara Falls redevelopment process, Sinatra Development, a Buffalo firm with mixed success and some unfinished projects was interested in the Jenss Building for student housing but backed away. The scrutiny of deeper analysis than "sounds good to me, Rod Davis, go right ahead" likely made Sinatra stay away.
The city still has plans to implement its new zoning ordinance for student housing next September but no Niagara University-related construction project has been announced. City officials said at last week’s press conference that dorms are planned on the parcel on the west side of the street north of Cleveland where the Howard’s Shoes building will be demolished as structurally unsound.
Those plans, and a developer, remain unfinalized but will involve new construction. The likelihood new student housing will be completed by next school year is nil.
Meanwhile, the biggest of the projects announced was the Jenss Building.
Developers affiliated with that project on Monday announce they have closed on financing for a big Buffalo project. 1762-66 Main St. will be developed in a partnership between Richard Rogers and Travis Gordon of Urban Vantage, Jason Yots of Common Bond Real Estate, and Derek King and Michael Puma of Preservation Studios.
New York State Housing Finance Agency, The Community Preservation Corporation, Erie County, and Empire State Development are financing the project with a historic tax credit investment from Reimagine Development Partners and their OH-NY Places Fund.
Long & Associates are the architects. Schenne & Associates are the engineers and BRD Inc. will be general contractors.
The site sits directly across Lafayette Avenue from the recently completed Monroe Building development, and across the street from Canisius University’s Koessler Athletic Center further building on momentum along Buffalo’s Middle Main corridor.
The mixed-use project combines affordable housing and creative community space. The 1762 Main St. building was designed by the firm of Louise Bethune, the nation’s first female architect. The building was later used as the home of the “Buffalo Black Drama Workshop.” The building at 1766 Main St. was home to the eclectic office of Lenny Silver, owner of Record Theatre.
The project will provide eight affordable apartments for local residents, leased at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), ensuring long-term housing affordability in Buffalo’s Middle Main neighborhood.
The commercial space will become the headquarters for Cold Narly, a Buffalo-born music production and education company founded by Shawn Bankston. Since 2017, Cold Narly has trained thousands of young artists through hands-on music production, entrepreneurship, and college-credit programs, reaching students from Buffalo to Brazil.
The new Cold Narly Music Center will house recording studios, classrooms, and creative space where students from around the world will come to learn professional production skills while experiencing Buffalo’s legendary music culture—from Rick James to the Goo Goo Dolls to Griselda.
As Bankston puts it:
"Never thought that hip-hop would take me this far. Honored to add value to my family’s Black History and America as a nation—starting right here in Buffalo, NY!"
A Cold Narly Grand Opening Gala is planned for Fall 2026.
The roughly $4.6 million project will be financed in part by The Community Preservation Corporation, in cooperation with New York Homes and Community Renewal. Empire State Development Corp. also will provide financing under its Better Buffalo Fund program. The developers also raised equity financing through the syndication of federal and New York historic tax credits.
The project is scheduled to begin in October 2025, with completion targeted for fall of 2026.
