BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation met Monday and approved items related to the transformation of the North Aud Block and construction of the Canalside Gateway Building.
The governor's office said the plan to transform the vacant North Aud Block includes 425,000 gross square feet of space for commercial, retail, and residential buildings and up to 450 parking spaces in a structured ramp. According to the governor's office, the plan is to reflect the 19th-century street grid and adapt and incorporate 21st-century infrastructure and amenities.
Pennrose NY Developer LLC was selected as the preferred developer of the North Aud Block and is working with MSquared and the Westminster Economic Development Initiative on the project.
In addition, the plan includes the Canalside Gateway Building, a multi-story, state-funded structure that the governor's office said the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation will manage site operations from.
“We've finally approved sort of that last chapter on the Aud Block,” remarked Steven Ranalli, president, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.
The remainder of the block will be dedicated to mixed-use development.
“It's going to be a series of five buildings recreating a lot of the historic streets that are still missing from the site. there's going to be a mix of retail and residential really active ground floor. So we've got a lot of people coming back downtown and even better, a bunch of people who can come down and live on the waterfront,” explained Ranalli.
The former Memorial Auditorium, known as the Aud was torn down 14 years ago, leaving a hole at Canalside. But finally, on Monday the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation approved renderings for a $160-million project by a private developer, Pennrose, to transform two acres of the infamous North Aud Block.
Part of this multi-million dollar redevelopment project will be for the historic restoration of some streets, including Lloyd Street which will be taken right back to Main Street.
“We're really able to get all of the historic streets back built, you know, on the site that was there in the 1800's and they're knitted into all the current streets that we have,” Ranalli noted. “We're really pleased about having that historic development fit within the context of a modern city. “We're telling a historic story, but it's living and breathing today.”
But there's more. Ranalli says they also approved a more than $14-million project for the Gateway Building. The state could break ground in June for that building with the eye on opening it in early 2025 followed by the rest of the North Aud Block construction.
“It's going to allow our operations mini maintenance facility to be right there at the site and as well as bringing some additional public restrooms, information center security office, some meeting space for the public,” described Ranalli.
I asked Ranalli why this has taken so long to develop, but he noted Canalside is being redeveloped in phases. First, it was building the canals, historic bridges, and the children's museum and now Heritage Point is under construction what could be worth the wait is this project could finally create some affordable waterfront living.
"367 residential units 50% are affordable housing. So that's going to allow people of all kinds of various backgrounds to be able to live on the waterfront. we're really really excited,” replied Ranalli.
New restaurants are also expected to be developed according to Ranalli.
“Part of the development team is bringing in the Westminster Economic Development initiative WEDI, who's here local, and they are working with a number of businesses to kind of grow restaurants and retail space. So the hope is that they will help bring down a really culturally diverse ethnic mix of restaurants and retail spaces to the North Aud Block,” commented Ranalli. “This is where people came off the Erie Canal 200 years ago to either stay in Buffalo or make their way west and that's still happening today with people coming from all over the world.”
"The development of the North Aud Block will connect Canalside to Buffalo's established business district and we couldn't be more excited to move forward with a plan for this vacant land. We heard that visitors to Canalside want more amenities, and these projects will provide that, along with an authentic look and feel to this mixed-use, urban space."
Manning Squires Hennig Company has been awarded a construction contract for the $14.25 million Gateway Building which will be the first building within the block. You can find further details on the plan for the building below:
"The project includes building a three-story masonry and steel frame structure at the northeast corner of the Commercial Slip, with direct access from the canal towpath level. The interior space will include public restrooms, an ADA-accessible route from street level to the tow path, commercial space and a security office. The top two floors will house ECHDC office space and conference rooms. The building's exterior will include site lighting for the canal and perimeter pedestrian paths. The building's design follows the recommendations of the Canalside Design Review Committee, a group of five registered architects and landscape architects. The construction project is slated to begin in spring 2023 and be complete in February 2025. Funding for the project is from the New York Power Authority, through relicensing agreements tied to the operation of the Niagara Power Project. In 2022, NYPA accelerated the remaining annual payments tied to the Niagara Power Project's 50-year operating license, providing a lump sum of more than $54 million to ECHDC for its use in developing the Buffalo waterfront."
