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Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS —
Now is the perfect time to invest in Main Street — and Falls officials are making it a little easier.
The Niagara Falls NFC Development Corp. — the city’s loan and grant agency — has announced a new initiative that will make funds available to eligible property owners on Main Street.
The New York Main Street Program is designed to supporting facade renovations, building renovations and streetscape work for those businesses meeting the application guidelines. The focus is on commercial and multi-use structures on either side of Main Street between Lockport Street and Ontario Avenue.
“The redevelopment of Main Street has shown significant progress in the last two years,” NFC Director Fran Iusi said. “We believe the New York Main Street program will assist the eligible property owners in bringing their properties back to life and rejuvenating business activity on Main Street.”
Not everyone in the city can remember how Main Street used to be — the shops, the people. But offering potential developers a financial incentive is a great way to reclaim the downtown arterial.
During the past year, a spark of life can be seen on the street. The new Niagara Falls Municipal Building on Main Street was opened last June and the nearby Rapids Theater was restored and reopened for live entertainment in December. In addition, the city has begun preliminary work on the proposed Train Station and Underground Railroad Interpretive Center.
The loans and grants will be administered through the NFC Development Corp.
