Update: Niagara Falls Picks Developer for $25M Niagara University Housing

Update: Niagara Falls has named Niagara Development Partners to convert the long-vacant buildings at 2010 and 2018 Main Street into about 100 units of Niagara University student housing with ground-floor retail, a roughly $25 million project that city officials called the centerpiece of the north Main Street revival. Mayor Robert Restaino put total planned private investment on the corridor at close to $50 million (Buffalo Toronto Public Media; WKBW).

The announcement came at an October 22 open house and progress update hosted by the City of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Orleans Land Improvement Corporation (NORLIC) and Empire State Development, where developers and investors toured available buildings (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications). It follows our earlier report on the first project to move in the portfolio, the six-apartment renovation at 2109 Main Street.

What Happened

The city said Niagara Development Partners, led by Abe Bose and Sandy Marks, was selected as developer for the student housing project at 2010 to 2018 Main Street, which will include 100 student beds and ground-floor commercial space (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications). WKBW reported the buildings have been boarded up since at least 2007 (WKBW).

Bose told Buffalo Toronto Public Media that the goal is "creating an economic engine that brings foot traffic and daily activity back to this block." The planned unit mix includes studios and two-, three- and four-bedroom units, with the final mix to be shaped by student feedback (Buffalo Toronto Public Media).

Key Project Details

• Cost: About $25 million (WKBW).
• Financing: Private investment, construction loans and historic tax credits. Niagara University is collaborating on the project but is not a financial partner (Buffalo Toronto Public Media).
• Preservation scope: Facades and much of the interior, including high ceilings and cast-iron columns, would be kept. Two added stories are possible, pending state and federal approvals. The buildings have roof damage, which Bose described as manageable (Buffalo Toronto Public Media).
• Schedule: Construction is targeted for April or May 2027 and would take about two years, with an opening in May or June 2029, according to Buffalo Toronto Public Media. WKBW reported that Restaino hopes the housing opens in late 2028 (Buffalo Toronto Public Media; WKBW). The two timelines differ, and the later one comes with a more detailed construction plan.

Where the Rest of the Corridor Stands

The Niagara Falls Urban Renewal Agency, working with the state, Niagara County and NORLIC, controls 38 properties on and around the north end of Main Street (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications). Restaino told WKBW that deals are in place for a little less than half of them and that the city still has "at least in the 20s of properties" to develop (WKBW).

Other projects reported as underway or in design:

• 2109 Main Street: Under construction as a mixed-use building with six apartments and build-to-suit ground-floor commercial space (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications).
• Former Jenss Department Store, 1708 Main Street: The developer is finalizing drawings for 32 two-bedroom market-rate apartments and ground-floor commercial space for a bazaar market concept (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications).
• 803 Division Avenue: Construction has begun on a short-term rental property (Buffalo Toronto Public Media).
• Stabilization work: NORLIC is doing state-funded roof, framing and subfloor repairs at 2025, 2002, 1908 and 1906 Main Street, and a controlled demolition of a collapsed rear roof at 1902 Main Street, with masonry work, a temporary roof before winter and a new roof expected next spring (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications).

Public dollars are also in the corridor. About $10 million from the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative is going to streetscape work between Ontario and Pierce avenues, including walkability improvements, connections to Niagara Falls State Park and a public plaza outside the Main Street Library, and Empire State Development provided $2.5 million to help acquire long-dormant properties (Buffalo Toronto Public Media). That work ties into the state's broader investment near the gorge, including the Niagara Falls State Park expansion.

Open Opportunities

The Urban Renewal Agency is still soliciting proposals from qualified development teams to rehabilitate, reuse or redevelop the remaining buildings. Eligible uses include student or conventional housing, retail, entertainment, office and educational uses. Private tours can be scheduled through NORLIC's Main Street interactive map. No submission deadline was given (City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications).

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Historic rehab work: The student housing project is a facade-retention and interior rehab of century-old masonry buildings financed in part with historic tax credits. That means State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service review, and careful sequencing around roof repair, structural work on cast-iron columns and any vertical addition.
• A pipeline, not a single job: With more than 20 properties still available and stabilization contracts already moving, the corridor offers a run of small and mid-size renovation work for local general contractors, masons, roofers and MEP subs over several years.
• Financing remains the hurdle: Officials acknowledged the largest projects still have financing, approval and construction milestones ahead, and Restaino said "no one's fooled that our job is done here" (Buffalo Toronto Public Media).

What to Watch

• Historic tax credit approvals and a decision on the two added stories at 2010 to 2018 Main Street.
• Construction financing for the student housing ahead of a spring 2027 start.
• New developer designations for the remaining Urban Renewal Agency buildings.
• Bidding for the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative streetscape.

Bottom Line

Niagara Falls now has a named developer and a roughly $25 million plan for the most prominent vacant buildings on north Main Street, alongside smaller projects already under construction. The schedule points to a 2027 start, but financing and historic approvals still have to line up.

Related Coverage

• Niagara Falls 2109 Main Street Apartments Head to IDA Vote as North End Revival Begins
• Niagara Falls State Park Expansion Merges Three Parks into One
• 88-Unit Student Housing Development Coming to Syracuse's University Hill

Image credit: I'Jaz Ja'ciel, Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Buffalo Toronto Public Media, "Niagara Falls officials outline $50M in planned private funds to revitalize Main Street": https://www.btpm.org/local/2026-10-22/niagara-falls-officials-outline-50m-in-planned-private-funds-to-revitalize-main-street
• WKBW, "Niagara Falls continues Main Street revitalization; unveils Niagara University housing plan": https://www.wkbw.com/niagara-county/niagara-falls-continues-main-street-revitalization-unveils-niagara-university-housing-plan
• City of Niagara Falls via Niagara Frontier Publications, "City of Niagara Falls hosts Main Street Revitalization Initiative update, shares new development opportunities": https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2026/10/23/167364/city-of-niagara-falls-hosts-main-street-revitalization-initiative-update-shares-new-development-opportunities