New York Construction Report staff writer
A new planning strategy will bring together public and private partners to guide the next decade of development along Buffalo’s waterfront.
The strategic plan, announced this week by Gov. Kathy Hochul, will focus on Canalside, KeyBank Center, the Cobblestone District, Sahlen Field and surrounding areas along the Buffalo River. Led by Empire State Development, the initiative will examine development opportunities and create recommendations for a district stretching from the Erie Basin Marina to Michigan Avenue, bounded by the Buffalo River and the I-190.
The goal is to build on decades of waterfront investment, increase neighborhood density and support the area’s continued transformation into a vibrant, sustainable, year-round community.
“This strategic initiative marks the next great chapter for Buffalo’s waterfront, transforming decades of momentum into a unified vision for a vibrant, year-round community,” Hochul said. “By bringing together local partners and analyzing market demand, we will ensure that future investments don’t just build a better waterfront — they build a stronger, prouder Western New York.”
Empire State Development will hire a planning consultant to conduct market and urban design studies, gather input from stakeholders and develop a long-term vision for the district. The final strategy will provide state and local officials, including ESD, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, Erie County and the City of Buffalo, with data to guide future investments.
More than three decades of redevelopment efforts and about $750 million in investment that reshaped the Buffalo River waterfront from a declining industrial corridor into a regional destination tied to the city’s Erie Canal heritage.
The transformation began with projects including KeyBank Center and the revitalization of the Cobblestone District in the 1990s and continued with the development of Canalside as a mixed-use waterfront destination.
Officials say the area is entering another period of growth, with several major projects underway or recently completed, including:
- Pennrose’s mixed-use North Aud development
- resumed construction of Heritage Point on the South Aud Block by Sinatra Development Company
- completion of The Chandlery on the North Aud Block by the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation
- growth of the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship
- opening of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s DL&W Terminal facility
- affordable housing redevelopment at Commodore Perry Homes and Marine Drive Apartments by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority
The new plan will evaluate potential development sites and identify future opportunities for the district, with an emphasis on financial feasibility, market demand and coordination with existing neighborhood projects.
