A blighted former tire shop that has sat vacant at the north end of Lockport's downtown corridor is about to come down. The Lockport City Council voted on May 6, 2026 to approve $350,000 in tax increment financing funds for a demolition contract with Holladay Construction Group, clearing the way for a $9.6 million mixed-use development called Livery Row at 711 State Street.

The project, developed by Wisconsin-based FORE Investments, will construct a 38,000-square-foot multi-story building with 31 market-rate apartments on its upper floors and approximately 4,500 square feet of commercial space at street level — options include boutique retail, office, or dining, according to city documents. Per Shaw Local / The Herald-News, demolition of the former Dellwood Tire building and a single-family house across 7th Street is expected to begin in late June or early July, with an accelerated construction process to follow site stabilization.

From Blight to Livery Row

The name Livery Row is drawn from history. Historic photographs show that a livery stable occupied the same property in the 1800s. The Dellwood Tire building was constructed in the 1930s. Lockport purchased the property in 2025 for $550,000 to gain control over what city staff characterized as a blighted lot generating no tax revenue, then sold it to FORE for a nominal $10 — a standard land-transfer structure for TIF-district redevelopment deals designed to attract private investment in areas where market returns alone would not justify it.

According to city documents cited by Shaw Local, the city has agreed to guarantee financial incentives of $275,000 per year for ten years to FORE, including the waiving or reduction of associated permit fees. Once the building reaches full occupancy, it is projected to generate approximately $250,000 annually in property taxes — a near-complete reversal from its current $0 contribution.

The Building Design

Plans presented to the Lockport Committee of the Whole in April 2026 show a multi-story building with an exterior facade featuring alternating brick and siding portions with stone accents and large glass windows on the first floor — a contemporary commercial aesthetic designed to complement Lockport's historic downtown streetscape. A 39-space parking lot to the west of the building and additional surface parking created from the 108 7th Street parcel will serve tenants and customers. The commercial ground-floor space remains flexible, with City Administrator Ben Benson describing options for boutique retail, office space, or dining.

Additional Demolition and Flood Control

Beyond the Dellwood Tire parcel, the city's May 6 actions included approval to demolish a single-family residence at 108 7th Street (purchased by the city in April 2026) to create additional parking, and the purchase of a residential property at 723 State Street for $195,000 plus closing costs. Once cleared, the 723 State Street parcel will remain vacant to eliminate obstruction of the floodway of Milne Creek, which runs along the downtown edge. City Administrator Benson noted the site would likely be beautified in the future, though a formal plan has not yet been designed.

FORE Investments and Lockport's Recent Track Record

FORE Investments completed The Port — a 30-unit market-rate apartment building at 923 State Street — in 2025, and the building reached full occupancy within a month of opening, according to City Administrator Benson's report to the Committee of the Whole. That rapid lease-up supports the city's confidence in the Livery Row model: a walkable, amenity-proximate downtown apartment product at a price point the local market can absorb.

Separately, Iskalo Development and Big Ditch Brewing completed a renovation of the former Lockport post office at One East Avenue, creating 31,600 square feet of boutique retail and office suites anchored by a Big Ditch Tap Room and Innovation Brewery, according to Buffalo Rising. The sequence of projects — post office renovation, The Port, and now Livery Row — represents a deliberate downtown infill strategy along Lockport's State Street corridor.

Project Timeline

Demolition of Dellwood Tire and 108 7th Street is expected in late June or early July 2026. Site stabilization work will follow, with an accelerated construction start on the Livery Row building thereafter. The project is expected to be completed by January 2028.

What the TIF Approach Signals

Lockport's use of Tax Increment Financing for the Dellwood Tire site follows an established model for revitalizing blighted urban parcels in smaller New York cities where private development economics are tight. The TIF district diverts increased property and sales taxes generated by new development to repay the upfront public investment in site acquisition, demolition, and infrastructure — a structure that aligns city revenue interest with private construction timelines. For regional contractors, Livery Row represents both an immediate demolition and site-work opportunity and a signal that Lockport's downtown is producing a consistent pipeline of new residential construction work backed by committed public-private financing partnerships.

Sources

• Shaw Local / The Herald-News — Old Dellwood Tire building slated for demolition (May 13, 2026)
• Shaw Local / The Herald-News — Lockport reviews plans for Livery Row (April 17, 2026)
• Shaw Local / The Herald-News — City sells Dellwood Tire property (March 5, 2026)
• Buffalo Rising — Iskalo and Big Ditch make impact in Lockport (April 2025)