$6M State Grant Launches Millrace Park in Buffalo's Larkin District

New York State is providing a $6 million grant to build Millrace Park, a new public park at 822 Seneca Street in Buffalo's Larkin District. The roughly $8 million project is the first piece of a three-phase redevelopment plan for the surrounding blocks, and state officials expect it to draw about $50 million in private investment nearby. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the funding on Wednesday, October 21, and said the park is scheduled to open by fall 2028 (Governor's Office).

What Happened

The state grant will be administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) (Governor's Office). The park site sits in Larkinville, next to Buffalo's lower east side, on a parcel bordered by Seneca, Lord and Seymour Streets (Governor's Office). Once built, the park will be owned and operated by Millrace Park Inc, a not-for-profit organization (Governor's Office). The state also released a set of design renderings showing the planned layout (Governor's Office).

Planned amenities include a playground, mini-golf, tetherball, bocce, a tennis court, restroom facilities, a passive lawn, shade structures and seating (Governor's Office). The release does not state the acreage of the site.

How the Project Is Funded

The $6 million state grant covers most of the approximately $8 million total cost. The rest comes from a mix of philanthropic, utility and municipal sources (Governor's Office):

• New York State: $6 million, administered by DASNY.
• Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation: $1 million.
• Zemsky Family Foundation: $1 million, covering the land donation, soft costs and ongoing maintenance.
• National Grid: $250,000 through its Urban Center/Commercial District Revitalization Program.
• City of Buffalo: Support for the surrounding sidewalks and curbs. No dollar amount was given.

That structure matters for long term operations. A maintenance commitment from the landowner's family foundation and a dedicated nonprofit owner address one of the most common weaknesses of grant-funded parks, which is paying for upkeep after the ribbon cutting.

The Larkin 2040 Plan

Millrace Park is tied to Larkin 2040, a three-phase plan for the blocks around the site. According to the state, every phase is next to or adjacent to the park (Governor's Office):

• Phase 1: Construction of Millrace Park, historic restoration of an 1869 home on Seneca Street, and a new commercial building and headquarters for Oxford Pennant at 775 Seneca Street. The restorations are expected to add walkable, street-level retail near the park.
• Phase 2: Rowhouse-style residential units and additional food and hospitality developments.
• Phase 3: A new residential mid-rise building and a new boutique hotel.

Larkin Development Group CEO Kayla Zemsky said in the release that "the next chapter of the Larkin District mixed use development begins today" (Governor's Office). The state did not attach construction dates or budgets to Phases 2 and 3.

Background on the District

Larkin Development has spent 25 years redeveloping the Larkin Historic District, the state said. More than $100 million in private funding has gone into the district in recent years, and more than two million square feet of space has been redeveloped (Governor's Office). The neighborhood was established in 1827 and was originally known as The Hydraulics. It turns 200 in 2027 (Governor's Office).

The district has been one of Buffalo's steadier adaptive reuse markets. WCG has followed several projects there, including the $30 million Iroquois Lofts conversion of a 120-year-old factory into 64 apartments and a six-building commercial development on Seneca Street. A public park adds a shared outdoor amenity for that growing residential and office population.

Part of a Statewide Recreation Push

The grant falls under the governor's "Get Offline, Get Outside" initiative, which funds recreational infrastructure across the state (Governor's Office). The release lists three related programs:

• NY PLAYS: More than $67.5 million awarded to 89 projects across all 10 regions of the state.
• NY SWIMS: Nearly $260 million awarded to 79 projects to build or improve swimming facilities.
• NY BRICKS: $100 million awarded to 30 community center projects, with another $75 million available in a second round.

Those programs represent a steady pipeline of small and mid-sized public recreation projects, many of them in established neighborhoods where sites are tight and work has to be phased around active streets.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Developers: The state frames the park as a catalyst for about $50 million in new residential, retail, restaurant and hospitality investment (Governor's Office). Parcels with frontage on or near Seneca, Lord and Seymour Streets gain a public amenity that supports rowhouse, mid-rise and hotel product.
• General contractors: An $8 million park with a playground, courts, restrooms and shade structures is a manageable public works package for regional firms with park and site experience.
• Site and specialty subs: Sitework, concrete flatwork, playground installers, fencing, court surfacing, landscape and small building trades for the restroom facility are all in the scope list.
• Historic restoration trades: Phase 1 also includes restoration of an 1869 home, which calls for preservation-minded carpentry, masonry and finish work.

What to Watch

• Design completion and bid timing for the park, given the fall 2028 opening target (Governor's Office).
• Progress on the Oxford Pennant headquarters at 775 Seneca Street and the 1869 home restoration, the other Phase 1 components.
• Whether Phases 2 and 3, the rowhouses, mid-rise and boutique hotel, move into approvals as the district's 200th anniversary approaches in 2027.
• The second $75 million NY BRICKS round and other recreation awards that could generate similar projects across upstate New York.

Bottom Line

Millrace Park is a small project with a large role. An $8 million park, funded mostly by a $6 million state grant and backed by a landowner commitment to maintenance, is the opening move in a three-phase plan that adds housing, retail and a hotel around it. If the private investment follows as the state expects, the Larkin District will add another wave of construction on Buffalo's east side over the next several years.

Related Coverage

• Buffalo Larkin District Six-Building Commercial Development Advances
• Iroquois Lofts: A $30 Million Historic Rehab Transforms a 120-Year-Old Buffalo Factory Into 64 Apartments
• Ralph Wilson Park Phase 2 Breaks Ground: A $78.4 Million Playground, Freighter, and Waterfront Transformation for Buffalo

Image credit: Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Image from the source article.

Sources

• New York State Governor's Office, "Governor Hochul Announces $6 Million to Support Millrace Park in the Heart of Buffalo's Historic Larkin District": https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-6-million-support-millrace-park-heart-buffalos-historic-larkin