"Are We There Yet?" From Midcentury to Modern Report by University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo

Wheatfield Niagara Falls

Pendleton

North Tonawanda

“Are we there yet?” From Mid-Century to the Next Century Grand Island

Tonawanda Amherst

Tonawanda

Buffalo

“Are we there yet?” From Mid Century to the Next Century A Graduate Preservation Studio - Fall 2018 University at Buffalo, School of Architecture & Planning

Lemma Al-Ghanem - Natasha Davrados - Emily Moll - Marie Myers Shearing - Tabitha O’Connell - Tera Perilli - Gregory Pinto - Yizhi Shi - Thomas Voigt Professor: Kerry Traynor

Table of Contents

Executive Summary...........................................................................1-2 Introduction........................................................................................3-5 Methodology.......................................................................................6-7 Philosophical Underpinnings ............................................................8-10 Historic Context..................................................................................11-37 Transportation 11 Suburban Development 15 Tourism 19 Retail Development 23 Historic Map Analysis 28 Existing Conditions............................................................................38-51 Tourism-Related Development 38 Commercial Development 40 Residential Development 42 Transportation Infrastructure 47 Zoning 48 Comprehensive Plan Inventory 49 Precedent Analysis............................................................................52-65 Preserving Car Culture on Route 66 52 Retro Living 52 Stripped of Purpose? 55 The Mall Problem 57 Infrastructure Issues 59 Proposals............................................................................................66-76 Preservation Philosophy 66 The Mid-Century Retro District 67 Historic Resources 68 New Development 71 Existing and Future Infrastructure 72 Conclusion..........................................................................................77 Bibliography........................................................................................78-82 Appendix ............................................................................................83-116 Historical Context 87 Existing Conditions 100 Proposals 113 Inventories 116

Executive Summary

The mass appeal of the automobile in the years following World War II marked a major transition for Buffalo, NY as what was once considered a luxury, exclusive to the upper class, became an option for middle-income citizens. As part of a greater trend sweeping the nation, the Buffalo region experienced unprecedented growth in the mid-twentieth century as enhanced transportation routes and modernization introduced development in formerly rural settings. This process subsequently spurred suburbanization and retail development outside of the city for the first time in towns such as Tonawanda and Amherst. Further, the family car vacation became popular for this time, leading to the construction of businesses catering to tourists. The built environment that came out of this period has not only had a profound economic, social, and cultural impact on the area, but additionally remains a template for current developmental patterns that are now seen as commonplace. This study works towards understanding the role Niagara Falls Boulevard has had in this narrative and how its meaning has changed throughout history. Niagara Falls Boulevard is presently considered one of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest commercial strips. Stretching 17.8 miles, it contains a range of property types and architectural styles spanning multiple decades of history. In recent years, it has served as a destination for shoppers with a plethora of strip malls, restaurants, and big-box stores. Additionally, it acts as route from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, circumventing travel along the I-190 across Grand Island. This has resulted in the road being a focus of comprehensive planning, with an extension of the Metro Rail line being planned for the Boulevard.

The Boulevard Mall in Amherst represents a period of major growth in the 1950s and has potential to be a contributing historic property due to its cultural significance.

The focus of this study has been to examine patterns of growth and development on the Boulevard. Separating the work into specific fields allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which the Boulevard grew from its rural origins to its postwar form. After surveying major portions of the Boulevard and documenting trends, students engaged with maps, city directories, and other primary sources in order to gain a base knowledge of how the road has developed. From there, students located areas with extant structures and analyzed precedents that dealt with similar circumstances. With this framework in mind, the class was able to create proposals which incorporated these elements into a planning and preservation framework for future design along the entire Boulevard. These guidelines make the most out of existing structures and implement strategies which allow them to exist in a modern context through the techniques of planning and historic preservation. As the discussion of future use wages on, the students focused on locating areas of high historic value and determining ways to establish stronger connections between them.

A range of techniques were applied to determine changes throughout history. This image displays a satellite photo of a portion of the Boulevard in Eggertsville overlaid with a 1950 Sanborn map.

Introduction

Niagara Falls Boulevard was, historically, a product of car culture. Now a part of U.S. Route 62, it was conceived circa 1886 as a scenic automobile connection between the Cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY. As car ownership became increasingly common, especially after World War II, the Boulevard developed into a commercial strip, complete with retail structures, motels, and attention-grabbing signs. As our studio considered the merits of the preservation of the Boulevard’s commercial landscape, two prevailing questions arose: Why preserve structures with no apparent aesthetic value? And why preserve relics of consumerism and automobile-obsession that have had a net negative effect on our culture and are often associated with sprawl? A further complicating factor is that determining the historic significance of a property or properties becomes more difficult as the “present becomes past,”1 creating a need to reevaluate the National Park Service (NPS)’s traditional definition of “significance.” After an in-depth analysis of the Boulevard’s history and extant structures, we have come to see the value—the necessity, even—of preserving its aesthetically un-pleasing structures and those associated with the rise of the automobile and consumerism. After all, the NPS’s reasoning behind the existence of the National Register of Historic Places precisely applies to the Boulevard and other commercial strips: “America’s historic places embody our unique spirit, character and identity. Representing important historical trends and events, […] historic places tell compelling stories of the nation, and of the states and communities throughout the country. The National Register of Historic Places helps preserve these significant historic places by recognizing this irreplaceable heritage. Its primary goals are to foster a national preservation ethic; promote a greater appreciation of America’s heritage; and increase and broaden the public’s understanding and appreciation of historic places.”2 3

The Aesthetics Debate With its large expanses of parking in front of nondescript buildings, the commercial strip is not typically thought of as aesthetically pleasing. Upon closer evaluation, however, it is possible to begin to define a typology associated with this type and period of development. The character-defining features of commercial strip buildings include a significant setback from the street and an architectural plainness. With large signs signaling their presence to potential customers, the buildings themselves did not have to make any effort to draw people in. They were thus built solely to be functional. This leads to the common view that such structures are ugly—but perhaps it could be said that such ugliness is itself a character-defining feature, an intrinsic part of these structures that contributes to their meaning, rather than being a justification for tearing them down. After all, “the great architectural advancements of an age are only a part, not the whole, of the built heritage that the preservation field aspires to protect, curate, and respectfully reuse.”3 However, this does not mean that aesthetic appeal has to be discounted completely. In Learning From Las Vegas, Venturi, Brown, and Izenour discuss the vibrancy of the strip with its colorful array of signs and unusual building types, as some of these buildings did function as signs themselves, and thus were designed to be attention-grabbing.4 In order to draw travelers in, features like signs were constructed with visual appeal in mind. Consequently, the large, elaborate historical signs on the Boulevard were one of the few typologies our group could all agree at the outset were preservation-worthy. This makes their associated motels preservation-worthy as well, for without them the signs would lack meaning and context. In addition, structures can have visual appeal and architectural merit even if they are not what would typically be considered beautiful. Forms, materials, and massing that emerged in the recent past but are no longer commonly in use can have interest and

meaning simply because they are different from the the automobile deserves to be remembered through architecture of today. the preservation of roadside commercial landscapes. While some may take the view that structures that Preservation vs. Celebration are markers of harmful societal development should be removed rather than preserved, such structures As described in Remembering Roadside can be preservation-worthy because of their role in America: Preserving the Recent Past as Landscape societal change, even if that change was for the worse.6 and Place by John Jakle and Keith Sculle, the Jakle and Sculle specifically advocate a preservation movement has often made preservation landscape approach because it is the landscapes synonymous with celebrating the past—whether of the roadside, rather than individual buildings, because of the beauty of its architecture or the that best convey its meaning. The commercial strip idealization of it as a better time. However, just grew as collections of buildings and was experienced as Richard Longstreth advocates removing taste as such by contemporary visitors, which makes from preservation determinations,5 preserving a the retention of roadside landscapes, rather than structure does not have to mean that we think it or isolated structures, the best way to convey a sense its legacy was positive. Taking a neutral position, of what an early car-oriented environment was like. structures can be significant simply because they As Jakle and Sculle assert, the best way to have something to say about the past—and it is not learn about the past is to experience it firsthand as necessary for us to concern ourselves with whether directly as possible.7 What better place to experience that message is positive or negative. The commercial the role of the automobile as a shaping force in U.S. strip speaks to a particular period in America’s history than on commercial corridors like Niagara development and a shift in our culture, and can Falls Boulevard? Ugly or not, culturally harmful or not, thus be worthy of preservation for that reason alone. the landscapes associated with the rise of car culture Going further, though, perhaps structures can undoubtedly have some compelling stories to tell. be worthy of preservation specifically because of their negative cultural impact. Strip malls, epitomizing Endnotes sprawl with their long, one-story forms and their 1.Richard Longstreth, “When the Present Becomes Past,” in Past profusion of parking, can remind us of the detriments Meets Future: Saving America’s Historic Environments (Washington, of car culture and keep us motivated to work toward D.C: The Preservation Press, 1992), http://hisp102.umwblogs.org/ undoing some of its damage. Whether we like it or files/Longstreth.pdf. 2.U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “National not, car culture and consumerism are a part of our Register of Historic Places Brochure,” National Park Service, 2002, past and continue to be part of our present, made https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/brochure/. 3.Kristin Hagar, “Toward a New Approach to Recent-Past manifest in these buildings. Hiding the origins of Preservation Planning,” 2011, 31. these phenomena by demolishing their attendant 4.Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour, Learning structures will not do anything to fix the problems from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form Massachusetts and London, England: The MIT Press, they have caused. Rather, we should acknowledge (Cambridge, 1977). our history by allowing some of these structures to 5.Longstreth, “When the Present Becomes Past.” remain, even if they stand as monuments of shame. 6.John A. Jakle and Keith A. Sculle, Remembering Roadside

Preservation vs. Celebration

America: Preserving the Recent Past as Landscape and Place (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2011), http:// ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/buffalo/detail.action?docID=859054. 7.Jakle and Sculle.

In Remembering Roadside America, Jakle and Sculle make the case that as a major shaping force in the cultural history of the United States, the rise of 4

Extent of Niagara Fall Boulevard Generated by Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

Methodology

Site Visits While some students had previous experience traveling on the Boulevard, most were only familiar with the shopping area around the Boulevard Mall. To gain a holistic sense of the Boulevardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character, several site visits were conducted, consisting of both walks and bus rides. Due to the lack of sidewalks on some portions, walking the whole Boulevard was unfeasible. Riding the bus also provided a first-hand experience with public transit on the Boulevard (which included confusion over schedules and routes, as well as an hour-plus wait on the side of the Boulevard).

Systems (GIS) in order to compare historic conditions to those of the present day.

Inventory Inventories of existing retail, tourism-related, and residential structures were conducted in order to determine the extent to which the Boulevard has retained its historic fabric. The resources were photographed, categorized, and mapped (see Appendix for inventories).

Houses photographed for inventory October 2018 Gregory Pinto

Niagara Falls Visitor Center as seen on site visit September 2018 Marie Myers-Shearing

Map Generation

In order to aid in understanding the Boulevard and to graphically represent current conditions, maps were generated showing extant structures, current A variety of maps were examined, from historic infrastructure (or lack thereof), zoning, residential maps to current zoning maps, in order to assess the development, etc. Most of these were created using development of the Boulevard and its current state. base maps from Esriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ArcGIS. Map overlays were created in Geographic Information

Map Analysis

Analysis of Existing Conditions

used in similar projects, precedents were analyzed in the areas of preservation and restoration In conjunction with the inventory and of historic motels, renovation and adaptive mapping, existing conditions were analyzed to reuse of strip malls and pedestrian malls, determine the frequency and methods of travel and redevelopment of commercial corridors. on the Boulevard, patterns of development, and the integrity, typology, and age of structures.

Development of Preservation Framework

Development of Character-Defining Features

Considering the preservation of the Boulevardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car-oriented landscape required rethinking the In order to establish what makes each mid- traditional preservation approach. Through research century typology on the Boulevard distinct, students into various perspectives, students developed a determined the character-defining features of the preservation philosophy as a framework for this project. Boulevardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motels, strip malls and other commercial structures, and residential developments.

Development of Proposals

Looking to the future of the Boulevard, students developed proposals for infrastructural modifications/improvements and for preservation of the Boulevardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mid-century architecture, as well as design guidelines for future infill.

Typical strip mall photographed for inventory October 2018 Lemma Al-Ghanem

Precedent Analysis

To discover what approaches have been

Philosophical Underpinnings

The field of historic preservation is centered on retaining cultural resources that embody important aspects of our nation’s past, as they aid residents and visitors in comprehending the country’s or a region’s history.1 Resources that are considered preservation-worthy are described as possessing “significance.”2 While it is easy to apply the concept of significance to extremely old and/or unique buildings, it has traditionally been considered not to apply to recent-past structures. However, rethinking how we approach the idea of significance provides a framework for doing preservation work on recentlydeveloped areas like Niagara Falls Boulevard. Established in 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act officially defines which resources are worthy of preservation—namely, resources over 50 years old that retain their integrity (i.e., characterdefining features) and are associated with a significant event or person in U.S. history, that have architectural merit, or that have information potential.3 Resources constructed within the last 50 years can only be considered for inclusion on the National Register if they are of “exceptional importance.”4 Without the existence of a strong supporting framework for preserving the recent past, the common assumption is that such structures are inherently expendable and, unless they are “exceptional,” should not be prominent facets of a landscape. Because they fall out of the time period considered by the NPS to be historic, they are excluded from the larger historic narrative.5 There are many legitimate reasons why buildings from the recent past may not be considered preservation-worthy. For one, they are often connected with trends of suburbanization and automobile-obsession, which has instilled them with negative associations. They also often lack clear aesthetic value, and there is the issue of practicality—along with having notoriously short lifespans, the buildings of the postwar era have sprawling parking lots and large setbacks, which makes driving the only viable option for travel.6 An analysis from the Journal of Architectural Education

highlights several positions that frame preserving the recent past as a threatening action.7 One aspect of this debate focuses on the history that has been destroyed or irreparably modified by the construction of mid-century architecture. One can easily point to trends such as suburbanization, automobile-oriented environments, and sprawl as damaging factors which have figuratively and literally bulldozed historical structures and landscapes. The effort to preserve the structures that have caused such damage can thus seem counter to the ideals of the preservation movement, and an impediment to the “healing” of the affected neighborhoods which some say would occur through the replacement of mid-century modern strips with more beneficial designs.8 However, there are intrinsic problems with the definition of significance codified by the NPS. Its definition is circular, basically boiling down to, as Kristin Hagar aptly paraphrases, “buildings that possess significance are significant.”9 Specifically, the guidelines for determining whether a resource is significant are as follows: “The quality of significance […] is present in [resources] that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and: A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to prehistory or history.”10 But how is one to determine what constitutes a “significant contribution” or a “significant” person? While the National Park Service treats significance as an inherent quality that a structure or place

either has or does not, whether or not something is significant is actually highly subjective, dependent on each individual’s perspective.11 Thus, it is easy to view significance either too narrowly, writing off many structures as obviously not possessing significance, or too broadly, finding an argument for the significance of every structure. Even those who specialize in recent-past preservation tend to look too narrowly, focusing on architectural merit to the exclusion of other possible areas of significance.12 There are many reasons why recent-past structures may be valuable that have nothing to do with their architecture, from their role in the history of regular Americans, which deserves preservation in addition to that of the rich and important, to the rarity of some typologies as many of them become obsolete and are torn down.13 In fact, even the NPS specifically addresses the latter circumstance, noting that it can be possible that “a type or category of resources- as a whole- has faced loss at such a rate that relatively young survivors can be viewed as exceptional and historic.”14 However, instead of looking at recent-past resources in terms of exceptionality, Hagar proposes the idea of multiplicity as a way to determine which recent-past structures are worthy of preservation— that is, focusing efforts on buildings that have significance in more than one area. Because of the difficulty in determining the historical importance of recent-past structures, due to the lack of a long-term perspective, buildings that have already accrued multiple layers of significance are the ones that are most likely to remain significant in at least one area as time goes on.15 A specific example of a less-than-fifty-year-old structure being determined significant for multiple reasons is the Space Needle, which was landmarked “on the basis of all six [of Seattle’s] designation criteria.”16 In addition, while recent-past structures are often dismissed as insignificant simply because they are not aesthetically or architecturally notable,17 architectural styles that present-day preservationists consider unarguably preservation9

worthy (such as Victorian-era buildings) were often disliked by those who looked back on them as recent-past structures. In the same way, buildings that preservationists today think of as too new to be historical or too ugly to be worth preserving may be viewed very differently in the future.18 To overcome the challenge of most people evaluating buildings based solely on their appearance, education is needed regarding the value structures can have in areas other than aesthetics.19 In addition, in order to accomplish the preservation of recent-past resources, the field might need to shift to allow more modifications to the structures than is currently permitted, as the buildings will need to be flexible in order to adapt to cultural shifts and not become useless.20 If preservationists can be persuaded to see the value of these structures now, while they still exist, they will be able to prevent the kind of losses that they now mourn. In Remembering Roadside America: Preserving the Recent Past as Landscape and Place, John Jakle and Keith Sculle advocate the establishment of outdoor museums devoted to roadside America, which would include extant buildings in their original locations as well as historical buildings moved from elsewhere to fill in gaps, and even re-created buildings, as it is unlikely to be possible to fully capture the nature of the early commercial strip without some re-creations. 21 While most outdoor museums trade accuracy for convenience to some extent and also may romanticize the past (a trap the field of preservation as a whole can fall into as well), Jakle and Sculle view a devotion to accuracy as essential to the depiction of this aspect of American life. Part of this could be allowing some structures in the museum to continue functioning as they were originally intended to, such as a restored motel actually renting out rooms.22 While Jakle’s and Sculle’s overall argument is sound, applying the concept of a museum to the Boulevard would be somewhat limiting; the word “museum” has the connotation of a collection of items removed from their context, which is the

opposite of what is desired for the Boulevard. However, preserving portions of the Boulevard as part of a thematic district would accomplish the same ends as Jakle and Sculle’s museum idea, while also allowing for new development that is more in line with current planning goals like walkability. The reason creating a thematic district on the Boulevard is important is that the automobile had such a significant impact on the way people live, shaping our present-day lifestyle and environment. Were we to lose all of the physical manifestations of the origins of car culture, we risk those origins being forgotten, thus losing the opportunity to learn from them. Creating a thematic district around something that connects so strongly with many people’s everyday lives can also help reframe the common idea of history from something static, fixed in the distant past, to a process of change that is continually occurring. 23 Although there are valid points about the practicality concerns that come with trying to save mid-century architecture, most perspectives on the recent past fail to consider the significant role that this type of development has played in shaping the U.S. as we know it today. The advent of car culture and suburbanization represent a major portion of the Boulevard’s history as a passage between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Although there have been instances of valuable history being eliminated for strip malls and subdivisions, it is impossible for preservationists to change the past; rather, it is their job to simply evaluate the events that have occurred and the role they have played in our history. Criticisms of mid-century architecture’s design and longevity that are rooted in aesthetic value do not consider these structures’ historic context, which is an equally valid reason for seeking their preservation. While the Boulevard’s possession of the first McDonald’s in New York State may not be a source of pride, that does not render it any less important.

https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/brochure/. 2.U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 3.U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 4.Sherfy and Luce, “Guidelines for Evaluating and Nominating Properties That Have Achieved Significance within the Past Fifty Years, National Register of Historic Places Bulletin (Nrb 22).” 5.Rebecca Shiffer, “Where Did the Twentieth Century Go?,” History News 51, no. 4 (Autumn 1996): 18. 6.Rachel Quednau, “Stuck with Strip Malls,” Strong Towns, September 7, 2016, https://www.strongtowns.org/ journal/2016/9/6/strip-malls. 7.Kelli Shapiro, “From Modernism to McDonald’s: Ideology, Controversy, and the Movement to Preserve the Recent Past,” Journal of Architectural Education 61, no. 2 (November 2007): 6–14. 8.Shapiro. 9.Kristin Hagar, “Toward a New Approach to Recent-Past Preservation Planning,” 2011, 31. 10.Andrus and Shrimpton, “How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register of Historic Places Bulletin (NRB 15).” 11.Hagar, “Toward a New Approach to Recent-Past Preservation Planning.” 12.Hagar. 13.Shapiro. 14.Sherfy and Luce. 15.Hagar. 16.Shapiro. 17.Shapiro. 18.Carlos Harrison, “How to Preserve Post-War Modernism,” ArchDaily, January 26, 2014, http://www.archdaily.com/469786/ how-to-preserve-post-war-modernism/. 19.Harrison. 20.Harrison. 21.John A. Jakle and Keith A. Sculle, Remembering Roadside America: Preserving the Recent Past as Landscape and Place (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2011), http:// ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/buffalo/detail.action?docID=859054. 22.Jakle and Sculle. 23.Jakle and Sculle.

Endnotes 1.U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Brochure,” National Park Service, 2002,

Historical Context

Transportation Early Routes In the years before the Civil War, the movement of people and goods took place along Native American trading routes. Through dense forests and across expansive prairies, indigenous trails cut across New York State, fostering trade and making travel easier. Indigenous trails played an important role in shaping the roads of modern-day New York. Joseph Ellicott, chief surveyor of the Holland Land Company, upgraded “The Great Iroquois Trail,” a 50-milelong route from Batavia to Buffalo,1 which would become the foundation for a new city on Lake Erie. As time went on, travelers and transport increased along the new Buffalo Road, and it became a major regional thoroughfare as well as the main local east-west route.2 This former Native American trail became a catalyst for the expansion of the City of Buffalo and the beginning of its transportation needs. As transportation technology developed the railroad became the primary method of moving goods and people. To connect the new settlements along the now heavily-traveled trails, rail beds were constructed across the region.

of manure (Figure 1.1) contributed to the shift from horse to streetcar.4 City dwellers were becoming more critical of this living transportation system.

Figure 1.1: Urban Horse Cleaner Date Unknown Fulton History

Movement outward into the suburbs became the nail in the coffin for the urban horse. Speculation in the real estate market created value for street The Urban Horse railway owners. Access to cities via rail car gave rise to subdivisions.5 These longer commutes proved Wagons pulled by horses traveled by way to be too time-consuming and burdensome for of the Buffalo Road. The role of horses and their horses, especially with railway ridership increasing. use shifted from pulling carts along Indian trails to pulling carts full of goods and materials in the Early Railroads center city. For example, farmers sent their horses along these new roads to transport hay and other The first railroad in Erie County—the Buffalo goods to city markets for baling. The horse was also & Black Rock Railroad—began service in 1834 as used within the city to move both goods and people. a single, three-mile long street-railroad powered Advancements in technology quickly made the by horses. The first steam-powered railroad ran urban horse obsolete. Railroads, electric streetcars, between Buffalo and Niagara Falls starting in 1836.6 and steam-powered grain elevators took over This 28-mile trip between Buffalo and Niagara Falls production and transport systems. In dense cities like took three hours. That same year, the Buffalo and Buffalo, urban horses were causing more harm than Niagara Falls Railroad was incorporated and began good. Nuisances like congestion and the presence 11

operation in 1845.7 The Buffalo Street Railroad Company (Figure 1.2) was created in 1860, with Stephan R. V. Watson as its president. Watson had wished to create a street railway system that would be extremely successful; he had faith that the city would

Figure 1.2: Buffalo Street Railroad Company Horse-Car 1880 Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society

continue to grow.8 In 1863, E. A. Thomas described the improvement of travel in Buffalo—since the 1834 “one-horse railroad”—as great and convenient. The Belt Line, part of the New York Central Railroad, began operating in 1882. It circled the City of Buffalo and transported freight, along with workers, to different parts of the City.9 Buffalo’s railroad lines continued to expand well into the 1870s and 1880s, transporting people, livestock, grain, and other commodities throughout the city and region (Figure 1.3).10

PHOTO GOES HERE

Street Cars in Buffalo, NY Ca. 1800’s Public domain archival image

The Street Car Begins Niagara Falls began laying tracks for streetcars in 1883. In 1889, the City of Buffalo successfully tested an electric streetcar between Main Street and Delaware Park. The City then began transitioning all horsedrawn streetcars to electric power in 1891 and by 1894, “all streetcars were powered by locally generated direct current”.In Niagara Falls, more routes were added in 1892 after electricity arrived there.

References

Figure 1.3: Railroad Map of Buffalo, NY and vicinity Date Unknown http://railsandtrails.com/Maps/Buffalo/

- Clinton Brown Company Architecture/Rebuild, “Streetcars and Public Transportation in Buffalo,” in Elmwood Historic District (West) National Register of Historic Places Nomination, 2015, 35–37. - John N. Jackson, The Mighty Niagara: One River - Two Frontiers (Prometheus Books, 2003). -D. David Bregger, “International Railway Company, Soldier of Transportation,” in Buffalo’s Historic Streetcars and Buses, Images of America (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), 51–54.

The Streetcar The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Electric Railway, which became the International Railway Company (IRC) in 1902, opened an inter-urban rail line connecting Buffalo and Niagara Falls in 1895. It was a double-lined track running along public streets through Buffalo, Tonawanda, North Tonawanda, and Niagara Falls. The rail cars could complete the 24mile trip in 80 minutes. The IRC later replaced the old line with a new high-speed electric rail line, called the “Buffalo-Niagara Falls High Speed Line,” in 1918 (Figure 1.4), which was “capable of 60 miles per

Figure 1.5: Buffalo-Niagara Falls High Speed line Rail Car Date Unknown The Buffalo History Museum

were able to live further away and commute to their places of employment downtown. The streetcar encouraged new suburban residential development, and the “streetcar suburb” was born. This also allowed for better access to retail and commercial centers, contributing to the growth of the big-box store.13 As the convenience of the streetcar serviced a large part of the population, population growth made the street cars crowded and travel times slower. The Rise of the Automobile

Figure 1.4: Buffalo and Niagara Falls Electric Railways 1924 The Electric Interurban Railways in America

hour, reducing travel time, and was built on private rights-of-way” to avoid street congestion (Figure 1.5 & 1.6). The old line was abandoned in 1922.11 With the introduction of this new innovation, the middle class, not just the upper class, was able to afford to move out of the city center.12 Residents 13

By the turn of the twentieth century, advancements in technology had continued and a new form of transportation was introduced. The automobile was unlike anything that had come before, and would go on to change transportation systems and how they are planned over the course of the century. In the early years of the automobile, cities like Buffalo were showing off their best motorcars. In 1909, Buffalo hosted an automobile exhibition (i.e., a car show) at the convention center. Almost 40 dealers put their cars on display.14 One of the stars of the show was the “Thomas Flyer,” from the Buffalo Company E.R. Thomas Motor Co. Other manufacturers included the local Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, and even Buick Motor Car Co.15 Events

1924. More bus routes—along with IRC streetcar lines—continued to be added (Figure 1.7). In 1926, an interurban bus service between Buffalo and Niagara Falls was introduced. In Niagara Falls, the first bus route began in 1931. At this point in time, over 50 percent of people traveling to downtown Buffalo rode streetcars and/or buses. Providing 211 miles of service with its 789 streetcars and 83 buses, the IRC served 110 million passengers (Figure 1.8).17

Figure 1.6: Buffalo-Niagara Interurban Streetcar System Date Unknown The Mighty Niagara: One River - Two Frontiers.

like this shed light on the shift in transportation trends. The automobile was becoming more affordable and more popular amongst suburban citizens. After World War II ended, automobiles became even more widely owned, making it feasible for large numbers of Americans to go “auto-touring.” The flexibility of car travel and the expansion of the network of roads increased the number of tourist sites, as travelers could now Figure 1.7: Buffalo Streetcar and Bus Routes “more easily travel to areas that had been largely 1935 inaccessible during the rail or stagecoach era.”16 Public domain archival image The Bus

As times continued to change, “The Comprehensive Plan for Transit Improvement” was In 1923, the IRC formed the IBC, a bus- created in 1932 to examine current conditions and operating subsidiary. In order to increase the lifespan make recommendations for improvements to the of buses, the IBC invested in gas-electric buses in transit system in Buffalo. After studies indicated 14

that buses provided a greater cost savings than the streetcar, bus substitutions were approved in 1935. The IBC and the IRC merged to provide “a fully integrated seven-route network with 92 buses transporting almost 10 million annual riders.”18 The last streetcar ride in Niagara Falls was in 1937 (Figure 1.9),19 and all streetcar services outside of Buffalo ceased by 1939.20 The following year, plans were put in place to replace all streetcars by October of 1950. Soon, the IRC began to purchase additional buses in anticipation of increased transportation needs during WWII. New services and extended routes were introduced in Niagara Falls during this time.21 In an effort to retain ridership after the war, the IRC introduced diesel buses.22

PHOTO GOES HERE

“The Last Ride,” Broadway at Mills Street 1950 Public domain archival image

Suburban Development

The Transition from the Street Car

Early Settlement (Pre-1900)

The Niagara Frontier Transit (NFT), created in 1950, began removing the remaining streetcar lines, despite opposition. The last streetcar ride was in December of 1950.

In the late 1800s the Town of Amherst (northeast of the City of Buffalo) was primarily farm land and contained industrial mills along major bodies of water. Those who settled in the area did so to establish small farms and escape from the compact city. Records of settlement in the late nineteenth century report a vast majority of settlers earning income from livestock and crops, such as corn and wheat. After the Holland Land Company’s initial survey of the land, early residents settled along major roads and purchased large plots of land as their own. Frame houses and small businesses were constructed in close proximity to one another on the road adjacent to Amherst’s rail line.23 The Town of Wheatfield was also one of the first areas in the region developed in the early nineteenth century. The individual responsible for allowing development to occur was Harvey Miller, recognized for buying a small plot of land and gradually clearing 17 acres for others by 1825. After clearing the land and establishing wheat as the dominant crop for agriculture, Miller opened 15

the door for more settlers to create working farms in what would become the major hamlets of Wheatfield throughout the following decades. This development can be directly attributed to the influx of German-Americans immigrating to Buffalo. Following this, the Town of Bergholtz was settled in 1843 by Prussian immigrants seeking a new life after facing religious persecution. The establishment of this area was particularly significant for its retention of the original Lutheran faith. Shortly after, the community of St. Johnsburg emerged adjacent to Bergholtz, formed by those seeking to live on properties with more acreage. Settlements in this area were on larger plots of land ranging from ten to one hundred acres apiece.24 Seen as early as 1893, patterns of residential settlement also occurred in the hamlet of Nashville, situated directly on Niagara Falls Boulevard, and the northeastern portion of town purchased by Timothy Shaw and Volney Spalding in what would be known later as Shawnee.25 Settlement along other portions of the Boulevard was determined by proximity to water and other natural resources. Development of the Tonawandas initially happened because of their location along Tonawanda Creek and the large access to lumber in the surrounding wooded area. The first inhabitants in the area established a dam and lock at the mouth of the creek in order to extend access to the Erie Canal. Once established, this attracted incomers to purchase available land so that they could ship goods and travel. Using Tonawanda Creek as a point of settlement, a group of German Lutheran immigrants established the village of Martinsville after purchasing 400 acres of available land. Residents constructed log houses on threeacre lots which were shared by multiple families. Over time, the area developed its own churches and businesses along the bank of the water on what would become the original alignment of Niagara Falls Boulevard.26 Once established, the hamlets in these regions followed a similar pattern of development based on agricultural production. Making the most of their surroundings, residents produced wheat, hay,

and other grain products throughout the nineteenth century after livestock farming proved to be difficult.27 After this early settlement, the area retained its rural character as the growing commercial activities in towns such as Amherst made them the focus of residential development. Continuing into 1938, land use in Wheatfield remained mostly unchanged with small pockets of neighborhoods forming along the Boulevard leading into Niagara Falls (Figure 1.8). Although the advanced use of the automobile established a stronger connection to the rest of Buffalo, Wheatfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pattern of land development allowed it to maintain a pastoral, rural setting that cannot be seen elsewhere.28

Figure 1.8: Aerial photograph of Wheatfield 1938 Niagara County

The Dawn of the Suburbs (1900 to 1914) In the early 1900s, most of the land now abutting the Boulevard was still divided into large plots and owned by private individuals and land companies. Some of the notable land companies circa 1909 were named after regions such as Kenmore Heights, Delaware Avenue, Niagara Falls Boulevard, and Chautauqua (Figure 1.9). Although it had been

sold off as separate plots, there was minimal activity on this land until later population growth required the establishment of subdivisions. The land companies were responsible for dividing up the land into individual lots and creating the infrastructure necessary for large neighborhoods to emerge in desirable areas.

maintained as farmland throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, until the land was bought and gradually divided into residential lots. The houses that were constructed in University Park reflect the upper middle-class suburbanization that occurred as this group sought to live away from the city in the period before the Great Depression. In this area of the Boulevard, light commercial development gradually became more prominent as advancements in transportation made the automobile overshadow the trolley car. In the early years of the twentieth century, as ownership of the automobile became more common, the area of the Boulevard between Main Street and Kenmore Avenue remained populated, but with less restrictive access. Those in the surrounding area were recorded as holding middle income occupations such as teacher, salesman, and brewer.29 Despite these changes, properties along this portion of the Boulevard retained their original historic character with few exceptions.

Figure 1.9: Kenmore entrance to University Park 1909 Century Erie County

Early suburban development became well-defined due to the construction of Niagara Falls Boulevard. Its establishment caused denser settlement patterns to occur in the hamlet of Eggertsville-Snyder, which is in the Town of Amherst with close proximity to the Boulevard. Large tracts of land were divided into compact lots to allow for a high population. Additionally, the Town began to lay out streets in a grid-like pattern and develop improved infrastructure as major subdivisions took form. This type of development could be seen prominently on residential streets such as Capen Boulevard and Windemere Drive, which developed into a series of uniform houses on individual lots (Figure 1.10). One of the earliest suburbs developed outside of the city was University Park, which serves as one of the terminus points of Niagara Falls Boulevard. Similar to other areas outside of Buffalo, it was 17

Figure 1.10: Capen Boulevard and Windemere Drive 1932 Sanborn Map Company

Mid-Century Boom (1945 to Present) Subdivisions throughout Amherst and Tonawanda became heavily populated starting

in the 1940s as federal intervention made home ownership an affordable option for middle-class Americans. Policies and regulations established by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) allowed families to pay off the cost of homeownership with long-term mortgages. Additional standards of construction and extended payment plans for loans gave buyers a strong incentive to invest in homes.30 This, along with the passage of the G.I. Bill in 1944, resulted in a massive influx of middle-class residents relocating to suburbs and establishing houses in gridded layouts. At the time, houses were marketed to appeal to veterans of WWII and their families, who were looking to buy land to fulfill the American Dream of homeownership. One ad printed in the Courier Express advertises a new house in “Buffalo’s newest protected neighborhood” of Lincoln Park as being highly affordable and available for veterans (Figure 1.11).31 The recorded number of dwelling units in the Eggertsville-Snyder hamlet jumped from roughly 700 in the period between 1941 and 1944 to almost 3,500 by 1953.32 These statistics reflect the trend of development which was occurring along the Boulevard simultaneously. In North Tonawanda, a catalyst for suburban growth along the Boulevard was the development of industrial jobs in the mid-twentieth century. The Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company (Figure 1.12), which produced jukeboxes and electric organs, was situated along the Boulevard and employed 3,000 people in the postwar period.33 Wurlitzer employees established houses nearby along previously undeveloped roads between the old and new parts of the Boulevard such as Sherwood Avenue and Walck Road. As the Tonawandas became heavily commercial, the towns produced the necessary infrastructure to support dense populations. Along with new roads to connect subdivisions, features such as electric lights were established by 1955.34 Another neighborhood that emerged at this time was Green Acres, situated adjacent to the Boulevard Mall. The neighborhood emerged during the peak of postwar development between 1947 and

Figure 1.11: Houses for sale July 1948 Buffalo Courier Express

1964, established by real estate company Pearce & Pearce (whose 1950s-built office still exists at 900 Niagara Falls Boulevard )35. Companies such as these would purchase land from developers in order to create a network of houses intended to be moved into quickly. To ensure fast development, simply-formed, minimally-ornamented houses were constructed in close proximity to one another, to create a feeling of familiarity and exclusivity.36 With its convenient location, the neighborhood allowed residents to easily travel by automobile to nearby commercial areas to shop. Shortly after the neighborhood was

Figure 1.12: Wurlitzer postcard Ca. 1940 Nthistory

completed, the adjacent area near Niagara Falls Boulevard was developed as Green Acres North in 1956. Combined, these two areas housed 10,000 people, totaling around 2,400 families. The 1960s witnessed the creation of commercial properties along Niagara Falls Boulevard as a response to the dense population growth. Existing businesses gradually gave way to strip malls and shopping plazas, which catered to those commuting by car between home and work. These features could then, in turn, be used to market subdivisions as having additional amenities a close drive away.

Tourism Early Tourism in America National trends of commercial development were reflected in the greater Buffalo-Niagara region. The widening array of ready-made goods, the expanding middle class, increasing levels of expendable capital, and changing notions of work and leisure contributed to a new consumer-oriented society in the making.37 The developments of new transportation methods, the creation of unique attractions, and the growth of the leisure ethic are what made tourism possible in the United States.38 19

The start of tourism in America began in the Northeast in the 1820s, resulting from the influence of the art and literature of Romanticism, which produced images and essays glorifying the wonders of the American landscape.39 This ideology popularized the idea of the picturesque, and relationships with the landscape became the foundation for American culture.40 This gave rise to tourism as a cultural or literary pilgrimage, in which travelers sought fashionable society, sublime scenery, and American achievement.41 Middle-upper class urbanites would often travel to escape the city heat for weeks or even months.42 Most of these travelers sought out mountain villages, hot springs, lakes, and beaches, seeking fashionable company and natural virtues. American historian John Sears labeled popular scenic wonders of this time “sacred places,” as tourists would travel to them “as though on a pilgrimage.”43 In order to see these places, the well-to-do traveler often embarked on a standard itinerary, called the American Grand Tour or the “Fashionable Tour.” The Fashionable Tour of the Northeast “Took tourists up the Hudson River to the Catskill Mountains or West Point, then stopped at Albany where they had the option to layover at fashionable resort towns such as Saratoga or Ballston Springs. They would then continue their travels to Niagara Falls via the Erie Canal or by stagecoach.”44 Throughout this period of time, Niagara Falls was “the most famous American destination for the nineteenth-century pilgrims.”45 Niagara Falls was so successful as a tourist site that by the 1830s “some travelers noted that the landscape surrounding the falls was being destroyed by commercialization and industrialization.”46 Sears described the Falls as “a prodigy of nature, which seemed to prove that in America Nature expressed itself on a grander scale than elsewhere.”47 Niagara Falls specifically emerged as the most popular destination for honeymooners, attracting wealthy young couples from all sections of the country and even abroad. The Niagara honeymoon craze is said to have begun in the 1830s due to Niagara’s

“powerful hold on the imagination.”48 Throughout this period, tourists stayed at the variety of grand hotels conveniently located throughout downtown Niagara Falls. Because travelers visiting Niagara were of the upper-middle class, the main travel accommodations until the turn of the century were luxurious hotels such as the Hotel Niagara, the International Hotel, the Cataract House, and many others. Concurrently, tourism began to expand throughout the country, yet remained an indulgence primarily for the upper class. With further railroad improvements, Americans could travel to places other than the scenic wonders of the Northeast. Railroad expansion to the coast allowed Jersey Shore and Atlantic City to thrive as tourist destinations. By the late nineteenth century, tourists could travel south to Florida and eventually out west to explore national parks.49 As new transportation technology continued to develop, tourism continued expanding its reach. The Age of the Automobile

The Family Vacation It was not until after WWII that family vacationing shifted from only an elite enjoyment to a widespread practice accessible to the middle class. More middle-class families could afford to take vacations because of the increasingly liberal vacation benefits awarded to American workers in the late 1940s.54 Before the Great Depression, paid vacations were limited almost entirely to salaried employees, but by 1979, 100 percent of employees in medium and large establishments had paid vacation plans.55 The popularity of the automobile continued to climb, with car ownership rising from 54 percent in 1948 to 77 percent in 1960, and 82 percent by 1970.56 The family car became a “home on wheels,” an extension of domestic space, representing a sense of safety for the traveling family on the road.57 At this time, consumer choices about family cars were shaped by what buyers thought would best fit their vacation needs. Automobile manufacturers, oil companies, and the hospitality industry tailored their products to American families on the road. As the automobile became a more integral part of the American way of life, it became an instrument of social change.58 So-called “motorists” transformed the American roadside landscape through their travels. As automobile ownership increased, getting to Niagara Falls soon developed into a roadside adventure. Niagara Falls Boulevard became a part of the U.S. Highway System’s Route 62 in the 1930s, increasing the number of travelers flowing into the area and needing a place to stay. Magazines like Motordom detailed routes and condition of roadways to major cities and tourist attractions. Throughout the twentieth century, tourism continued to rise, calling for more modes of hospitality and attractions.

The 1920s saw the beginning of mass ownership of automobiles, which led to the concept of the “Sunday drive,” with the various parkways built during the 1920s and 1930s allowing Americans to easily “go for a spin.” Newly-built roads allowed for adventurous day trips that had not been possible earlier and provided a means to access relatively close vacation spots. During the 1920s, automobile driving was primarily a leisure activity.50 For long-distance tourists and Sunday drivers alike, the city was a disagreeable obstacle on a scenic journey between small towns.51 The automobile provided new horizons for leisure travel. With its advent, “tourists did not need to settle in for the season; they could travel at their own pace, move around from place to place, wander off the beaten track, and even enjoy the Tourist Camps trip” to their ultimate destination.52 By 1935, 85 percent of all vacation travel was by automobile.53 One of the earliest forms of housing for motorists was the tourist camp. While most travelers preferred hotels, large numbers were being drawn to

camping because of its lower cost and the liberty it offered.59 The popularity of automobile travel initially led to the establishment of public campgrounds, often in city parks. Camping along the roadside made travel affordable to nearly all. Towns organized campgrounds to protect themselves against the horde of “tin can tourists,” and partly to attract tourist dollars.60 Middle-class tourists saw camping as a way to break up their work routines and experience simplicity.61 However, some more modern consumers desired higher levels of comfort. Realizing this, campgrounds, especially the small private camps, began to provide additional luxuries. Permanent tents were erected on wooden platforms, and often small cabins were built. Tourists could rent mattresses, pillows, sheets, and blankets, thus reducing the need for carrying bulky camping equipment in their automobiles.62 Cities and towns came to realize that the hoped-for economic impact of the camps had not materialized, and decided that camps did not deserve to be subsidized, thus deciding to turn to privatization and user fees.63 This opened the door for competition from private camps. Auto Cabins and Courts The cabin camp represented a transition between the auto campground and the luxury motel. As cabin camps became more abundant, the word “cottage” crept into their names, implying winterized construction, private toilets and running water.64 The term “tourist court,” or “motor court,” was used to describe motels that unified individual units under a single roof, typically organized around a courtyard.65 Cabin camps and cottage courts often attracted travelers who had previously camped, as well as many who typically only stopped at hotels. Hotels in cities and towns continued to dominate the lodging industry, but most hotels were oriented geographically to serve railroads and public transit, while only a few were convenient for automobile travelers.66 The trends on the Boulevard reflected the same trends occurring nationwide. Soon, roadside auto 21

Family Car Camping Ca. 1915 to 1923 Harris & Ewing, photographer

Auto-Camping Due to the increasing number of motorists on Niagara Falls Boulevard, many local families converted farmland or large lots into areas where “automobile-ers” could park their cars, pitch a tent and stay the night in a “home away from home” atmosphere.

References Thomas Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II,” The Journal of Economic History 64, no. 2 (2004): 289–327, https://doi. org/10.1017/S0022050704002712.

courts and cabins began popping up along Niagara Falls Boulevard. Property owners who had originally converted their land into tourist camps began to build strings of small cabins on their properties to further accommodate travelers. Niagara Falls Boulevard was home to 88 tourist camps in the early 1940s. Boulevard Garden Motel

Motels The motor courts and tourist camps along the Boulevard eventually gave way to the new motel concept that peaked during the middle of the twentieth century. Similar to the earlier motor courts, motels were largely run as mom-and-pop operations. The term “motel” was first used in 1924 in California at Arthur Heinemen’s Milestone MoTel of San Luis Obispo. Eventually, most automobile tourists gave up camping altogether, preferring instead the accessibility of roadside motels.67 Conveniently placed along the roadside, motels were structured to catch the eye of the automobile traveler. Motorists would be drawn in by vibrant neon roadside signage as well as the prominent presence of pools and/or playgrounds. These roadside motels were often substantially larger and more comfortable than motor courts. Typically, motels consisted of a complex of one- or two-story buildings in an I, L, or U shape, organized around a courtyard, offering spacious rooms and a parklike setting.68 Each motel room was usually equipped with air conditioning and had adjacent parking, permitting patrons to easily load and unload their own cars. Motels typically were cheaper than hotels and provided a “homelike” atmosphere.69 Throughout this time, Niagara Falls Boulevard was bustling with motels along the roadside. According to the Niagara Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, there were 27 tourist facilities on the section of Niagara Falls Boulevard (then Pine Avenue) located in Niagara Falls.

Ellicott Park Court

Starfire Motel

Highway Hotels & Air Travel Motels

References

-nthistory.com -cardcow.com

During the 1950s air travel became a common

experience for the American traveler and dramatically changed the course of tourism. Air travel permitted the transport of large numbers of visitors to specific locations in much less time than the train or car.70 This development in transportation opened tourism to become even more reachable, making many smaller, less known destinations more accessible.71 In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act which authorized federal funding for constructing interstate highways and an ongoing fund supported by a federal tax on fuel. New roads that connected the country like never before meant more liberty for Americans to travel wherever they wanted. Improved highways amplified tourists’ obsession with covering long distances quickly.72 Highway hotels, such as the Holiday Inn, were conveniently placed close to interstate highways and allowed tourists to quickly hop on and off the highway, getting to and from their destination and fast as possible. By the 1970s, the popularity of motels on Niagara Falls Boulevard had declined. Chain hotels were becoming more popular, and the NY I-90 had motorists bypassing the congested Boulevard. A newspaper article described the trip from Buffalo to Niagara Falls as a project which required the investment of at least a half-day or longer.73

Retail Development The Birth of the Commercial Strip Land speculation sparked the development of property alongside suburban roads. To pay the taxes on these lots, developers began to erect pop-up business and shops, known as taxpayer buildings, which soon began to populate large strips along streetcar lines. (Figure 1.13).74 Much like the later strip malls, taxpayer buildings were made out of cheap, efficient materials and had a quick construction time so they could begin earning money as soon as possible. As Richard Longstreth observes, “taxpayers had a useful purpose but almost never contributed to a sense of singular identity for the 23

Robertsons Tourists Rest, postcard 1931 www.nthistory.com

Tourist Rests During this era, some homeowners along Niagara Falls Boulevard rented out rooms to tourists. One example is Robertson’s Tourists’ Rest in North Tonawanda. A circa 1931 business card touts “All Modern Conveniences.” The house still exists today on what is now Old Falls Boulevard. Another example is The Villa, which was located close by but on the current alignment of the Boulevard; it also remains extant.

References Thomas Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II,” The Journal of Economic History 64, no. 2 (2004): 289–327, https://doi. org/10.1017/S0022050704002712.

Figure 1.13: Taxpayer Strip in Belvedere California 1924 The Huntington Library

places they served.”75 These buildings were not meant for permanence, but simply as placeholders to earn an income before more long-term development took place; however, they ended up anchoring many developments extending out from the city (Figure 1.14).

Honey Farm Tourist Camp on the Boulevard Ca. 1930’s Niagara Frontier Publications

Tourist Cabins on the Boulevard The first tourist camp on the Boulevard was the Honey Farm Tourist Camp, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin De Vantier. Opened in the 1920’s, the camp remained in operation for 36 years. It featured 18 bungalow-style cottages, and Mrs. De Vantier was known to put up an additional 20 people in her own house. Up until its closing, the cabins stood as a Boulevard landmark, having catered to thousands of tourists over the years. Another popular tourist camp was Brown’s Camp, which featured 50 furnished sleeping cottages.

Figure 1.14: Taxpayer Building, LA Ca. 1920’s The Huntington Library

The strip mall soon developed as a response to suburbanization and the rise of the automobile. They either “had their birth in the 1920’s in California[,] where supermarkets would anchor and serve as a magnet for a strip of smaller stores,” or “got their start a bit earlier, in 1907, in a Baltimore neighborhood where a group of stores established off-street parking.”76 Storefronts were generally placed a car’s length

References Brooke De Vantier. “The Story Behind A Once Well-Known Niagara Falls Boulevard Landmark”. WNY Papers, 2016

away from the street, which established a rhythm for the commercial strip that can still be seen today. Shopping malls took form a bit later, with the first shopping mall in the U.S.,77 the Southdale Center in Edina, MN, opening in 1956. It was designed by Victor Gruen, an Austrian architect who was “appalled” by the proliferation of sprawl in the U.S. Gruen criticized the commercial strip as “extroverted,” feeling that it was not conducive to the social experience he felt shopping should be.78 Meant as an indoor version of Main Street, his new shopping mall design consisted of a collection of stores and areas to gather and socialize, which Gruen thought would reduce the need to drive.79 As described in The Guardian, “Southdale’s vast, blank walls turned their backs to the street, enclosing not just all those stores, but cafés, public art, pedestrian boulevards and a lush courtyard.”80 Southdale became the archetypal model that was then replicated in mall construction throughout the United States. Though they are now often criticized and seen as a symbol of urban sprawl, during their peak, shopping malls were the “most visible and the most contentious symbol of American prosperity”81 and were designated by Consumer Reports as “one of the top 50 wonders that has revolutionized the lives of consumers” in 1986.82 The growing suburban population’s shopping needs had shifted as they tried to avoid inconvenient, congested trips downtown. The shopping mall, which took cues from ancient markets around the world, provided an anchor to suburbanization.

The Spring on Goat Island Ca. 1901 Official Guide Niagara Falls River

Healing Waters In the years before the Civil War, few people traveled for pleasure, but some did go to “nearby spas and mineral springs to soak in or drink the waters […] on the pretext that this was good for you—perhaps curing an ailment, perhaps simply maintaining one’s health.” By the mid-eighteenth century, this had become a “fashionable indulgence” for the elite, who would stay perhaps for a few days, perhaps for a full season. While seen by relatively few, these mineral springs became the earliest tourist destinations in America.

The Boulevard Mall Ground was broken for the Boulevard Mall, designed by New York architect Lathrop Douglass, on September 13, 1961. It was the Buffalo area’s first fullyenclosed shopping center. Sitting on a 12-acre plaza, the mall opened in 1963 and cost $12 million dollars to construct. It had 63 acres of parking comprised of 5,000 spots and closed-circuit TV to aid in finding spots. The Buffalo Evening News praised the mall, 25

References Thomas Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II,” The Journal of Economic History 64, no. 2 (2004): 289–327, https://doi. org/10.1017/S0022050704002712.

stating that “the official opening of the spectacular enclosed shopping center will not only provide Western New Yorkers with a new concept in shopping, but will launch a year-long program of community activities in the concourse of the spacious mall.”83 The mall design was clearly based on Gruen’s original mall concepts and displayed all the typical character-defining features, including three anchor stores and a spacious center used for social gatherings. The central core linking all the stores was 35 feet high, hundreds of feet long, and 60 feet wide. The social experience of shopping and the inwardfacing street concept was perfect for a climate like Buffalo’s. Many expansions and renovations of the Boulevard Mall have taken place over the years, the first of which was in February 1969, when a J.C. Penney and freestanding Penney’s Auto Center were added to the mall’s northeast corner. The south end of the complex was also extended with 80,000 square feet of new in-line store space (Figure 1.15).

Trapasso Gas Station, Niagara Falls, NY 1939 Found postcard

Gas Stations on the Boulevard The density of gas stations began to increase with the popularity of the automobile. According to city directories, there were fifteen gas stations on the Boulevard in 1961 . There was not a dramatic change in the number of gas stations from 1961 to 1967 though some maintained their location and only changed their name. Amenities such as gas stations, pharmacies, salons, and chain restaurants, increased in density during this time period as well.

Figure 1.15: Sattlers at the Boulevard Mall Ca. 1960’s Buffalo History Works

Additional Retail Development Gas stations in particular began to increase in number as the popularity of the automobile grew. According to 1960s city directories, there were 15 gas stations on the Boulevard in 1961

References Niagara Falls City Directory 1961

(City Directory 1961). Other amenities such as pharmacies, salons, and chain restaurants increased in density during this time period as well. Many fast food establishments began to flourish on the Boulevard in the 1950s. They followed the increase in the suburban population, in part due to the postwar economic boom and the rise of car culture. As the economy climbed out of the Depression, the afternoon or weekend drive to a fast food joint nearby increased in popularity and became a staple of most suburban households. The first McDonald’s in New York State opened on Niagara Falls Boulevard in 1958. It became a key element in the development of the culture of the area. The self-service drive-in location served 70,000 hamburgers, 30,000 bags of fries and 20,000 shakes a month during the first few months.84 In 1962, the opening of the Boulevard Mall increased competition between the restaurants inside the mall and McDonald’s.85 McDonald’s however, was on its way to becoming the one of the most famous fast food chains not only in the U.S. but also at a global scale. Though it has been renovated over the years, the McDonald’s on the Boulevard has maintained its original structure and footprint. The building’s design and iconic golden arches caught on in the public’s eye and became the inspiration for the McDonald’s logo during the 1960s (Figure 1.16).

Bell Assembly Line 1950

American institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Industry on the Boulevard One of the largest industries that existed in the Buffalo-Niagara region was Bell Aircraft, which was established in 1935. Besides manufacturing civilian helicopters and military aircraft used during WWII, they were famously the inventors of the Bell X-1, which was the first supersonic aircraft. In 1940 Bell Aircraft moved into a new plant located on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Wheatfield. As of 1997, the plant was still partially in use by other companies, but was half-vacant. Shortly after the opening of the plant on the Boulevard, new retail developments began to pop up all around it. References

Figure 1.16: Macdonald’s on the Boulevard Ca. 1959 Buffalo Stories archives

Another notable fast food restaurant on the Boulevard is Arby’s, which opened at this location in the late 1960s or early 1970s. One of the few Arby’s locations that has remained in 27

Don Glynn, “Bell Plant Designated as Historic Aerospace Site,” Niagara Gazette, October 28, 2012, https://www.niagara-gazette. com/news/local_news/bell-plant-designated-as-historic-aerospacesite/article_8e078246-34ba-5fdb-bc4e-c3c945de4e81.html. [ii] “Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, NY,” Buffalo Architecture and History, accessed December 11, 2018, http://www.buffaloah.com/h/aero/ bell/. [iii] Tom Hartley, “WNY’s Golden Age of Flight,” Buffalo Business First, October 20, 1997, https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/ stories/1997/10/20/story4.html.

its original use to this day, it retains its original large roadside hat-shaped sign (Figure 1.17)

Sawyer Creek Hotel pre Renovation 1982 Photo taken by Patricia Dinieri

Sawyer Creek Hotel

Figure 1.17: Arby’s on the Boulevard 2010 Waymarking.com

Historic Map Analysis Historic maps were examined to establish the original and other previous alignments of Niagara Falls Boulevard and to study the changes in land use and development caused by its final and current alignment. These include maps from Sanborn, Gifford Geil, Geil/Smith, Gillette Matthews & Co, Hopkins, Stone & Stewart, Beers, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), New Century, the Niagara Frontier Planning Board, and the Munger Historical Atlas of New York State (See appendix for maps discussed).

One of the oldest remaining food establishments on the Boulevard is Sawyer’s Creek Hotel. Though the business has changed hands throughout the years it continues to act as a functioning restaurant and hotel. The structure was originally constructed in the late 1800’s. The Wiegand family, who bought it in 1915, noted a need for a rest stop for farmers on their way to and from town. They began servicing horses and selling basic amenities to passersby. Their business began to grow and, eventually, they opened a small tavern including two gas pumps catering to the popularity of the automobile. The business was open seven days a week from 10am to 1am catering to shift workers at Bell Aircraft during World War II.

References “History”. Sawyer Creek Hotel. Accessed 5 December 2018. http:// sawyercreekhotel.com/history_page.html.

1852 Gifford Geil Niagara County (Appendix 1.1): This map shows a concentration of buildings at Martinsville, including a hotel and a church. Bergholtz is also labeled and appears as a grid of streets with a concentration of houses. The road that is now Niagara Falls Boulevard terminates at what is now Sy Road. What is now Cayuga Drive Extension/Niagara Road appears, as does Walmore, but it terminates at the north side of Cayuga Drive Extension/Niagara Road. What are now Tuscarora Road and Military Road appear. Large lots exist along the river, their south boundaries extending to the river and their north boundaries following the line of the Boulevard’s current alignment. The area along the current alignment of the Boulevard between Packard and Military is forested. What is now Pine at Packard appears. 1854 Geil/Smith Erie County (Appendix 1.2): This map shows an unfinished road extending straight west from the County [Poor] House property; otherwise, there are no adjoining roads in that area of Main. There is a concentration of houses on Main to the south. The portion of Colvin Avenue between present-day Amherst Street and Hertel Avenue appears, with the house of an H. Colvin on its east side. The current alignment of the Boulevard begins a bit south of what is now the intersection of the Boulevard and Eggert Road, with Eggert Road also existing. What is now the Boulevard continues north with a few houses along it. The area just south of Ellicott Creek is forested. What is now the Boulevard terminates at what is now Ellicott Creek Road/South Ellicott Creek Road. There is a cluster of houses along Ellicott Creek Road by this intersection. On the north side of the creek, what is now the Boulevard starts again at what is now Ellicott Creek Road. East of what is now Ellicott Island Park, it turns west briefly and then resumes running north-south as what is now Old Niagara Falls Boulevard, to become what is now Tonawanda Creek Road, heading northwest.

Henry’s Hamburgers Ca. 1960’s Buffalo News archives

Henry’s Hamburgers on the Boulevard To compete with the opening of the McDonald’s, a restaurant called Henry’s Hamburgers opened on the Boulevard in the early 1960s. “Some of the early success for the franchise locally came from Buffalo Bills star Ernie Warlick, who not only invested in several franchise locations but was often found behind the counter serving up the burgers and fries by the pound himself.” There were multiple Henry’s Hamburgers locations throughout the Buffalo area, but sadly the chain could not compete with the fast-growing McDonald’s.

References Steve Cichon, “Buffalo in the 60s: Forget McDonald’s; Buffalo Had Henry’s Hamburgers,” Buffalo Stories, October 9, 2014, http://blog. buffalostories.com/oct-9-1964-forget-mcdonalds-buffalo-had-henryshamburgers/.

1855 Gillette Matthews & Co Erie County (Appendix 1.3):

that reach the bank of the Niagara River with their associated structures grouped along the unlabeled Buffalo Avenue or River Road along the water.

On this map, the present-day Englewood Avenue appears for the first time. Otherwise, 1880 Beers Erie County (Appendix 1.6): this map is very similar to the previous map. On the Buffalo sheet, Delaware Park 1866 Stone & Stewart (Appendix 1.4): and Kenilworth Avenue appear for the first time. Colvin remains the same as previous. On the On the Buffalo sheet, clusters of houses Amherst sheet, the new alignment remains appear on large lots along Main and more the same as previous, except that this is the intermittently along Kenmore. Delaware Park has first Erie County map to show Bushes Bridge. not yet been built. The state of Colvin matches the previous map. The North Tonawanda/Amherst sheet 1891 Hopkins Buffalo (Appendix 1.7): shows primarily farmland and waterways in relation to Tonawanda and the limits of Buffalo. In Amherst, The Kenmore sheet shows Colvin Avenue the current alignment of the Boulevard appears, with a note in parentheses that it is the proposed unnamed, matching the description of the 1854 map. route of Niagara Falls Boulevard. The path of Colvin appears much as it does in 2018, extending 1875 Beers Niagara and Orleans County: (Appendix north from Amherst Street as it curves around the 1.5 and 1.5a): northernmost portion of Delaware Park, labeled On the Wheatfield sheet of this map, a bridge (Bushes simply “The Park,” and through the North Park Bridge) is shown crossing Tonawanda Creek at the neighborhood. At this point there are residential lots intersection of what is now Tonawanda Creek Road laid out but there is also a considerable amount of and Old Niagara Falls Boulevard for the first time. On land that appears in large lots. The Buffalo sheet the west side of the creek, what is now Sweeney/ shows a broader view of the northeastern corner of Old Falls Boulevard runs north-south from the bridge. the City of Buffalo, primarily depicting roads, the city Martinsville is labeled as having a post office and limits, and significant areas of land such as Delaware there is a clustering of houses on large lots on the Park, the New York State Asylum for the Insane, west side of Sweeney/Old Falls. As it does now, the Union Cemetery, and the Erie County Poor House. road that is now Old Falls Boulevard runs north to intersect with the current alignment of the Boulevard. Houses appear along it regularly. St. Johnsburg and Bergholtz are both labeled as having as having post offices. What is now the Boulevard still terminates at what is now Sy Road. Walmore has been extended to the south of Cayuga Drive Extension/Niagara Road. On the La Salle sheet, Mile Line Road, now the Boulevard, is shown between Packard Road and Military Road as a dotted line along the southern limits of the Town of Niagara. This may indicate that this section has not been constructed yet but is planned. To the south of this line are large, long parcels

1893 Hopkins (Appendix 1.8): On the Amherst sheet, “Kennelworth” Avenue becomes Town Line Road. The Kenilworth racetrack has not yet been built. The Englewood subdivision (to the west of what will become the racetrack) contains streets but no buildings. The east side of Kenilworth Avenue has some residential streets laid out as well but again no houses. To the north there are still large lots with only a few buildings along Town Line. The portion of the road that is now Old Niagara Falls Boulevard is not included on this map. On one of

the North Tonawanda sheets, what is now Old Falls Boulevard (running through Martinsville) is labeled as Canal Street and Williams Street. What is now the Boulevard is Sawyer’s Creek Road. To the north of Martinsville is Martinsville Station; this area has been subdivided but there are no houses yet. North of this are large lots again, some owned by individuals and some by land companies. A Sawyer’s Creek Station also appears in this area. A cemetery is shown along the creek to the north of Klemer Street (now Klemer Road). On the Wheatfield sheet, Sawyer’s Creek Road becomes Alder Creek Road after St. Johnsburg, still terminating at Sy. La Salle is not included on this map. On the Niagara Falls sheet, what is now Pine/the Boulevard at Packard Road is labeled as Mile Line Road, becoming Pine farther west.

Boulevard and the rail line to the east appears (when cross-referenced with 2018 Google satellite imagery) to be a creek or stream that these were built over. 1909 Century Erie County:

On the sheet showing a close-up of southern area of Tonawanda, the current alignment of the Boulevard appears as it was when it was still Town Line Road. The Kenilworth Park racetrack appears on the west side with a proposed subdivision directly to its west. Above the racetrack are large lots, mostly empty but a few with buildings along the road. On the Kenmore sheet, subdivision has occurred along the old alignment at Wabash Avenue and Stillwell Avenue, which appear as dotted lines, not yet constructed. The large lots between Stillwell and Kenmore are 1900 Sanborn Buffalo (Appendix 1.9): labeled with the names of development companies like “Delaware Avenue & Niagara Falls Boulevard On this map, what is now Colvin Land Co.” North of Stillwell, the Tonawanda sheet is labeled as Niagara Falls Boulevard. shows more large, privately-owned tracts, and the old alignment becomes a dotted outline north of what is 1908 Niagara County (Appendix 1.10): now Highland Avenue, terminating at Young Street; presumably this was its proposed continuing path. On the Wheatfield sheet, “School No. 3” appears on Sawyer’s Creek Road between 1913 Sanborn Martinsville: Martinsville and Johnsburg. On the La Salle sheet, On this map, what is now Old Falls Boulevard the road that is now the Boulevard appears in this is labeled as “Niagara Falls Blvd (Tonawanda area for the first time, named Mile Line Road and starting on the west side of Tuscarora Road. The Creek Road),” “Niagara Falls Blvd (William),” name changes to Pine Avenue after La Salle. The and “Niagara Falls Blvd (Sawyers Creek Road).” land in this area is mostly large lots, presumably 1914 Sanborn La Salle: farmland, with residential areas beginning to spring up. A lot near the western edge is marked as On this map, Mile Line Road has now become belonging to a realty company, signifying there may soon be more residential development. The Niagara the new alignment of the Boulevard. There are no lots Falls sheet shows the intersection of Pine Avenue shown, just roads, some of which are appear to be and Packard Road. There is a structure labeled “Lime the beginnings of possibly residential neighborhoods. Kiln” within a large parcel marked as being owned 1915 New Century Buffalo: by the Niagara Falls Power Company. To the north and southeast, there are the beginnings of some This map labels the old alignment “Colvin residential areas with lots laid out but few structures Street (Niagara Falls Boulevard)” until it reaches shown. The dotted line that crosses under the 31

Kenmore Avenue (on the Kenmore sheet), at which point it is just called Niagara Falls Boulevard. Lots have been subdivided on either side, ready for construction, but no buildings exist immediately along this stretch yet. To the north, some large lots remain below Stillwell, and north of Stillwell, one of the Tonawanda close-up sheets shows that no subdivision has occurred along the Boulevard itself, although some of the large land parcels are labeled as being owned by land companies. On the Tonawanda overview sheet, the shift from existing to proposed remains the same as on the 1909 Century map, but additional subdivision has occurred adjacent to the proposed portion. Along the current alignment, still labeled as Town Line Road, one of the Tonawanda sheets shows that the racetrack has become a residential subdivision, Kenilworth Park, although only one building (labeled “Club House”) exists in it at this point. 1916-1940 Sanborn Buffalo: The 1916 key sheet for this map labels the current alignment as “Kenilworth or Niagara Falls Boulevard.” The area to the west of the Boulevard between Kenmore and Davis is depicted in detail in 1928. Lots are laid out on the west side of the Boulevard with many houses and a few stores along some stretches, but very few north of Paige Avenue. Fred E. Boyle Restaurant and Dancing appears at the corner of Chalmers and the Boulevard, with no houses north of it on this map. The section of the Boulevard between Main Street and Kenmore Avenue is shown in 1935; the Boulevard is labeled as “Niagara Falls Boulevard (Kenilworth Ave).” Most lots on this portion contain houses. 1923 Sanborn La Salle:

1928 Sanborn Tonawanda: The key map (dated 1928, from the Tonawanda 1910-1951 atlas) shows the Boulevard crossing Tonawanda Creek at Bushes Bridge and continuing north through Martinsville as what is now Old Falls Boulevard. 1932 Sanborn Eggertsville-Snyder: This maps shows lots that have been laid out south of Princeton Avenue (which is noted as “not open”), with houses on about half of them fronting the Boulevard but none behind those (fronting Allenhurst). There are houses on most lots on Capen and Hyman (parallel streets to the east). Cambridge Boulevard (the next street north of Princeton) has barely started and is not open. The land along the Boulevard north of Princeton is labeled “Jewish Hospital Ass’n of Buffalo.” Another map of this area from the same Sanborn atlas, but obviously later, shows that most lots that previously did not have houses do now, and the land that formerly belonged to the Jewish Hospital Association has been divided into lots with houses along the Boulevard (but the rest of it is still empty and not subdivided). Cambridge has been extended to the east and west, now adjoining the Boulevard, but is still not open. Princeton Avenue now curves up to the north to meet Cambridge, and what at now the Princeton Court Apartments have been built. 1936 Sanborn Niagara Falls: On this map, Niagara Falls Boulevard ceases to go by that name at the intersection with Porter south of Bell Aerospace/Niagara Falls Airport, becoming Buffalo Boulevard. Buffalo Boulevard then becomes Pine after Packard, as the Boulevard does today.

The Boulevard is shown at the north of 1938 Niagara Frontier Planning Board Erie County: this map. This area is very similar to the way it This map shows lot ownership but not appeared on the 1914 version of this map, but with a slightly expanded residential street system. structures. The Town of Tonawanda and Town of 32

Amherst maps, dated 1937 and 1936 respectively, show the former Erie County Poor House as the University at Buffalo. The entire alignment of the Boulevard on these maps is labeled as Niagara Falls Boulevard. There remains one large individuallyowned lot on the west side of the Boulevard north of Davis, with the lot above that owned by Erie County. Erie County also owns a lot just north of Sheridan and several more lots north of Koenig Road. There is a large, individually-owned lot (70 acres) on the east side of the Boulevard to the north and south of Meyer Road. The area to the east of this is still all large lots. To the west are more large lots, with one owned by a land company and others still individually owned. North of the Lehigh Valley Railroad is more subdivision along the Boulevard, but further out the lots remain large. Ellicott Creek Park and Island Park appear. The prior alignment is labeled as Old Niagara Falls Boulevard with the new alignment to the east, continuing north to intersect with Tonawanda Creek Road and cross Tonawanda Creek. 1938 Niagara Frontier Planning Board Niagara County: On the map of Wheatfield, from 1937, Wurlitzer appears and gets its own map (dated 1938), which includes the Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company and several small subdivisions around it. To the north, large lots predominate. The intersection of the Boulevard and Nash Road gets its own map (dated 1938). St. Johnsburg gets its own map (also dated 1938), which shows St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery and St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and School. North of St. Johnsburg the lots become quite large until the area southwest of Bergholtz, which also gets its own map (dated 1938). The Boulevard continues past Sy Road through Niagara-Bergholtz Road (which is now Cayuga Drive Extension/Niagara Road). A road labeled Old Niagara Falls Boulevard appears arcing north of the current alignment between Sy and Schultz Street and then turning south to intersect with the Boulevard and 33

continue west to join Niagara-Bergholtz Road. The south portion of this road appears on earlier maps but is unnamed. Today, the north portion of this road is called Old Falls Boulevard and stops at the Boulevard, and the other half of it is a dead end called Cayuga Drive Extension. The Town of Niagara map, dated 1937, shows the entire route labeled as Pine Avenue. South of the Boulevard, many residential streets appear, with a few large lots still existing, some owned by individuals and some by companies (including the Niagara Falls Power Company). North of the Boulevard large lots predominate, with the largest two, directly along the Boulevard, again owned by the power company. 1938 Sanborn Niagara Falls: This map is a close-up of the largely residential area to the southeast of the intersection of the Boulevard and Military Road. The Boulevard is labeled as “Niagara Falls Boulevard (Pine)” and “(Buffalo Boulevard).” Notable structures are the La Salle Church of Christ and the Plantation Rest & Dinner Hall. There is also a group of tourist cabins on the north side of the Boulevard. 1941 Munger Historical Atlas of New York State: This map shows the current Old Falls Boulevard labeled as “Falls Boulevard,” with the same name applied to the portion of the current alignment to the north. The Boulevard is still labeled as Mile Line Road east of Packard. 1947 Sanborn Niagara Falls: This map shows the Boulevard in a portion of the Town of Niagara between 70th and 79th Streets, with the south side of the Boulevard acting as the limits of the City of Niagara Falls. The map is centered on 74th Street, where there is a distinctive bend in the Boulevard. On the north and south sides of the Boulevard there are several parcels with structures labelled “cabins” or “tourist cabins.”

1948 USGS: On the Buffalo NE map, the portion of the Boulevard between Main and Kenmore is marked as a medium-duty street, becoming heavy-duty north of Kenmore. This portion is labeled as being four lanes. A radio tower appears north of Meyer. On the Tonawanda map, East Robinson Street appears on this map but terminates at Sweeney, not crossing the creek. A small airport, County Line Airport, appears off Tonawanda Creek Road to the east of the Boulevard. White Chapel Memorial Cemetery appears, bounded by the Boulevard, Tonawanda Creek, and Tonawanda Creek Road. The hamlet of Sawyer is labeled on the Boulevard to the northwest of Martinsville and contains three cemeteries as well as a school (School No. 3). The hamlet of Nashville appears between Sawyer and St. Johnsburg. Niagara Falls Municipal Airport appears. 1949 USGS: Niagara Falls is the only relevant area that was mapped in this set. Significant industrial development has occurred south of the intersection of Pine and Packard. 1951 Sanborn Niagara Falls: This map shows the same areas covered by the 1938 and 1947 Sanborn maps. On the portion covered by the 1947 map, there have been some changes in development, the most notable being the residential area west of 70th Street which now includes 69th, 68th, and 67th Streets as well as John Avenue and Pine Court. There are also more parcels showing structures throughout the area as a whole and some changes in commercial properties along the Boulevard. In the area covered by the 1938 map, a larger number of the lots that had been laid out previously now contain structures. Notably, some lots directly adjacent to the Boulevard have been combined to form

larger properties for commercial structures like an unnamed motel between 86th and 87th Streets. 1954 Sanborn Niagara Falls: This map shows the border of the Town of Niagara and the City of Niagara Falls as the center line of Pine Avenue (which the Boulevard becomes), with the Town to the north and City to the south. This portion of Pine lies between a rail line just west of 56th Street and just east of 70th Street. There are several motels listed lining the north and south sides of the road including Paradise Motel, Riviera Motel, and Honeymoon Motel, among others. 1965 USGS: On the Buffalo NE map, the portion of the Boulevard between Main and Kenmore is now shown as heavy-duty. There has been significant additional residential street construction on both sides of the Boulevard. The Northtown Shopping Plaza appears just south of Sheridan and the Boulevard Mall Shopping Center appears to the north, with significant residential development to the west and east of it. Multiple new schools appear. A drive-in theater appears north of Meyer. On the Tonawanda East map, the Youngmann Expressway appears, as does the Green Acres Valley subdivision on either side of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. A fire station appears across from it on the east side of the Boulevard, and a new road has been constructed that leads to the new Willow Ridge Estates development. There has been residential growth along Sweeney and just south of Threemile Island (now Ellicott Island Park). East Robinson now continues east across the creek and Bushes Bridge is now gone. Additional residential development has occurred along Tonawanda Creek Road near County Line Airport. A golf course appears across from White Chapel Memorial Cemetery. Additional streets and houses have been constructed in Martinsville. Wurlitzer Park 34

Village has seen a significant increase in residential development. School No. 3 is gone but there is now a school on Nash Road near its former location. The Tonawanda West map also shows significant residential development. St. John’s School appears in St. Johnsburg. Oppenheim Park and a new drive-in theater appear. An additional cemetery and two additional schools are labeled in Bergholtz. A north-south railroad intersects the Boulevard west of Bergholtz. There has been significant development between Porter and the Boulevard, including many larger buildings, presumably retail and hotels, as well as a trailer park. A drive-in theater appears on Military Road with LaSalle high school appearing across the street. After Porter, the Boulevard is labeled as Pine Avenue. I-190 appears for the first time, and there is another trailer park between it and Military Road. The Niagara Falls map shows that the alignment of Pine west of Packard has changed slightly to separate each direction of traffic and add additional lanes. A new school appears west of the Pine/Packard intersection. Additional large buildings and a small pond appear at what is now the landfill between Packard and Pine east of their intersection. 1980 USGS: The Tonawanda East map shows significant construction of presumably retail buildings having occurred along the Boulevard between the Youngmann Expressway and the former Lehigh Valley Railroad, which is now labeled as “old railroad grade.” Willow Ridge Estates has expanded. County Line Airport is gone and there has been significant additional residential development in the area where it used to be. A girl scout camp appears across the creek to the west of Ellicott Island Park. A golf course appears north of the Boulevard between Schultz and Nash. On the Tonawanda West map, a cluster of small buildings along the Boulevard southwest of Oppenheim Park that appeared on the 1965 map are gone. Many of a group of small buildings to the southeast of the park are also gone. The Boulevard 35

is still named Pine Avenue after Porter. Additional residential development has occurred south of the Boulevard after the intersection with Porter. A trailer park appears on the north side of the Boulevard just east of this intersection, and another appears north of the Boulevard and east of I-190, for a total of four shown in the vicinity of the Boulevard on this map. From shortly after Williams through to the edge of the map, the entire area along the Boulevard is shaded, indicating that the area is densely built-up, and individual buildings are not depicted. On the Niagara Falls map, a building in what is now the landfill complex has been enlarged. Otherwise, there have been no significant changes from the 1965 map. 1989 USGS: Buffalo NE is the only relevant map that exists from 1989. This map shows that additional commercial development has occurred along the Boulevard north and south of the Boulevard Mall, and a new apartment complex has been built off Meyer Road. The mall has been expanded. The drivein theater north of the mall is gone. The alignment of North Bailey has changed, now continuing north past the mall with a new office park on its east side between it and the Youngmann Expressway. 1995 USGS: The Niagara Falls map, the only relevant one from this year, shows more buildings/additions at what is now the landfill. 1996 USGS: The only relevant maps from this year are Tonawanda East and West. The Tonawanda East map shows that additional residential development has occurred on the east side of the Boulevard just south of Ellicott Creek. Significant new commercial development (likely an office park) appears east of the Boulevard between Ellicott Creek and East

Robinson. The North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens appear on Old Falls Boulevard. Wurlitzer Park Village has expanded to the south and west. Significant additional residential development has occurred in Nashville. The Tonawanda West map shows that additional residential development has occurred on the south side of the Boulevard south of Oppenheim Park (including a new town hall) and south of the Boulevard’s intersection with Cayuga Drive Extension/ Niagara Road. Both of the drive-in theaters shown on the previous map of this area are now gone.

Endnotes 1.“Reconnaissance Level Survey of Historic Resources” (Village of Willamsville, Erie County, NY: Bero Associaties Architects, 1997), http://walkablewilliamsville.com/wp-content/ uploads/2017/01/1997-Reconnaissance-Level-Survey-of-HistoricResources.pdf. 2.“Reconnaissance Level Survey of Historic Resources.” 3.Clay McShane and Joel A. Tarr, The Horse in the City (Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins Universtiy Press, 2007), https://books.google.com/books?id=-QXhVgYITTIC&pg=PA 217&dq=The+Decline+of+the+Urban+Horse+in+America n+Cities&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3_uvV4YveAhWQmAKHbrfDw4Q6AEINTAC&authuser=1#v=onepage&q=The%20 Decline%20of%20the%20Urban%20Horse%20in%20American%20 Cities&f=false. 4.McShane and Tarr. 5.McShane and Tarr. 6.Henry Perry Smith, “Chapter XXXII. Railroads,” in History of the City of Buffalo and Erie County: With Illus. and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, vol. 1 (D. Mason & Company, 1884). 7.“Buffalo & Niagara Falls Railroad,” Niagara Falls Info, February 3, 2017, https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/ niagara-falls-municipal-history/railroads-of-niagara-falls/the-buffaloniagara-falls-railroad/. 8.Charles Arthur Conant, “Constructive Evolution: Inner Communications,” in The History of Buffalo, vol. 1 (Progress of the Empire State Company, 1913), 144–46. 9.Rich Sampson, “Buffalo Belt Line,” Buffalo Rising (blog), October 26, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/10/buffalo-belt-line/. 10.“Chapter V.,” in A History of the City of Buffalo: Its Men and Institutions : Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens (Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Evening News, 1908), 29–31. 11.George Woodman Hilton and John Fitzgerald Due, The Electric Interurban Railways in America (Stanford University Press, 2000). 12.Clinton Brown Company Architecture/Rebuild, “Streetcar Suburbs in the U.S. (ca. 1880s-1920s),” in Elmwood Historic District (West) National Register of Historic Places Nomination, 2015, 38–40. 13.John N. Jackson, The Mighty Niagara: One River - Two Frontiers (Prometheus Books, 2003).

14.“Buffalo’s Show a Splendid Success,” Automotive Industries, 1909, https://books.google.com/ 15.“Buffalo’s Show a Splendid Success.” 16.Thomas Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II,” The Journal of Economic History 64, no. 2 (2004): 289–327, https://doi. org/10.1017/S0022050704002712. 17.D. David Bregger, “International Railway Company,” in Buffalo’s Historic Streetcars and Buses, Images of America (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), 15–32. 18.Bregger. 19.“Niagara Falls Streetcars & Trolleys: A History,” Niagara Falls Thunder Alley (blog), n.d., http://www.niagarafrontier.com/trolleys. html. 20.D. David Bregger, “From Rails to Rubber,” in Buffalo’s Historic Streetcars and Buses, Images of America (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), 43–50. 21.Bregger, “International Railway Company.” 22.D. David Bregger, “Rails Were Good, but Rubber Is Better,” in Buffalo’s Historic Streetcars and Buses, Images of America (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), 65–74. 23.Stone and Stewart, New Topographical Atlas of Erie County, NY (Philadelphia, 1866), Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/ map01000036. 24.History of Niagara County, New York, 1821-1878 (New York: Sanford and Company, 1878), http://www.nthistory.com/files/ original/0f04371aec5e5dc2e6c0ca35fb71b201.pdf. 25.William Pool, ed., Landmarks of Niagara County, New York (D. Mason, 1897), https://books.google.com/books?id=FvYpAQ AAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=St.+Johnsburg,+Niagara+Fa lls+Boulevard&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiUgYTGusXdAhWnlAKHXQxDWw4ChDoAQhYMAk#v=onepage&q&f=false. 26.History of Niagara County, New York, 1821-1878. 27.New York State College of Agriculture, Farm Bureau Circular, Issues 1-11, 1913, https://books.google.com/ books?id=rY4YAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA4&dq=niagara+county++farmin g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmtv7_0fzdAhVwQt8KHaUYDHkQ6AEI NzAD#v=onepage&q=wheatfield&f=false. 28.“Houses for Sale,” Buffalo Courier Express, July 18, 1948, fultonhistory.com, http://www.fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%20 21/Buffalo%20NY%20Courier%20Express/Buffalo%20NY%20 Courier%20Express%201948/Buffalo%20NY%20Courier%20 Express%201948%20-%205934.pdf. 29.“1930 United States Federal Census,” n.d., Ancestry.com, https:// www.ancestry.com/ 30.Kenneth Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (Oxford University Press, 1987). 31.“Houses for Sale,” Buffalo Courier Express, July 18, 1948, fultonhistory.com, http://www.fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%20 21/Buffalo%20NY%20Courier%20Express/Buffalo%20NY%20 Courier%20Express%201948/Buffalo%20NY%20Courier%20 Express%201948%20-%205934.pdf. 32.Town Planning Board, “The General Development Plan for the Town of Amherst, NY,” 1955. 33.Dennis Reed, “Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company,” n.d., http:// nthistory.com/collections/show/52. 34.Robert Silsby, Settlement to Suburb: A History of the Town of Tonawanda 1607-1986 (Sterling C. Sommer, Inc, 1997).

35.Timothy Tielman, “How Green Were My Acres: Builders, Designers, and Buyers in an Atomic Age Suburb, 1946-1956,” December 21, 2011, https://greaterbuffalo.blogs.com/files/tielman-green-acresnarrative-2.pdf. 36.Daniel Hess, “Green Acres: Anatomy of a Post World-War II Suburb,” n.d. 37.Connie Chiang and Marguerite Shaffer, “See America First: Tourism And National Identity, 1880-1940,” Environmental History 8, no. 4 (2003), https://doi.org/10.2307/3985904. 38.Chiang and Shaffer. 39.Chiang and Shaffer, “See America First: Tourism And National Identity, 1880-1940.” 40.John F. Sears 1941, Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century, Pbk., Book, Whole (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1998), http://buffalo.summon. serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/ 41.Chiang and Shaffer, “See America First: Tourism And National Identity, 1880-1940.” 42.Chiang and Shaffer. 43.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 44.Chiang and Shaffer, “See America First: Tourism And National Identity, 1880-1940.” 45.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 46.Weiss. 47.Sears, Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century. 48.Sears. 49.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 50.John A. Jakle, The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth-Century North America, Book, Whole (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1985), http://buffalo.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXM wY2AwNtIz0EUrEyyB9ZxlYoqlQWoqsAZJMkpKS0kFnTtiYGKcamKYAt5 N5mPs62LiEWnmx8QAu9QRdogjqFufVJqWBuRgOSYVVM-BZgrMmRm YgckXlMC9oiBnPYKSK7DGh3HMga0Fc-ixOzBJAyQ-SB60nQdqF1JN4y bIwALafSDEwJSaJ8zAAVuWLszACb2tPKNShIEbGLcKJeDj_0pEGRTcXE OcPXShhsVDPRMPd66RGANvImgde14JeL9bigSDQhKwuWaZamqcZJ aUamJqmWppaJGUaJRsmpJiYmqSamEkySCJ0zwpPHLSDFyGlhamkM EDGQZWoKriVFm4T-XAYQYAROVyXg. 51.Michael L. Berger, The Automobile in American History and Culture: A Reference Guide (Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2001). 52.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 53.Jakle, The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth-Century North America. 54.Susan Sessions Rugh, Are We There yet?: The Golden Age of American Family Vacations, Book, Whole (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008), http://buffalo.summon.serialssolutions. com/2.0.0/link/0/ 55.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 56.Rugh, Are We There yet?: The Golden Age of American Family Vacations. 57.Rugh. 58.Michael L. Berger 1943, The Automobile in American History and Culture: A Reference Guide, Book, Whole (Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2001), http://buffalo.summon.serialssolutions. com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwY2AwNtIz0EUrE8wSLROBbeFUE6OkVF PQIW-GaanApgloY6hBohH4FEYfH2NfFxOPSDM_ 59.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.”

60.Jakle, The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth-Century North America. 61.Jakle. 62.Jakle. 63.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 64.Jakle, The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth-Century North America. 65.Jakle. 66.Jakle. 67.Jakle, The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth-Century North America. 68.Jakle. 69.Jakle. 70.Weiss, “Tourism in America before World War II.” 71.Weiss. 72.Jakle, The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth-Century North America. 73.“The Whole Story of Delawanda: Delaware Avenue Between Buffalo and Tonawanda,” Buffalo Evening News, May 29, 1909. 74.Larry Ford, Cities and Buildings: Skyscrapers, Skid Rows, and Suburbs (Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press, 1994). 75.Richard Longstreth, City Center to Regional Mall (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1997). 76.Richard A. Feinberg and Jennifer Meoli, “A Brief History of the Mall,” NA - Advances in Consumer Research 18 (1991), http:// acrwebsite.org/volumes/7196/volumes/v18/NA-18. 77.Josh Sanburn, “Why the Death of Malls Is About More Than Shopping,” Time, July 20, 2017, http://time.com/4865957/deathand-life-shopping-mall/. 78.Colin Marshall, “Southdale Center: America’s First Shopping Mall – a History of Cities in 50 Buildings, Day 30,” The Guardian, May 6, 2015, sec. Cities, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/ may/06/southdale-center-america-first-shopping-mall-history-cities50-buildings. 79.Emily Matchar, “The Transformation of the American Shopping Mall,” Smithsonian, accessed December 3, 2018, https://www. smithsonianmag.com/innovation/transformation-american-shoppingmall-180964837/. 80.Marshall, “Southdale Center.” 81.Jeffrey Hardwick, Mall Maker: Victor Gruen, Architect of an American Dream (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010). 82.Feinberg and Meoli, “A Brief History of the Mall.” 83.Bill Ott, “Band to Play, Trans-Oceanic Phone Will Ring At Opening of the Boulevard Mall Wednesday,” Buffalo Evening News, March 12, 1963. 84.Steve Cichon, “The Buffalo You Should Know: WNY Amusment Parks through the Decades,” Buffalo Stories (blog), n.d., http://blog. buffalostories.com/tag/dealings-rides/. 85.Cichon.

Existing Conditions

To provide a foundation for a visionary design to improve Niagara Falls Boulevard, a survey of existing conditions was conducted. This section aims to describe the current patterns of development that have resulted from the Boulevard’s history as a commercial, suburban, tourist-oriented route. Additionally, an analysis of zoning conditions and comprehensive plans will describe how the Boulevard functions within a modern context. Having an understanding of these conditions will provide the information necessary to make an informed proposal for future development.

Tourism-Related Development Existing Motels and Hotels

Building Typology The motels located along the Boulevard are one- or two-story buildings in the shape of an I, L, or U, sometimes being a single structure and sometimes a complex of multiple buildings. Many include an outdoor swimming pool located in the front of the motel, typically in the center of the complex. Some have a playground or picnic area. Air conditioning is typically located below the window in each of the rooms. In some cases, a motel will have a restaurant or tourist center on site for guests’ convenience. Parking is typically located directly in front of and perpendicular to the motel building, but is sometimes parallel to it. There is also often additional parking available. The reception or office building is typically attached to the motel structure or in an adjacent building, often with a porte-cochère. Each motel has prominent illuminated roadside signage to catch the attention of the motorist. Some of these motels retain their original characteristics dating back to the postwar era, while others have been updated with modern features and design. Others have, unfortunately, fallen into disrepair and are no longer in operation. Of particular note is the Sleepy Hollow Motel, which is currently for sale for between $1 and $1.5 million. In addition to the seven-room motel building, the property includes a residence with an in-ground pool, a pool house with a bedroom, a restaurant, and a twocar garage with a one-bedroom apartment above.1 The recently-constructed “highway hotels” on the Boulevard are typically three- or four-story I-shaped buildings. These new-builds have surface parking lots that typically have a large number of spots. Air conditioning is also located underneath each of rooms’ window, but with more subtlety than on the motels, blending into the window frame. These hotels contain a central entrance to the building’s lobby. See Appendix 2.1

Throughout the approximately 18 miles of Niagara Falls Boulevard there are a total of 62 extant hotel and motel structures. This includes 37 motels, one of which includes a string of cabins on the premises, 12 recently-constructed hotels, two campgrounds, and 10 former motel buildings or complexes that no longer retain their original function, either having fallen vacant or now having a different use. (See inventory 1) 43 were constructed between 1930 and 1970, with the majority having been constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. Following the 1970s, no new motels or hotels were constructed until the introduction of the highway hotel, which started to pop up in the early 2000s. 12 new-build hotels were constructed between the years of 2000 and 2018. These properties are concentrated in two major areas along the Boulevard. The first is near the I-290 and Niagara Falls Boulevard interchange, which contains both mid-century and contemporary hotels geared toward the interstate traveler. The more recent buildings typically stand three or four stories high, with a centralized lobby and internal access to rooms. The second location is situated near the most northerly section of the Boulevard. Signage Most of these are the classic motel typology, and most appear to be in good condition and in operation. These

hotels

and

motels

all

include 38

accompanying signage at the roadside. The most common types are a one-pole (“lollipop”) or twopole (“H”) pylon with either an illuminated cabinet or neon tubing to display their name and information. These usually have smaller illuminated change-out letter signs or LED electronic scrolling message boards to display deals, information, amenities, etc. There are some historically significant motel signs that remain along the Boulevard, which were designed to be unique and eye-catching. These include the signs for the Moonlight, Bit-O-Paris, Rainbow, Caravan, Starfire, Niagara Falls, Algiers, Sleepy Hollow, and Pelican Motels. Some of these signs have fallen into disrepair, and some are for hotels that are no longer in operation, such as the Starfire and Sleepy Hollow. In contrast to these, most of the hotels on the Boulevard have signage that is more standardized and set on taller poles to catch the eye of the driver on the highway.

Bit-O-Paris Motel Sign

Algiers Motel Sign

Campgrounds and Cottages There is only one remaining motel complex on the Boulevard that features cottages. This is the B Cozy Motel, which has five duplex cottages, for a total of ten rooms, across from the main motel building. There are also two campgrounds on the Boulevard that provide trailers and RVs a place to park and stay: the Niagara Falls Campground & Lodging, which includes a tour center on the property, and the AA Royal Motel and Campground, which, as the name indicates, contains both an RV park and a motel.

Sleepy Motel Sign

Summary Examining the concentration of motels along the Boulevard in comparison to the concentration of residential density, it can be concluded that the emergence of motels coincides with the suburban residential neighborhoods that developed within the same pockets as well as the development of other commercial properties in the same areas. It can be assumed that the northern section of the Boulevard 39

References Photos taken by Marie Shearing and Tera Perilli

leading into Niagara Falls and the section located in Eggertsville/Amherst were developed as a result of the introduction of the automobile following the end of World War II. Based on this analysis, it can be concluded that the majority of the motels that still exist on the Boulevard today were constructed during the mid-twentieth century. Although some have been altered from their historic state, most retain their character-defining features, providing a great opportunity for restoration and reuse.

changed. One of the earliest retail buildings to emerge in this area is located at 422 Niagara Falls Boulevard (Figure 2.1). The features of this building indicate very early 1950s design. It is a two-story light-colored tan brick building with simple unadorned punch windows, a low-pitched roof, an asymmetrical entryway, and a canopy that lines the lower level, giving it a human scale. It boasts a simple square massing and has an L-shaped parking lot. When it opened in 1950, the building was home to a barbershop, a dentist, a real-estate office, and an accounting agent office. Commercial Development Its various uses were geared towards permanent For the most part, retail development did residents in adjacent suburban neighborhoods. not start appearing on Niagara Falls Boulevard The building also boasted a large roadside one-pole until the 1950s. Some of the retail establishments pylon sign that was geared toward the automobile. constructed post-1950 borrowed residential building typologies, but more typically they expressed their own typologies, styles, and character-defining features. Some of these features present in structures along the Boulevard are the use of mixed planar materials, smooth unadorned surfaces, an angled canopy, slim pilotis (supports), and an asymmetrical entrance Figure 2.1: 422 Niagara Falls Boulevard placed on the front facade (see Appendix 2.2). In N/A terms of massing, this style maintains a largely simple Google Maps form and, like the motels, is either I-, L-, or U-shaped. The integration of the automobile and These shapes are in reference to where the parking lot surge in economic growth created opportunities is located in relation to the building. Parking for mid- for retail development to then expand further century strip malls abuts the storefront to maximize along the Boulevard in the form of strip malls. They the amount of parking spaces. The buildings are set became a sort of social place for gathering, as back from the road enough to allow automobiles to well as a place to complete day-to-day shopping. turn directly into a parking spot, but not so far as to The areas adjacent to major subdivisions in the be overlooked by potential customers. The rise in Towns of Amherst and Tonawanda contain a high automobiles also led to the large detached pylon sign density of strip malls housing various businesses. becoming a character-defining feature of not only the With the establishment of the Boulevard Mall strip mall but also any other retail establishment. in 1962,2 strip malls and restaurants expanded into The earliest wave of retail development on the surrounding area in hopes of attracting tourists Niagara Falls Boulevard happened at the south end and shoppers who were driving to the shopping center. near Main Street, in close proximity to the developing One notable example is the existing McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Park subdivision. Before Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s located in Amherst, which is recognized as the first to population began to move away from the city center, be constructed in New York State (Figure 2.2). Another there was no need for retail development in the property to emerge in this period is 2425 Niagara Falls area. Both residential and retail development grew Boulevard. Though it has currently been converted simultaneously here as the needs of the population 40

into a small banquet hall, this building opened in 1955 as the Boulevard Garden Gift Shop. It was intended to attract tourists on their way to a motel. The density of retail development remains consistent and thriving along the Boulevard up until East Robinson Road, just south of the Erie/ Niagara County boundary. From this point on, retail development begins to thin out dramatically, as does residential development, only appearing in small clusters every few miles. Due to the land around this stretch of the Boulevard being historically used for farming purposes, it has largely retained its original character and was never fully developed for retail or residential uses to the extent of other portions. The density of retail development does, however, begin to increase again as the Boulevard nears Niagara Falls.

Ad for South Pacific at Melody Fair 1956 Democrat and Chronicle, September 9, 1956

The Fair on the Boulevard

Figure 2.2: 1385 Niagara Falls Boulevard 2010

From its 1956 start as a large tent, Melody Fair grew to become a much-loved theater space with a rotating stage and seating for 3,000. Located near the Wurlitzer building, the theater hosted many popular musicals and performers, but declined in the 1980s. Its last show was in 2003. In 2010, although there had been efforts to save the structure, it was demolished so that a Walmart could be built on the site.

Waymarking.com

Though most of the original retail structures along the Boulevard still exist, many features of the postwar architecture have been changed or covered up throughout the years. This is due to the layered material application of the mid-century modern style and the constantly evolving function of these buildings. Many of the retail establishments now house different businesses and have been updated with the addition of faux roofs and conventional signage that provide a more modern design. However, critical elements such as the general organization and massing as well as a defined relationship to

References -Nancy A. Fischer, “Round ’n’ Round Star-Studded History of Melody Fair,” The Buffalo News, February 22, 2015, https://buffalonews. com/2015/02/22/round-n-round-star-studded-history-of-melodyfair/. -Neale Gulley, “Last Note a Shrill One for Melody Fair’s Theater in the Round,” Niagara Gazette, May 23, 2010, https://www.niagaragazette.com/news/lifestyles/last-note-a-shrill-one-for-melody-fair-stheater/article_4f5c2696-5522-5001-83ea-94344387559a.html. -Fischer, “Round ’n’ Round.”

Residential Development Conducting a complete analysis of residential growth along Niagara Falls Boulevard reveals that multiple patterns of development exist along different portions. The included map displaying this (Figure 2.5) is the result of historic research and a survey of existing conditions. With five major periods of construction, there is a clear connection to the larger trend of suburbanization which occurred in the post-World War II period.

Figure 2.3: 8562 Niagara Falls Boulevard 2017 Google Maps

both parking and the street generally remain intact. Some examples of mid-century retail along Niagara Falls Boulevard that retain their original use are: Hector’s Hardware (1970s), Dairy Queen (1960s), U-Haul (1970), Firestone (1965), Premier Car Care (1965), the Boulevard Mall (1962), McDonald’s (1958), and Arby’s (late 1960s/ early 1970s) (Figure 2.3). In addition to these properties, the Boulevard contains a dispersion of gas stations from this same period, which stand out for containing elements such as gabled roofs and a cupola or attached auto repair shops (Figure 2.4). Figure 2.5: Patterns of Development 2018 Gregory Pinto

Early Neighborhoods

Figure 2.4: 8628 Niagara Falls Boulevard 2017 Google Maps

The southernmost portion of Niagara Falls Boulevard, where it intersects with Main Street, contains residential properties of a unique typology. One of the earliest grid layouts in the area, the University Park subdivision was designed in the early twentieth century has narrow individual lots on either side of the street. Houses along the streets are two-story structures with covered masonry 42

porches on the front faรงade which emerge from the main massing, typically in the American foursquare style. Roofs are generally hipped and in some instances contain a hipped dormer. Some have been altered over time to reflect current building trends, such as the addition of conventional vinyl cladding or the later construction of a small garage behind the main house. Despite this, they still retain a high degree of historic integrity (Figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6: Houses on Marion Road October 2018

neighborhoods, as they were restricted to the upper middle-class families who were able to afford them. As shown in the below map displaying the racial makeup of University Park in 1950, the neighborhood was exclusively comprised of white residents (Figure 2.7). Over time, however, this trend would change

Figure 2.7: University Park racial demographics 1950 Gregory Pinto using 1950 Decennial Census data

Gregory Pinto

From this point, houses built shortly afterward can be viewed directly facing the Boulevard outside of the official boundaries of University Heights. While most retain a design similar to those in University Park, there is an additional presence of formerly residential properties re-purposed to serve as small commercial businesses. These properties are aligned on the west of the strip, as commercial properties begin to emerge along the opposite side. In terms of demographics, this area has witnessed a major change within the past 60 years. The University Park subdivision and surrounding area exemplifies one of many neighborhoods populated by white families at the turn of the century. This lack of diversity was a common feature of postwar 43

as homeownership became an option for more families and development continued. The same study area, seen in 2016, reveals greater diversity resulting from demographic shifts (Figure 2.8). An additional area that retains its nineteenthcentury character can be found at the division of the current and former paths of the Boulevard in Tonawanda. The initial alignment, now named Old Niagara Falls Boulevard, branches off and creates a distinct area separate from the current alignment. This road, which follows the path of Tonawanda Creek, contains a dispersion of larger residential properties spaced far apart from one another with no major sidewalk or infrastructure. Several of the properties are farmhouses built circa 1870, when the land was strictly agricultural. These houses each retain their

such as street lighting and a continuous sidewalk. Aside from this, the character of this area is defined by large tracts of open space containing scattered properties set back a great distance from the road. In addition to properties similar to those along Old Falls Boulevard and Old Niagara Falls Boulevard, there are houses which exhibit an overall design typical of early and mid-twentieth century styles. This corresponds to periods when suburban settlement began to take hold further into the rural area. A notable example of the range of architectural styles that occur in this region include an A-frame house on the edge of the Boulevard, located less than a mile from a nineteenth-century two-story farmhouse featuring a large cross-gabled roof, adjacent to a full-story barn. The range of styles on this portion represents the various stages of development and the long history Figure 2.8: University Park racial demographics of settlement that occurred along the Boulevard 2016 as methods of transportation gradually improved. Gregory Pinto using 2016 ACS 5 year estimate data own individual style and details, not repeating major Development of Mid-Century Suburbs forms as those in suburban areas do. Elements such as steeply pitched roofs, an L-shaped massing, A majority of residential development along and wood clapboard siding are all features of the the Boulevard emerged in the postwar era in style of architecture dominant during this period. the form of classic suburban subdivisions. Large On the other side of Tonawanda Creek, on networks of residential streets in an orthogonal Old Falls Boulevard, the houses are from the same layout are situated opposite major commercial period, but as one approaches Martinsville to the plazas and shopping centers. This relationship north they are more closely spaced and forms dates back to the surge in commercial development and details tend to be repeated. One example of following the subdivision of land into individual lots. a reoccurring style is the Eastlake detailing that Today, the typologies of this postwar development appears on some of these vernacular houses, which remain prominent adjacent to the Boulevard. became a trend when machine-produced decoration For example, properties observed along became available during the Victorian era. The Marion Road, which runs parallel to the Boulevard carefully-crafted balusters, pendants, and other at the edge of Amherst, mark the start of one of ornamentation are significant character-defining the major residential typologies, the transitional features from this period of the Boulevardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. ranch. This style is typically one-story and is Finally, early settlement trends can also be characterized by square or rectangular massing, observed along the portion of the Boulevard in the hipped roofs, and offset entrances adjacent to town of Wheatfield, again being reflective of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large windows on the front faĂ§ades. Looking down agriculture background. The suburban side streets one of these street reveals their uniformity, with that exist, such as Klemer Road, lack the key features of the houses evenly set back to allow space for front subdivisions that are geared towards the automobile, lawns and an equal distribution of sidewalks, street 44

lights, and other infrastructural components. An additional key feature is the detached single-car garage located behind the house. Built during a period when automobile ownership was common for every middle-class family, these houses were constructed to make convenient access to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car a priority. These same elements can be observed in most of the subdivisions along the Boulevard. Another neighborhood with the same method and style of construction exists off the Boulevard adjacent to the start of the heavy commercial and retail properties in Tonawanda. The Green Acres subdivision maintains key features from its creation as a typical postwar suburban neighborhood. Stretching from Brighton to Koenig Road to the west of the Boulevard, it follows a standard geometric pattern with variation in the form of cul-de-sacs and streets containing T-intersections. Houses continue to exhibit mid-century designs such as sloped rooflines and minimalistic decoration. An analysis of demographic information in this area at two points determined that most of the households made an annual income between $4000 and $5000 annually in 1960 and under $60,000 in the year 2016. (Figures 2.9 and 2.10)

Figure 2.9: Green Acres Road household income 1960 Gregory Pinto using 1960 Decennial Census data

Although they appear drastically different, these two figures are consistent with the wealth of an upper middle-class population for their respective periods. They additionally serve as an example of 45

middle-class trends that appear in similarly designed neighborhoods along the Boulevard. One of these is located further north along Draden Avenue in the Parkview neighborhood. Although the houses eventually break from the standard ranch style, there is a clear repetition of style and uniformity which establish a strong sense of commonality, which is typical of postwar construction.

Figure 2.10: Green Acres Road household income 2016 Gregory Pinto using 2016 ACS 5 year estimate data

One of the final locations of this form of suburban settlement can be viewed bordering the retail strip in Niagara Falls just before the intersection with Packard Road. This area, dominated by shopping plazas and commercial properties, exhibits traits identical to those which occur at the opposite portion in Amherst. There is a dense layout of residential blocks that are situated opposite to heavy commercial properties. Additionally, the homes once again exhibit standard 1950s features such as detached garages, hipped roofs, and low, long massing. An example of this pattern can be viewed along 78th Street, one of many numbered streets which form a larger subdivision. This repetition of design signifies a direct correlation between the commercial strip and suburban development in the mid-century period. Another trend observed in this as well as other postwar subdivisions along the Boulevard is the shrinking population. A comparison of population density between 1960 and 2016 shows a drop of almost 3,000 residents in the same census tract

(Figures 2.11 and 2.12) within 50 years. This shift in demographics can be attributed to the gradual return of residential development in urban areas and recent subdivisions such as those along

Figure 2.12: Population density per square mile 2016 Gregory Pinto using 2016 ACS 5 year estimate data

Figure 2.11: Population density per square mile 1960 Gregory Pinto using 1960 Decennial Census data

Marigold Drive. It also serves as an example of the gradual population loss that has occurred in postwar neighborhoods. Despite this, the properties within this area have retained their integrity and represent a key typology of suburban housing. Later Residential Patterns The remaining residential areas along the Boulevard include styles and layouts from the late twentieth century. One example of residential development from this period occurs on Niagara Road at its intersection with the Boulevard. The houses here reflect the suburban style that emerged in the 1980s, including elements such as vinyl siding and side-gabled roofs. This area also contains pockets of subdivisions constructed within the past 50 years.

Another example of this recent construction exists along Marigold Road within the hamlet of Nashville. These properties exist in a close-knit layout in a way which produces a sense of familiarity and comfort with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbors. Although larger and containing more recent features, these houses continue to maintain a repeated form and similar architectural details such as attached garages and prominent cross gables. Another noticeable feature of streets in this area is the lack of sidewalks and landscaping. Although these traits are not components of valuable historic fabric, the recent suburban neighborhoods remain relevant as they point to the continued trend of suburban living along the Boulevard. Their presence in close relation to historic properties demonstrates how the road has changed throughout history (See Appendix 2.3).

Transportation Infrastructure Historic Paths and Routes New York State has a rich Native American history. Native Americans traversed the state on trails that would become major routes for trade, settlements, and the exchange of cultural resources. These trails connected towns and villages across the state. A trade route from Batavia, NY to Fort Schlosser in Niagara Falls connected Western New York to the rest of the state (see Appendix 2.4). The large swath of land that is now the City of Buffalo was largely unexplored forest land until the turn of the nineteenth century when the land was surveyed by Joseph Ellicott of the Holland Land Company, who would later lay out the plan for the city. Niagara Falls Boulevard intersects with the Batavia-Buffalo Trail at three separate spots, all of which are located at the northern portion of the Boulevard, near Bergholtz Creek. By 1935, the City of Buffalo had developed an extensive line of streetcars and bus lines throughout the city (see Appendix 2.5). A map was released that year by the International Railway Company. The solid red lines showed street car routes, the dashed red lines showed bus routes, and the dashed blue lines showed the bus routes that were added in September 1935. This map was overlaid onto a current street map of Buffalo using ArcMap, and the current alignment of Niagara Falls Boulevard was also added. Analysis of this maps reveals that the streetcar and initial bus lines did not extend very far north towards the Boulevard. Traffic Patterns Niagara Falls Boulevard is unique because it presents a mixture of traffic flows (see Appendix 2.6). The residential section of the Boulevard at the southern tip has the smallest amount of traffic. Here, the road retains its historic character as a two-lane brick street, which is the best-case scenario for a neighborhood setting. As one moves north along the Boulevard, the 47

traffic starts to increase. The two highest areas of traffic occur just north of the I-290, which is where the most recent development has occurred. Big-box and stop-and-shop stores have populated this part of the Boulevard, which contributes to the in-and-out traffic patterns and the increase in number of cars. The portion of the Boulevard that has the lightest amount of traffic is predominantly residential. This area has 7,000 to 10,000 cars per day on average. The lack of retail in this stretch contributes to the lower amount of vehicles coming in and out of the neighborhood. Continuing north into Wheatfield and Niagara Falls, the traffic continues to get lighter. The road itself is more narrow here, and the speed limit increases from 30 mph in residential areas to 45 mph south of the 290. Development and homes are sparse along this section. The change in uses along the Boulevard give insight into what kind of development has taken place. Bicycling The Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) has an online bicycle infrastructure map for Erie and Niagara Counties (see Appendix 2.7). It shows multi-use trails, dedicated bike lanes on the road, shared-lane markings, dedicated lanes with contraflow, and New York State Bicycle Routes 5 and 517. Multi-use trails are pathways for bicyclists and pedestrians, free from motor vehicle traffic, that are separate from the road. Bike lanes are roadways that are physically marked as bicycle lanes, either being a separate lane that runs along the side of motor vehicle lanes, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sharrowâ&#x20AC;? where bikes share the lane with motor vehicles, or lanes that allow bicyclists to ride in the opposite direction of motor vehicle traffic and are separated by a yellow line. NYS bicycle routes are designated, signed roadways that bicyclists can use to travel anywhere. There is little to no bicycle infrastructure along Niagara Falls Boulevard, making it dangerous for bicyclists to travel along this route.

County as well as through Niagara Falls and Buffalo. Electric power transmission lines run between The Niagara Falls Transit Authority currently Buffalo and Niagara Falls, providing large amounts has two routes that run along the Boulevard (see of electricity to both Erie and Niagara Counties. Appendix 2.8). In addition to the 55 bus, running Summary from Kenmore Avenue just north of the I-290 and Ellicott Creek, the 34 bus runs from Wheatfield all The shift from the Boulevard’s use as a the way into the City of Niagara Falls. The bus stops are plentiful on both Boulevard routes and are scenic route to a suburban strip has brought pockets situated in close proximity to amenities. Most of the of congestion. These pockets are characterized by stops are uncovered poles, but some of the stops people driving to the Boulevard to shop, and then include a covered waiting area. Despite these two leaving the strip after they are done. The two most routes running at regular intervals, a large part of automobile-heavy areas of the Boulevard are just Niagara Falls Boulevard remains un-serviced by bus north of the I-290. These areas are home to some lines, namely the portion running through the City of of the prototypical suburban strip development that Tonawanda and North Tonawanda and into Wheatfield. took place in the second half of the twentieth century. These sections in particular foster the stop-and-shop dynamic created by those driving along the road. Sidewalks Public Transit

There are also many areas on the Boulevard that lack accessible paths for pedestrian travel. Using ArcMap and Google Earth to produce a shapefile revealed several primary portions that lack sidewalks (see Appendix 2.9). The stretch of the Boulevard between Sheridan Drive and Maple Road contains several patches on the west side without sidewalks, and there are significant stretches lacking in sidewalks between Sheridan Drive and I-290 in Amherst and between Tonawanda Creek in Wheatfield and Porter Road in Niagara Falls. (However, the base map from Google Earth is not entirely up-to-date, so there are two additional lanes under construction between Sy Road and Walmore Road in Wheatfield that do not appear on the map.) These areas correlate to portions which lack major commercial and retail development. Other Infrastructure The Boulevard runs over Tonawanda and Ellicott Creeks, along with many other small creeks. Appendix 2.10 shows bridges along the current alignment of the Boulevard. Also shown are railroads, which run along the Niagara River from Erie to Niagara

Zoning The land immediately adjacent to the Boulevard is primarily zoned commercial, with some pockets of residential and industrial zoning. Often there is a strip of commercial zoning along the Boulevard with residential behind. Subtypes of commercial zoning used by the Town of Amherst (all included in the “commercial” category on the zoning map) include motor services, shopping center, and general business.3 (Figure 2.13) In Amherst alone there are 11 motor services districts. Amherst also has one research and development district (which contains a doctor’s office) and several community facilities districts, which are for parks and churches— there are two churches along the Amherst portion of the Boulevard (these are too small to appear on the map).4 In Wheatfield there is some industrial zoning along the Boulevard, as well as Planned Unit Development, but for the most part it continues to be commercial with residential behind. There are again a few pockets of residential zoning directly along the Boulevard.5 Coming into Niagara Falls, the land along the Boulevard is zoned commercial 48

Comprehensive Plan Inventory

Figure 2.13: Zoning along the Boulevard 2018 Tabitha O’Connell using municipal planning documents

and then switches to industrial west of I-190.6 In addition to the regular zoning, Wheatfield also has a designated Niagara Falls Boulevard Overlay District, approved in September 2017, which covers almost all land that abuts the Boulevard.7 The purpose of this district is to maintain and promote the Boulevard as a commercial corridor. Thus, new residential development is not allowed along the Boulevard unless it is part of a mixeduse development. New storage facilities are also prohibited, and campgrounds and RV parks are only allowed “in conjunction with a motel or hotel with a minimum of 50 units on 10 acres of contiguous property.”8 There are also architectural restrictions to control the appearance of buildings, with an emphasis on making them appealing, and disruption of the monotony of parking lots is mandated. New projects are to be “street and pedestrian friendly,” and thus parking should be at the sides or rears of buildings when possible.9 The existing zoning codes for these areas impact what has been and what can be built along the Boulevard.

In recent years there have been several plans from throughout the region which have formed various strategies to develop Niagara Falls Boulevard. The Queen City in the 21st Century: Comprehensive Plan (2006) for the City of Buffalo provides a long-range plan to improve transit in the region that includes an extension of the Metro Line rail or a bus line between Tonawanda and Niagara Falls.10 Buffalo also released The Buffalo Green Code Draft Land Use Plan in 2012 and the Buffalo Green Code Unified Development Ordinance, which went into effect citywide in 2017. It contains statistics, strategies, recommendations, and maps addressing land use, transportation and infrastructure, housing, waterfront development, industrial redevelopment, and the environment.11 Aside from the City, the various towns the Boulevard intersects have developed their own strategies. The Town of Amherst Bicentennial Comprehensive Plan (2007) provides a large number of planning recommendations. It refers to Niagara Falls Boulevard and its development as “large scale” and “automobile-oriented.” Some examples are “placement of building and parking areas in relation to each other and public roads […] the visual character of automobile-oriented commercial corridors such as Niagara Falls Boulevard and Transit Road would be improved by policies that encourage a portion of required parking to be located to the side and rear of buildings in order to reduce the scale of front yard parking areas” and “In addition to the local population, commercial uses on Niagara Falls Boulevard serve commuters who use the corridor daily to reach regional employment centers and destinations.” The plan also recommends more pedestrianfriendly streetscapes, roadway improvements, and coordination of land uses with development guidelines. Additionally, the plan contains an “OnStreet Bicycle Pedestrian Network” map that shows a proposed bicycle/pedestrian network along a small portion of the Boulevard just north of Ellicott Creek; however, this has not been implemented.12

The Town of Tonawanda Comprehensive Plan Update (2014) contains maps of proposed land use changes. There is also a plan for transportation alternatives and connectivity that identifies problem intersections, areas where access management and roadway improvements are needed, potential road diet locations, and improved pedestrian crossing locations along the Boulevard. Part of this includes a proposal for “signal coordination” where the crossing times for pedestrians will be made longer. The town is trying to obtain funding to complete further traffic studies on the Boulevard. There was also a study regarding the potential implementation of a bus rapid transit system along the Boulevard as an alternative transit option. The following description of the Boulevard is provided: “North of Sheridan Drive, land use on the Town of Tonawanda side of Niagara Falls Boulevard is commercial in nature and does not have sidewalks. Uses include numerous chain restaurants, retail plazas, motels, and other less connected commercial uses. Older plazas tend to be smaller in scale than is typical on the Amherst side of the roadway, configured in traditional strips of small storefronts, with one or two rows of parking in the front […] The width and depth of many of the current sites make expansion and modernization difficult. Niagara Falls Boulevard will continue to be a major commercial destination supporting both the Town of Tonawanda and Amherst, with “big box” style retailers on the Amherst side of the roadway, and smaller, supporting retail and commercial uses on the Town of Tonawanda side. ”13 The City of North Tonawanda Comprehensive Plan (2008) similarly discusses Niagara Falls Boulevard as a “Highway Commercial district.” It discusses its connectivity and impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.14 The Town of Wheatfield Comprehensive Plan (2004) discusses and provides recommendations

on land use and zoning, economic development, transportation, cultural and public resources, traffic, commercial and industrial development, recreation, and tourism. Land use is discussed in great detail: “The Niagara Falls Boulevard corridor is characterized by an increasing amount of retail, commercial and recreational uses, particularly in the central part of Town. Commercial uses along Niagara Falls Boulevard include a mix of older businesses and newer developments, and range from small independently owned businesses, motels and stores, to plazas and business parks. Reflecting the Boulevard’s past as the primary route to Niagara Falls, many of the businesses along this corridor are tourism and/or recreation-related. While increasingly commercial, the Niagara Falls Boulevard corridor has a wide variety of land uses, including parkland, farms, cemeteries, and residences, as well as industrial uses at either end of the Town.”15 The annual average daily traffic count on the portion of Niagara Falls Boulevard that runs through Wheatfield is slightly lower (ranging from 15,900 to 26,700) than other sections (ranging from 20,000 to 40,000).16 Finally, the Comprehensive Transit-Oriented Development Plan for the Buffalo-Niagara region was released in August of 2018. It proposes an extension of the Metro Rail that will connect the University at Buffalo’s north and south campuses. A portion of the proposed line would run along Niagara Falls Boulevard between Eggert Road and Maple Drive, with a stop at the Boulevard Mall. 17

Conclusion With this framework in mind, there are several conclusions which can be made about the Boulevard’s current condition. The prevalence of the automobile in relation to tourism-related, residential, and retail development signifies a major period

in the development of the Boulevard as it is today. Additionally, the postwar era stands out as one of the most impactful periods of growth along the Boulevard, as evident by the prevalence of extant structures from this period. Finally, the Boulevard has had a lasting impact on the surrounding region that can be seen in the contemporary references in zoning codes and comprehensive plans. These factors offer a multitude of opportunities for its future development as a historically significant route between Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

Endnotes 1.“2279 Niagara Falls Boulevard North,” Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, 2018, https://www.howardhanna.com/Property/ Detail/2279-Niagara-Falls-Boulevard-North-Wheatfield-NY-14304/ BuffaloNY/B1155118. 2.Bill Ott. “Band to Play, Trans-Oceanic Phone Will Ring At Opening of Boulevard Mall Wednesday.” Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo), March 12, 1963. 3.“Chapter 203: Zoning,” Town of Amherst, NY Code, accessed December 7, 2018, https://ecode360.com/15500273. 4.Amherst Engineering Department-GIS Division, “Town of Amherst Zoning Map Index” (Town of Amherst, March 2015), http://map. amherst.ny.us/pdf/maps/zoning/MapBook_Indexed_ArchD/ zoningArchD.html. 5.“Zoning,” Town of Wheatfield NY, accessed December 7, 2018, http://wheatfield.ny.us/358/Zoning. 6.“Zoning Ordinance” (City of Niagara Falls, New York, February 4, 2013), http://niagarafallsusa.org/download/Code-Enforcement/ Zoning-Ordinance.pdf. 7.Mia Summerson, “Wheatfield Approves Boulevard Rezoning,” Niagara Gazette, September 19, 2017, https://www.niagara-gazette. com/news/local_news/wheatfield-approves-boulevard-rezoning/ article_bec1ad1a-9cff-11e7-a9b4-0b6d09bb55f5.html. 8.“§ 200-20.3. NFBO Niagara Falls Boulevard Overlay District” (Town of Wheatfield NY), accessed December 7, 2018, http://wheatfield. ny.us/DocumentCenter/View/1535/Overlay-Explained?bidId=. 9.“§ 200-20.3. NFBO Niagara Falls Boulevard Overlay District.” 10.Mayor Byron W. Brown and Timothy E. Wanamaker, “Queen City in the 21st Century: Buffalo’s Comprehensive Plan,” 2006. 11.The City of Buffalo et al., “Buffalo Greencode Unified Development Ordinance,” 2016. 12.Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC, URS Corportation, and Economics Research Associates, “Town of Amherst Bicentennial Comprehensive Plan,” 2011. 13.Tonawanda Town Board and URS Corportation, “Town of Tonawanda Comprehensive Plan Update and Generic Environmental Impact Statement,” 2014. 14.Bergmann Associates, “City of North Tonawnada, New York Comprehensive Plan,” 2008. 15.Town of Wheatfield Town Board, Town of Wheatfield Planning Board, and Wendel Duchscherer Architects & Engineers, “Town of

Wheatfield Comprehensive Plan,” 2004. 16.Town of Wheatfield Town Board, Town of Wheatfield Planning Board, and Wendel Duchscherer Architects & Engineers. 17.GBNRTC and WSP, “Comprehensive Transit-Oriented Development Plan,” 2018.

Precedent Analysis

To learn about what strategies and philosophies have previously been applied to the problem of recent-past preservation and upgrading worn commercial corridors, the following precedents for revamping the commercial strip and preserving historic roadside architecture were examined. Preserving Car Culture on Route 66 Route 66 was designated as part of the U.S.’s federal highway system in 1926. Spanning roughly 2,450 miles1 between Chicago and Los Angeles, the highway was a major east-west arterial that was used by thousands of people fleeing the Dust Bowl.2 “Symbolizing mobility, freedom, and pursuit of the American Dream,”3 by the time it was decommissioned in 1985, it had earned a permanent place in pop culture. Upon the passage of an act by Congress in 1999, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program was created to ensure its preservation due to its significance “as a symbol of America’s transportation history and the impact of the automobile.”4 In order to provide education about the Route’s importance and maintain public interest, the National Park Service has published a Route 66 Travel Itinerary,5 and the National Historic Route 66 Federation provides a wealth of information on the Route’s history, as well as guides for tourists.6 The recently-opened United States Bicycle Route 66, which was initiated by the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) in 2015 and approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in 2018, is another way to enjoy present-day Route 66.7 The ACA provides a host of resources for potential bikers of the route, including maps, elevation information, and even suggestions on the best time of year to travel.8 It is hoped that the establishment of the bike route will be an economic benefit to the areas it passes through due to its tourist appeal. As described by Michael Charboneau, “Riders pass many small towns and plenty of classic Americana from the highway’s glory days: Preserved filling stations, cafes, and other

Figure 3.1: Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers 2015 National Historic Route 66 Federation

roadside attractions are scattered along the route.” While Route 66 is much larger-scale than Niagara Falls Boulevard, its successful preservation is relevant to this project, as making informational resources available to potential tourists and establishing a bicycle route as an alternate way to see the corridor are both strategies that can be applied to the Boulevard. Retro Living Restoration, rehabilitation, and renovation of mid-century motels has taken place across the U.S., as 52

enthusiasts seek to prevent their demise and owners look for ways to continue to make them profitable. Capitalizing on their throwback appeal has often been a successful strategy, as seen in these examples. Doo Wop Motel District The Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District, also known as the Doo Wop Motel District, is a two-mile corridor along the New Jersey coast that contains over fifty vintage motels. The Doo Wop Preservation League, an organization established to ensure the motels’ Figure 3.2: NJ view of Doo Wop District preservation, describes the threats that they faced: N/A “Up until the late 1990s, nearly 100 motels stood within this district alone, virtually untouched since their original construction in the 1950s and 60s. Between the years 2000 and 2005, unchecked real estate development & speculation in the area led to the demolition of several noteable motels, while others have undergone significant renovation.”9

Journey Through Jersey

Kate’s Lazy Meadow and Lazy Desert Kate’s Lazy Meadow and Kate’s Lazy Desert are two locations owned by the same person whose goal was to bring back retro roadside accommodations from the 1950s through two different styles.14 Set on a nine-acre site in the Catskill Mountains, the Lazy Meadow is a collection of restored 1950s cabins featuring unique suites with zany decor and bright color schemes. Some have vintage-style kitchens and living rooms, while others come with decks or sleeping lofts. Appealing to the natural landscape of the mountains around them, the owner has transformed these cabins back to their mid-century aesthetic.

The “largest concentration of mid-centurymodern motels in the country,” the buildings are significant for their exemplification of Googie-style architecture,10 which is characterized by “cantilevered structures, acute angles, illuminated plastic paneling” and neon signs.11 In 1996, Steven Izenour (of the Learning From Las Vegas project) opined on their value: “What Wildwood is, is one of the last really down and dirty, TACKY with a capital T, beach resorts.” 12 In order to maintain the integrity of the district, the Doo Wop Preservation League has published a handbook, “How to Doo Wop,” which contains design guidelines for rehabilitating motels in the district and for ensuring that new construction fits in with the district’s character.13 Today, the Doo Wop Motel District is a tourist destination that has successfully capitalized on the unique appeal of its mid-century structures. As there are portions of Niagara Falls Boulevard that are likewise dense Figure 3.3: Airstream trailers at Kate’s Lazy Desert in historic motels, this district provides a valuable N/A Kate’s Lazy Meadow precedent for the Boulevard’s preservation. 53

Located in the Mojave Desert, Kate’s Lazy Desert contains an array of vintage airstream travel trailers available for rent that also feature themes from the 1950s. This format hearkens back to the nostalgia of the family vacation and the retro travel trailer experience while relieving tourists from the hassle of having to haul a trailer themselves. Since at one time Niagara Falls Boulevard featured a large amount of tourist camps, both of these sites can inspire ideas for how to transform the few remaining tourist camps and cottages located on the Boulevard. Lincoln Motor Court Appealing to the historic roots of Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Highway, Lincoln Motor Court is a collection of circa 1940 tourist cabins that have been refurbished and still serve tourists today. Their appeal stems from their rarity, as most other cabins along the Lincoln Highway have vanished.15 Run by the current owners since the 1980s,16 the cabins are marketed as “evok[ing] a bygone era of hospitality” and “retain[ing] nostalgic touches from a bygone time.” 17

Figure 3.4: Tourist cabins for rent at Lincoln Motor Court N/A Lincoln Motor Court

Offering three different styles (“sweetheart,” “retro,” and “vintage charmer”), they capitalize on both their historical appeal and their innate coziness. While they have been plagued by maintenance issues such as leaky roofs and crumbling

foundations,18 with support from donations, they are making necessary repairs.19 They were even able to purchase a reproduction of the original sign.20 Lincoln Motor Court is an example of a successful preservation effort that has weathered the difficulties that come with maintaining aging buildings, keeping alive a rare type of roadside heritage that tourists flock to because of its uniqueness. Lake Front Hotel The area around Cooperstown, NY exhibits cultural and natural resources similar to those of Niagara Falls, and it is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (established in 1939), which also draws many visitors.21 The Lake Front Motel was opened in 1955 to cater to tourists who traveled to Cooperstown by car. Fitting into the motel culture of that time, it had a colorful blue and red exterior and a nautical theme. 55 years later, the current owner, granddaughter of the original owner, petitioned the local planning board to approve a complete facelift and remodel of the hotel in order to make it more competitive with newer hotels in the area, as tourists’ considered it “dated” and “hokey.” 22 While 1980 had seen the establishment of the Cooperstown Historic District, the Lake Front Motel was noted as a noncontributing resource because it was under 50 years old at the time. And although there was some controversy over the plans for extensive renovations, “the Historic Preservation Board […] decided to allow the changes to proceed, arguing that the 1950s motel was out of character with its nineteenth-century neighborhood and did not contribute to the overall aesthetic of the village.”23 It has since been rebranded as the Lake Front Hotel, and its website does not mention its history, opting instead to advertise it as “totally re-built and renovated.”24

century motels, it will be essential to provide education on the value that they have and the importance of preserving their character-defining features. Stripped of Purpose?

Figure 3.5: Postcard of Lake Front Motel 1957 Cardcow.com

For better or worse, strip malls have become a staple in the cultural landscape of the United States—although today, one is more likely to see a strip mall barren and deteriorating than bustling with shoppers happily socializing while running errands. While the strip mall offered a perfect opportunity for the generation of new business owners who wanted to start businesses close to home after the postwar prosperity boom, as the owners reached retirement age, “Commercial realtors encountered problems finding replacements to take over marginally profitable small businesses that often require considerable investment to refurbish to competitive standards.”25 As more and more stores closed and did not reopen, customers became put off by the derelict areas, causing those business that were still open to suffer. Today, with the popularity of online shopping, strip malls have become obsolete architectural relics, presenting a design challenge to architects and urban planners. Petersen Automotive Museum

Figure 3.6: Lake Front Motel post-renovations N/A Lake Front Hotel

This precedent provides a cautionary tale, showing what happens when the aesthetic of midcentury architecture is written off as too new to be historic and too old-fashioned to remain appealing. Because the owner did not see the potential of the structure’s retro nature, and because the town’s preservation board sought to retain a solely nineteenth-century image, a unique mid-century building was unalterably modified, losing its historic look and thus much of its distinctiveness. When considering the preservation of the Boulevard’s mid-

Highlighting the contrast between the strip mall’s origin and its present state is an exhibit at Los Angeles’s Petersen Automotive Museum, which contains a reproduction of an early strip mall complete with wax figures and vintage cars parked in front. While the museum is devoted to the automobile, the museum’s curator explains, “Rather than just line up the cars, we wanted to put the cars in a context and show how they related to their environment.”26 Vastly different from the strip mall experience today, the museum’s mall contains an open storefront with storekeepers hovering on the threshold, the cars between the store and the street the only significant difference from a Main Street shopping experience. “Looking at that quaint little reproduction of an

infant strip mall, you see the strip malls of today in a whole different light,” writes Sarah Goodyear. “These clumsy, obese adult malls were once young and fresh

Figure 3.8: Myers Park Shopping Center N/A Reid’s Fine Foods

Sam’s Park & Shop The same can be said of Sam’s Park & Shop in Washington D.C. Erected in 1931 and now part of the Cleveland Park Historic District,29 the Petersen Automotive Museum strip mall’s footprint is L-shaped and the building and full of promise.”27 This physical representation of is set back from the street to accommodate more what the strip mall once was can provide a guide for parking. In 1932, Architectural Record praised it rehabilitating existing strip malls, enticing pedestrians for its innovative new automobile-centric design.30 to walk to them from nearby neighborhoods, or at least from a parking spot down the street. Figure 3.7: Recreated strip mall at Petersen Museum 2015

Myers Park Shopping Center In Charlotte, NC, the 1929 Myers Park shopping center sparked a debate about the relevance of the strip mall to the community when it came up for review by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission in January 2018. Historian Dan Morrill outlined the importance of including strip malls in the conversation about significance, as they exemplify “a period when rapid change was coming to uptown’s outlying neighborhoods. The introduction of the car meant Charlotteans could travel farther for their shopping.”28 The argument was that this strip mall, like most postwar strip malls around the U.S., is a crucial part of America’s cultural history and tells a story of how the automobile dramatically shaped the built environment.

Figure 3.9: Sam’s Park & Shop May 1932 Architectural Record

Unlike many strip malls, it continues to thrive, housing a host of small business and soon to have an unlikely new tenant: Target. While “long synonymous with sprawling big-box stores, [Target] has shifted its focus in recent years to more compact locations 56

in city centers, dense suburban neighborhoods and near college campuses.”31 While ironically, some are concerned that there will not be sufficient parking,32 this example shows that it is possible for strip malls to remain economically viable, and that they can even be desirable sites for large retailers who are willing to alter their typical big-box typology. Strip Appeal The growing conversation around the preservation and significance of postwar strip malls has also inspired competitions intended to explore the challenges posed by these spaces. One of the winning entries received for the “Strip Appeal” competition, held by the University of Alberta’s City Region Studies Centre, proposes designating the site of a troublesome vacant strip mall in Buffalo, NY as free of zoning restrictions and deconstructing the building to allow its materials to be reused in new construction onsite.33 The proposal demonstrates “how the plot might develop over time with a wide variety of functions and building typologies, all primarily constructed using the salvaged materials of the derelict strip mall.”34 “1. Unbox the strip through the removal of nonstructural walls to provide new routes through the building. This transforms the building from a single volume into an assembly of volumes. 2. Embrace the surrounding community by facilitating a participatory process from the outset where community members can communicate their ideas and hopes for the site. 3. Cohere spatially and socially. By including the community in the design process from the outset, the task is not only one of modifying a building, it is a collaborative design process whereby the community’s needs are expressed in the building’s new form.”35 Both of these winning entries emphasize that the local community should play a role in the future of these sites, as they are the ones who

are primarily affected by their vacancy and who will be using them once they are redeveloped. The Mall Problem Shopping malls have a very clear typology, large and low with bare exteriors, their customers’ attention intended to be focused inside. The placement of anchor stores at either end of long corridors encouraged customers to pass by and stop at all of the smaller establishments. But despite its initial appeal, recently there has been a reverse in the mall’s popularity, with mall closures over the past several decades numbering in the hundreds and projected to continue steadily.36 As detailed in Time, “The decline began slowly, in the mid-2000s. The rise of online shopping and the blow of the Great Recession led to a drop in sales and foot traffic at big-brand retailers like JCPenney and Macy’s [which] anchored many of the country’s malls.” Emily Matchar adds, “There’s also simply far too much retail space in America. We’ve got more than double the square feet of retail space per person than Australia, and five times more than the UK.” As with strip malls, this presents a problem for what to do with all this empty space. University Place In some cases, malls are managing to become truer to their original intent (see Historic Context section). For example, University Place is a formerly-dying mall in Durham, NC that has seen a successful update. Offering free Wi-Fi and containing local businesses, a gym, a radio station, and a children’s museum, it provides a wide variety of amenities to suit the modern-day lifestyle. In addition, its outdated spaces have been repurposed: “At one end, where the Belk’s department store used to be, is an enormous Southern gourmet foods emporium with a restaurant, a coffee shop and cooking classes. On the other end, where the Dillard’s department store used to be, is a

luxury movie theater, where you can get lobster The mall’s remaining 200,000 square feet of available rolls delivered right to your plush leather seat.”37 space are to become the Wonder Falls Resort, an indoor water park and hotel that will be “a symbol This shows that malls can remain in of revitalization” for the area.43 Again, this example business and even thrive, if they are able demonstrates the possibilities that exist for the vast to adapt to consumers’ changing wishes. amount of square footage provided by empty malls. Mayfield Mall Another possibility is to renovate and reuse former malls for other purposes. Mayfield Mall in Mountain View, CA is an example of a mall that changed uses earlier than most, having been adapted into office space in 1986 after being in operation only 20 years. Because of its Silicon Valley location, the 500,000-foot space has remained desirable over the decades, and was leased by Google in 2013. The renovation that occurred at that time combined the mall’s “historic architectural elements [with] green building techniques, modern design, and advanced building technology.”38 In this case, many of the assumed negatives that come with the mall typology were actually benefits, as described by Maureen McAvey of the Urban Land Institute: “There is often a large tract of land in single-ownership with good road and highway access, sometimes even served by transit […] In many cases, the suburbs have grown up around the mall and there is now a mix of housing, other retail and in some cases, other offices nearby.”39 This proves that obsolete malls can still be valuable spaces if the right use is found for them. Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet A local example is the former Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet in Niagara Falls, NY. Opened in the 1980s as part of an urban renewal project, the mall was “carved” out of a parking ramp,40 making it difficult for potential customers to even realize it was there.41 It closed in 2000, but a portion of it has since found new life as the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute after the development rights were donated to the Niagara County Community College Foundation.42

Additional Examples There have been many more successful examples of adaptive reuse of shopping malls, such as Hickory Hollow Mall in Antioch, TN, which now contains a satellite campus of Nashville State Community College, a library, and an ice hockey rink.44 Rhode Island’s Arcade Providence, which some argue is the oldest shopping mall in America, has been transformed into affordable micro-apartments.45 Some of the more unusual proposals for empty mall space include indoor vegetable gardens and wedding venues.46 The rate of success of shifting malls to other uses shows the advantages that come with a typology that is easily modified and thus capable of transforming into almost any sort of development. The Infrastructure Issue Known primarily for its out-of-date retail centers, lack of sidewalks, and large amount of automobiles, the suburban retail corridor is often overlooked as a resource. Despite being considered eyesores and posing a multitude of challenges, these strips present great opportunities for redevelopment, and can be modified to foster a healthier transportation system. The Aurora Corridor The Aurora Corridor in Shoreline, WA poses many of the same problems as most other suburban commercial arterials across the nation. Car-focused and not pedestrian-friendly, it was “plagued by one of the highest accident rates in the state” before the City of Shoreline started their transportation infrastructure overhaul in the hope of creating a denser, safer, 58

walkable commercial strip that could accommodate all types of transit.47 Soon enough, new traffic lanes, medians, colored crosswalks, etc. lined the street, and the accident rate has fallen by 60 percent.48

Figure 3.10: Redesigned Aurora Corridor N/A HDR Engineering, Inc.

of its use of due process. Extensive community outreach and planning efforts are the reason that the development plan for SR-7 has been so successful. The area’s citizens, who were involved throughout the planning process, called for an updated transit system and an increase in all levels of housing. A master plan for Broward County now outlines the newly achievable transit corridor. This document will act as a framework for future redevelopment.50 Niagara Falls Boulevard can benefit from the planning process exhibited for SR-7. Collecting input from citizens and transit users is vital to identifying goals and can reshape the vision for the transit corridor. The SR-7 project’s focus on policy and process resulted in a transit-oriented design plan. The redevelopment of the Boulevard can have equal success if a similar method is used, taking into account the differing land uses and nodes of commerce along it. Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART)

The Aurora Corridor highlights the same fundamental shortcomings that occur on Niagara In 2017, a nine-mile bus transit line was Falls Boulevard. Before the improvements, the launched in Albuquerque, NM along the former Aurora Corridor had a high number of automobiles Route 66. As described by Angie Schmitt: and a need for infrastructure improvements, just as With dedicated center-running transit lanes, ART the Boulevard now does. The Boulevard could benefit buses aren’t slowed down by drivers pulling up from the same traffic-calming, pedestrian-friendly to the curb or turning right. Platforms are level infrastructure that was implemented in Shoreline. with the floor of the bus, and passengers pay before boarding and can use any door, cutting State Road 7 down on the time buses spend at stops. Special traffic signals will hold green lights for buses State Road 7 (SR-7), running through Broward and limit the time they spend stopped at reds.51 and Miami-Dade Counties in southeastern Florida, is plagued by congestion. Its 1960s to 1970s commercialstrip retail development has been struggling to compete with other retail centers. However, SR-7 has strong bones and is ready for redevelopment. It cuts through 17 municipalities, which are all represented by a group dedicated to redeveloping SR-7, the State Road/US 441 Collaborative. The vision? Create a transit-oriented commercial corridor that has pockets of dense development at its major intersections.49 The State Road 7 project is unique because 59

This system promises to be “a more sustainable, efficient, and most importantly, affordable means of urban mass transit.”52 Besides the bus system, there is also a commuter rail connection to Santa Fe. The investment in transit is seen as “an economic catalyst,” connecting people to jobs and businesses.53 As discussed above, Route 66 is a historic transportation corridor with a mix of land uses and motels with neon signs, similar to Niagara Falls Boulevard. Prioritizing public transit

Figure 3.11: Signpost for ART stop N/A Albuquerque Rapid Transit

over automobiles on the Boulevard could be a significant positive change for area residents. Ten Principles for Reinventing Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suburban Strip The Urban Land Institute has created a document that sheds light on Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dying commercial strips.54 In this document, ten principles are outlined to help us get a grip on what is needed to revitalize and repurpose these shopping corridors. State Road 7 is a great example of the first principle: ignite leadership and nurture partnership. The catalyst of the revitalization of SR-7 was the citizens that used it. It is important to take a groundup planning stance in order to gauge the needs and wants of the people. The evolution of the strip depends on changing demographics and how it will be used. Conversation and consensus are the steps needed to produce strong leadership and foster partnership.

Anticipating the evolution of the commercial strip means evaluating trends. What may have been useful in the past might not be the best use in the future. The nature of retail has changed from a focus on small neighborhood stores to bigbox shopping and is further shifting to an online environment. Demographics can also change the way the strip functions. Younger generations will dictate the market for retail development. Commercial retail strips are different all across the country and cannot be reinvented using the same one-size-fits-all model. Each strip resides in a unique market; thus, knowing the market is key to revitalization. Understanding how the consumer uses the strip will determine how the corridor can be helped. Land value, density, demographics etc. can shift the market in different ways in different places. Zoning regulations historically have divided uses of land. Under old zoning rules, commercial strips sought to exclude all development except commercial. This type of land-use pattern promotes sprawl, which is already common to suburban towns and cities. Pruning back the commercialexclusive zoning can help to broaden the catalog of land use along the strip and achieve mixed uses. Creating pulse nodes of development can help to give new life to dying strips of nondescript retail shops. Focused around major intersections, these highly dense, well-built nodes can act as economic generators for the rest of the strip. To compliment these centers, the traditional low-slung retail is retained in between nodes. This might include office spaces or even residential land use. The Boulevard can benefit from this method because it intersects with some of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest local arterials. The commercial strip is known for being autooriented, which tends to make it unappealing and even unsafe for pedestrians. Taming the car is the way to make the strip accessible to all users. Only by controlling automobile can we bring pedestrians, public transit users, and cyclists back to the Boulevard. Creating a sense of place will also help bring people to the corridor. If the Boulevard 60

becomes an appealing place to be, people will naturally be drawn to it. Sidewalks and attractive walkaways encourage pedestrians and promote safety, and pedestrian-scaled design and street furniture bring the people to the street and create a different level of interaction. Creating aesthetically pleasing building facades and making community services available can also add vitality. Density and sprawl in suburbia have always been a challenge. A revitalized commercial strip can provide a better style of metropolitan living. Mixed-use, a complete range of services, and a pedestrian-friendly environment surrounded by traditional neighborhoods reflect the type of living that is desirable. This diversified character is what can transform the retail strip. Suburban strips built in the 1960s and 1970s have a certain architectural style that is unappealing to many. Designing to eradicate the ugliness requires striving for higher architectural standards and creating friendly building frontages to pull pedestrians in. Landscaping is also an important part of having a good-looking suburban strip. The last step in reinventing the suburban commercial strip is funding. The public sector needs to be ready to front money for the capital improvement projects. The public sector also has the power to rezone, merge parcels and create development standards that can help guide redevelopment. Overlooked Density: Rethinking Transportation Options in Suburbia This report by Nico Larco asserts that creating well-connected multifamily housing developments close to commercial areas increases livability, walkability, transit use, and connectivity.55 Multifamily housing can also be used as a buffer between commercial properties and single-family housing. Providing pedestrian walkways that connect strip malls to adjacent residential properties and streets will increase customer accessibility. The newlyproposed metro rail line extension on the Boulevard will provide a station that can be transformed into 61

a walkable mix of housing, retail, and commercial. More Development for Your Transit Dollar: An Analysis of 21 North American Corridors According to this report by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, cities are incorporating parking regulations into their zoning codes to encourage transit-oriented development.56 Ottawa, Ontario has set a parking maximum near transit stations, with even lower maximums downtown, resulting in high ridership for their bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Establishing low-level area-wide parking caps can help to minimize traffic congestion. Cleveland’s Midtown has changed the zoning code’s off-street parking requirement to a maximum, reducing it to one-third of what the original minimum was. Limiting parking and requiring any ground-floor parking to be located in the rear, away from the main commercial street or incorporated with commercial and residential, will prevent the destruction of the life of the street. Cities like Ottawa and Portland have also included an urban growth boundary that both limits urban growth and separates land that can be urbanized from rural land. Area-specific transit-oriented development overlay zones have been created to allow for a mix of uses, parking minimums or maximums, and design that encourages public transit use. These can be applied to a specific station area, a segment along a transit corridor, or a broader district and neighborhood. Eugene, OR’s BRT corridor implemented a minimum density and maximum setback with active ground floors in buildings that influenced the development of student housing, a hotel, and more commercial space. Non-transit commercial improvements can encourage development. Long-term investments can do a lot to attract development while also benefiting cities and the public. Cleveland has made significant improvements to pedestrian networks, such as adding street trees, local art, street furniture, and other amenities, and has raised investors’ confidence in the city’s dedication to public investment. Las Vegas has rehabilitated abandoned neon signs

from its strip to make bus routes more lively and attractive. In this same way, motels on Niagara Falls Boulevard can rehabilitate their signs to add visual interest and thus encourage the use of the Boulevard as a route between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Cleveland and Pittsburgh are two industrial cities that have faced economic struggles due to deindustrialization but have invested in BRT transitoriented development to bring back jobs and economic activity in their communities. Cleveland established transit stations at iconic locations, emphasizing each as an important place in the city. While in the process of trying to make one of their bus corridors less automobile-dependent, Pittsburgh attracted a Home Depot and compromised by allowing them to build a parking lot one-third of the size of their normal suburban parking lots. Building Transit Oriented Development in Established Communities This report describes how many cities are working to make their communities more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.57 In Charlotte, NC, a Pedestrian Overlay District was adopted as a new zoning category. It encourages a mix of uses, the reuse of existing buildings, development that complements surrounding neighborhoods, and improving access for bicyclists and pedestrians. Other plans have required improvements to infrastructure such as wider sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, medians, bike lanes, plantings, and landscaping. Orlando, FL has constructed over 100 miles of bikeways, placed over 90 bike racks at public facilities, and requires all new developments to provide parking for bikes near an entrance; they also incorporate bike racks into transit stop designs. In addition, the city has required their 500 miles of sidewalks to be widened to a minimum of five feet. King County in Washington began a program to control urban sprawl by building housing and other uses around park-and-ride lots. One of their station developments is a major bus facility that has a five-acre park-and-ride lot, with two-stories

Figure 3.12: Complete Streets Design N/A National Association of City Transportation

of covered parking, rental housing, and a childcare facility. Private bus rights-of-ways, busways, allow buses to avoid traffic congestion. One example is the express bus service in Pittsburgh. Denver developed an integrated land-use and transportation plan that contains six guiding directives: â&#x20AC;&#x153;rewriting the zoning code; directing growth to Areas of Change; maintaining the character and quality of life in most residential areas; encouraging mixed land uses to reduce the number and length of auto trips; focusing on moving people rather than autos through neighborhoods; and investing in public infrastructure.â&#x20AC;? Transitoriented development near transit stations has been actively encouraged and improved upon. Future Plans for the Boulevard Niagara Falls Boulevard presents a unique opportunity to shift from an in-and-out shopping corridor back to a scenic route between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, intertwined with vibrant retail and community services. The key to achieving economic redevelopment is providing a safe, aesthetic environment for transit users on the strip. Work has already been started toward this goal, as the Town of Tonawanda and the Town of Amherst conducted a pedestrian road safety audit in June 2018 on a twoand-a-half mile stretch of the Boulevard between Ridge 62

Lea Road and East Robinson Road.58 Over the past five years, there have been six fatalities in this section. The audit reaffirmed that the Boulevard is unsafe for pedestrians and is in need of more pedestrianfriendly features, especially in high traffic areas. 59

Figure 3.13: Complete streets design for North Sycamore Street, Arlington County, VA N/A Kittelson & Associates, Inc.

Much like the Aurora Corridor in Shoreline, WA, the Boulevard needs to focus on updating its transportation infrastructure to provide a complete street. The wide pavement surface that already exists provides ample room for new designs. An additional form of public transit is also in the Boulevard’s future, as in August 2018 the Greater BuffaloNiagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) proposed an extension of the Metro Rail line that would include a stop on Niagara Falls Boulevard at the Boulevard Mall. The plan for the station included retrofitting the mall, creating mixed-use development, and establishing a “lifestyle center.” 60 However, the NFTA has since proposed an alternative, less expensive route that runs directly on the Boulevard, above ground. There is a desire for more retail development along the Boulevard in the Kenilworth neighborhood, and the on-street light rail line will encourage that. In addition to the rail line, medians and protected

Figure 3.14: Proposal for Boulevard Mall station N/A Buffalo Rising

bike lanes will provide an active transportation corridor that is safe for all transit users. The proper accommodation of pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users will provide a foundation for its revitalization.

Endnotes 1.Swa Frantzen and Nadine Pelicaen, “How Long Was Route 66?,” Historic Route 66, 2018, https://www.historic66.com/faq/length. php. 2.“The History of Route 66,” National Historic Route 66 Federation, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.national66.org/history-ofroute-66/. 3.“Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program,” National Park Service, November 5, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1453/route-66corridor-preservation-program.htm. 4.“Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.” 5.“Route 66: Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary,” National Park Service, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/nr/ travel/route66/. 6.“Resources,” National Historic Route 66 Federation, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.national66.org/resources/. 7.Michael Charboneau, “Route 66 Is Reborn—For Bikes, Not Cars,” CityLab, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.citylab.com/

life/2018/07/get-your-kicks-biking-route-66/565175/. 8.“Bicycle Route 66,” Adventure Cycling Association, December 4, 2015, https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/ adventure-cycling-route-network/bicycle-route-66/. 9.“The Doo Wop Motel District,” Doo Wop Preservation League, accessed December 2, 2018, http://www.doowopusa.org/district/ index.html. 10.Regina Schaffer, “Taking Tacky to New Heights: Preserving the Wildwoods’ Doo-Wop Treasures,” New Jersey Monthly, May 6, 2014, https://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-shore/tacky-new-heightswildwood-motels/. 11.Megan Ritchie Jooste, “Tour the Retro Motels of Wildwood, New Jersey’s Miami Beach,” Curbed Philly, June 12, 2015, https://philly. curbed.com/2015/6/12/9950618/wildwood-new-jersey-modernarchitecture. 12.Schaffer, “Taking Tacky to New Heights.” 13.Michael Lorin Hirsch, Richard Stokes, and Anthony Bracali, “How to Doo Wop: Wildwoods-by-the-Sea Handbook of Design Guidelines” (The Doo Wop Preservation League, n.d.), http://mail.stokesarch. com/doo_wop.pdf. 14.“Kate’s Lazy Meadow,” accessed November 29, 2018, https:// www.lazymeadow.com/. 15.“Falling by the Wayside 2016,” Society for Commercial Archeology (blog), March 28, 2016, https://sca-roadside.org/fallling-by-thewayside-2016/. 16.“Lincoln Motor Court, Bedford, PA,” accessed November 30, 2018, http://www.visitbedfordcounty.com/lincoln/. 17.“Lincoln Motor Court,” Lincoln Motor Court, accessed November 30, 2018, https://www.lincolnmotorcourt.com. 18.“Falling by the Wayside 2016.” 19.Lincoln Motor Court, “Today, Its #12’s Turn to Get a New Roof!...,” Facebook, August 23, 2018, https://www.facebook. com/124321164245458/photos/a.961435363867363/20399328 86017600/?type=3&theater. 20. Lincoln Motor Court, “Today, Its #12’s Turn to Get a New Roof!...,” Facebook, August 23, 2018, https://www.facebook. com/124321164245458/photos/a.961435363867363/20399328 86017600/?type=3&theater. 21.Cynthia G. Falk, “Viewpoint: When Tourism Is History: Travel and the Construction of the Past in Cooperstown, New York,” Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 19, no. 2 (2012): 1–19, https://doi.org/10.5749/buildland.19.2.0001. 22.Falk. 23.Falk. 24.“About Us,” Lake Front Hotel, 2018, https://www. cooperstownlakefronthotel.com/about-us. 25.Timothy Davis, “The Miracle Mile Revisited: Recycling, Renovation, and Simulation along the Commercial Strip,” Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture 7 (1997): 93–114, https://doi. org/10.2307/3514387. 26.“The Peterson Automotive Museum - Treasure Trove of Our Car Culture,” Discover Hollywood Magazine, 2011, https://www. discoverhollywood.com/Publications/Discover-Hollywood/2011/ Issue-Summer-2011/The-Peterson-Automotive-Museum-Treasuretrove-of.aspx. 27.Sarah Goodyear, “The Sad Evolution of the Strip Mall,” CityLab, August 9, 2012, http://www.theatlanticcities.com/

commute/2012/08/sad-evolution-strip-mall/2894/. 28.Mark Price, “Myers Park Is Home to the County’s Oldest Suburban Shopping Center. Is It Historic?,” Charlotte Observer, January 16, 2018, https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/ article194868454.html. 29.“National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Cleveland Park Historic District” (National Park Service), accessed December 5, 2018, https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/127e029c-35a2-43e085b5-2e264fd218c5. 30.Neil Flanagan, “In 1931, a Parking Lot in Cleveland Park Changed How Washington Shopped,” Greater Greater Washington, February 11, 2014, https://ggwash.org/view/33743/in-1931-a-parking-lot-incleveland-park-changed-how-washington-shopped. 31.Abha Bhattarai, “Target Is Opening Two New Stores in Washington,” The Washington Post, February 26, 2018, https://www. washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/02/26/target-isopening-two-new-stores-in-washington/?utm_term=.4e574b97ccb5. 32.Sasha-Ann Simons, “Historic Cleveland Park Strip Mall Contends With A New Tenant: Target,” WAMU (blog), December 11, 2017, https://wamu.org/story/17/12/11/historic-struggling-sams-parkshop-plaza-tenants-offer-lukewarm-welcome-new-target/. 33.Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis, “Free Zoning,” Bracket, accessed December 3, 2018, https://brkt.org/issue/contents/ all/314/free-zoning/12/bracket-at-extremes. 34.Merle Patchett and Rob Shields, “The Future of Strip Malls,” in Strip Appeal: Reinventing the Strip Mall (Alberta, Canada: Space and Culture Publications, 2012), 12–17, http://www.academia. edu/3216208/Patchett_M._and_Shields_R._2012_The_Future_of_ Strip_Malls_in_Patchett_M._and_Shields_R._eds._Strip_Appeal_ Reinventing_the_Strip_Mall_Space_and_Culture_Publications. 35.Patchett and Shields. 36.Leanna Garfield, “6 Before-and-after Transformations of Dead Shopping Malls That Were given New Lives,” Business Insider, April 1, 2017, https://www.businessinsider.com/dead-shopping-mallstransformations-2017-3. 37.Emily Matchar, “The Transformation of the American Shopping Mall,” Smithsonian, accessed December 3, 2018, https://www. smithsonianmag.com/innovation/transformation-american-shoppingmall-180964837/. 38.Gail Kalinoski, “Google Leases Office Campus at Former Mall in Mountain View, Calif., from Rockwood, Four Corners,” Commercial Property Executive, September 13, 2013, https://www.cpexecutive. com/post/google-leases-office-campus-at-former-mall-in-mountainview-calif-from-rockwood-four-corner/. 39.Kalinoski. 40.Andrew Z. Galarneau, “Niagara Falls Struggles to Regain Tourists,” Star-Gazette, September 25, 2000, https://www.newspapers.com/ image/278567694. 41.Don Glynn, “GLYNN: Rainbow Centre Shopping Mall Faced Identity Crisis,” Niagara Gazette, July 2, 2015, https://www.niagara-gazette. com/opinion/glynn-rainbow-centre-shopping-mall-faced-identitycrisis/article_986f9c89-f74e-510d-98f9-ff965e7c3f1f.html. 42.“Rainbow Mall Redevelopment,” Empire State Development, August 23, 2017, https://esd.ny.gov/rainbow-mall-redevelopment. 43.“Wonder Falls - Rainbow Centre Mall Renovation,” Buffalo Billion, accessed December 4, 2018, https://buffalobillion.ny.gov/wonderfalls-rainbow-centre-mall-renovation.

44.Ward, “Nashville’s Offers Twice Rejected by Former Hickory Hollow Mall Owner,” The Tennessean, June 2, 2016, https://www. tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2016/06/02/nashvillesoffers-twice-rejected-global-mall-owner/85303624/. 45.Leanna Garfield, “America’s Oldest Shopping Mall Has Been Turned into Beautiful Micro-Apartments — Take a Look Inside,” Business Insider, October 10, 2016, https://www.businessinsider. com/americas-first-shopping-mall-is-now-micro-apartments-2016-10. 46.Matchar, “The Transformation of the American Shopping Mall.” 47.“Shifting Suburbs: Reinventing Infrastructure for Compact Development” (Washington D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 2012), http:// uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/Shifting-Suburbs.pdf. 48.“Shifting Suburbs: Reinventing Infrastructure for Compact Development.” 49.“Shifting Suburbs: Reinventing Infrastructure for Compact Development.” 50.“Shifting Suburbs: Reinventing Infrastructure for Compact Development.” 51.Angie Schmitt, “Albuquerque’s Ground-Breaking BRT Project Makes Its Maiden Voyage on Route 66,” Streetsblog USA (blog), November 28, 2017, https://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/11/28/ albuquerques-ground-breaking-brt-project-makes-its-maiden-voyageon-route-66/. 52.Patrick Sisson, “All-Electric Bus Rapid Transit Launches on Old Stretch of Route 66,” Curbed, December 20, 2017, https://www. curbed.com/2017/12/20/16800586/bus-rapid-transit-albuquerquebrt-transportation. 53.Sisson. 54.Michael D Beyard and Michael Pawlukiewicz, “Ten Principles for Reinventing America’s Suburban Strips” (Urban Land Institute, 2001), http://teachamerica.com/accessmanagement.info/pdf/ULI_Ten_ Principles.pdf. 55.Nico Larco, “Overlooked Density: Rethinking Transportation Options in Suburbia” (Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC), 2010). 56.Walter Hook, Stephanie Lotshaw, and Annie Weinstock, “More Development For Your Transit Dollar: An Analysis of 21 North American Corridors” (Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, 2013). 57.Julie Goodwill and Sara J. Hendricks, “Building Transit Oriented Development in Established Communities” (Center for Urban Transportation Research, 2002), http://www.fltod.com/research/ general_tod/building_tod_in_established_communities.pdf. 58.Town of Tonawanda Office of the Town Engineer, and Town of Amherst Engineering Department. “Niagara Falls Boulevard Pedestrian Road Safety Audit: Ridge Lea Road to East Robinson Road,” 2018. 59.Emily Lampa, “NYSDOT Reaction to Niagara Falls Boulevard Pedestrian Road Safety Audit,” WGRZ, September 27, 2018, https:// www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/nysdot-reaction-to-niagara-fallsboulevard-pedestrian-road-safety-audit/71-598910756. 60.“Metro Rail TOD Study Results Go Public,” Buffalo Rising (blog), September 1, 2018, https://www.buffalorising.com/2018/09/metrorail-tod-study-results-go-public/. 61.McCarthy, Robert J. “NFTA Proposes New, Cheaper Route for Metro Rail Extension to Amherst.” The Buffalo News, November 20, 2018, https://buffalonews.com/2018/11/20/nfta-proposes-new-cheaper-

route-for-metro-rail-extension-to-amherst/.

Proposals

Recommendations and Design Guidelines

In a landscape that is constantly being modified and rebuilt, if historic roadside structures are to remain, they must be given a purpose and be made attractive to people in some way—whether as a quirky place to spend a night, or as a didactic reference to mid-century suburbanization. Whether tourism- or education-focused, or both simultaneously, they will appeal to people’s interest in the past. After all, while preservationists may typically look at structures from the last 50 years as a historical, the constant pace of change means that the present is very quickly becoming the past, and even a decade as recent as the 1990s is vastly removed from the world of today. While not everything on the Boulevard is worth preserving, because of the Boulevard’s importance to the history of the region, and its larger significance as part of the narrative of the cultural development of tourism and auto-mobility, certain structures and landscapes should be protected. Whether they remain true to their original purposes or are adaptively reused, they should be preserved as markers of our past.

Niagara Falls Boulevard was once a scenic byway, allowing tourists to pleasantly travel between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. As modes of transportation changed over time, from the streetcar to the automobile, a shift occurred in the way people traveled and shopped. The Boulevard became a series of strip malls and motels, catering to drivers with attention-grabbing signage and large parking lots. Surrounding these strips, suburbs simultaneously formed. The historical significance of these resources has been evaluated in a nontraditional way. The resources that remain are unique and significant, telling a story of the Boulevard’s historical development. It is thus proposed that a thematic district, Car Culture on Niagara Falls Boulevard: A Mid-Century Retro District, be formed that encompasses the historic structures that exist on the Boulevard. Along with the establishment of the thematic district, this section provides recommendations on how to make the Boulevard more pedestrian-friendly, make it safer for bicyclists, Design Guidelines: and encourage transit-oriented development (TOD). In considering the preservation of Niagara Falls Boulevard, the following are recommended: Preservation Philosophy Keeping in mind the multiple motivations for preservation (both architectural merit of structures and their societal impact), the preservation of the resources on Niagara Falls Boulevard can be addressed with different approaches depending on why they are considered preservation-worthy. Historic motels can be revitalized and marketed to tourists as a step back into the 1950s and 1960s, with all its retro appeal, while a strip mall can retain its current use while being included in the MidCentury Retro District in order to educate visitors about the rise of car culture and consumerism, and the negative effects these phenomena have wrought. Together, these structures can help people better understand the progression from the invention of the automobile to today’s car-oriented society.

•Establish a thematic district encompassing all significant structures relating to mid-century car culture along the Boulevard. •Evaluate significance based on Kristin Hagar’s idea of multiplicity,1 rather than the National Park Service’s notion of significance. For instance, a building might have significance as both a local landmark and a remnant of the early days of car culture, rendering it a higher priority than a structure that points to car culture and nothing else. •Also evaluate significance based on the uniqueness and/or rarity of a typology. For instance, few examples of tourist cabins or historical neon signs remain, making these a priority for preservation. •Assess the significance of nineteenth-century structures as well as those from the twentieth 66

century, as they speak to what the landscape was like prior to the rise of the automobile, and thus work in concert with the commercial structures to convey a narrative of change over time. •Assess the integrity of structures by determining whether they have retained their character-defining features. •For buildings that do not possess integrity/have lost their character-defining features, consider restoration or reconstruction to return them to their historic appearance. •Consider adaptive reuse of structures so that they remain economically viable while maintaining their exterior integrity.

The Mid-Century Retro District With its abundance of existing historic motels and other retail structures, Niagara Falls Boulevard has the opportunity to reveal its history through its architectural components and thus be transformed into an exciting thoroughfare. The commercial strip is often thought of as “placeless,” simply a route used to get to and from a destination. It is suggested that a sense of place be restored to the Boulevard through the creation of the Mid-Century Retro District, which will be a thematic, non-contiguous district encompassing all significant historic structures. The history of the Boulevard can be embraced and explored through the creation of an interesting context and theme for its pockets of mid-century development. Through restoration and rehabilitation, the Boulevard can be transformed into a mid-century-themed strip which will once again become a desirable route for tourists. The Mid-Century Retro District will be able to co-exist with the planned future development of a more pedestrian-oriented environment, as both speak to the evolution of the landscape over time, and how the present will become the past. Establishment of Design Guidelines 67

Mid-Century Retro District to serve as advisement to commercial building property owners, their operators, and developers in the design and implementation of façade improvements, renovations, and new construction projects. All proposed improvements within the Mid-Century Retro District should recognize the Boulevard’s function as a regional corridor, passing through multiple municipalities as well as crossing county lines. To this end, it is proposed that a Mid-Century Retro District advisory committee be assembled. This entity would review changes to the exterior of structures, as well as new construction proposals, to ensure that they are in keeping with the character of the District. It is recommended that the committee be made up of property owners on the Boulevard, a historic architect/architectural historian, a planner, and a representative from the planning department/planning board in each city/town through which the Boulevard passes. The design guidelines for the District will offer a range of options for façade treatments, signage, building form and configurations, exterior lighting, and architectural styles, among other parameters to be considered and adapted in future design processes. Also identified will be treatments and improvements that will be considered inappropriate within the Mid-Century Retro District, or which the underlying local government deems unacceptable. The design guidelines would be implemented through the use of a zoning overlay, which would apply an additional layer of design standards to all areas that fall within the defined boundary. The boundary in this case would encompass the Mid-Century Retro District. The zoning overlay would supplement or, in some cases, supersede the existing zoning regulations within the underlying base zoning to preserve and bolster the District’s character and integrity. Definitions

The term “Mid-Century Retro District” means structures and other cultural resources that are Design guidelines should be established for the located within the areas covered in the zoning overlay

including: •Lands owned by the federal government and lands owned by a state or local government within the immediate vicinity of those portions of the roadway designated as Niagara Falls Boulevard, Old Niagara Falls Boulevard, and Old Falls Boulevard; and •Private land within that immediate vicinity that is owned by persons or entities that are willing to participate in the programs outlined by this preservation plan. “Preservation of the Mid-Century Retro District” means the preservation or restoration of structures or other cultural resources such as businesses, sites of interest, and other contributing resources that: •Are located within the land described in the paragraph above; •Existed during the route’s period of significance, which is 1913 to 1968 (the end date will advance as time goes on, in keeping with the National Park Service’s 50-year requirement); and •Remain in existence as of the date of the enactment of this preservation plan.

for taking advantage of a collection of historic motels, especially as they have made resources available such as “Ten Commandments for Creating a Great Doo Wop Inspired Motel.”2 Design Guidelines: •Each motel along the Boulevard should have a name appropriate to the mid-century era; for instance, many 1950s motels had names that evoked an exotic vacation spot. If the historic name is known, it should be kept. •Historic signage should be maintained, restored, or reestablished to reflect post-WWII car-culture aesthetics with appropriate scale, colors, shapes, and typography. Neon tubing should be abundant. New-build hotels should update their exterior signage to match the mid-century theme (Figure 4.1).

Historic Resources Motels The historic motels on the Boulevard provide an opportunity to recreate a dynamic and exciting place near one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Niagara Falls. The design guidelines applicable to the Boulevard’s motels will focus on the maintenance of visual integrity from the period of construction, specifically regarding form, scale, and siting. This will establish a unifying character, enabling the Boulevard to define its own identity, creating a distinct sense of place. The guidelines for the Mid-Century Retro District will include the rehabilitation or restoration of the Boulevard’s numerous historic motels. Figure 4.1: Replica mid-century Holiday Inn signage Wildwood, NJ’s Doo Wop Motel District (see N/A Precedent Analysis) provides a helpful model The Henry Ford 68

•Appropriate materials and colors, such as pale yellows and greens, baby blue, pink, aqua, orange, purple, and gold should be incorporated. Façades and exterior doors are good places to retain and add these (Figures 4.2).

•Character-defining landscape features including swimming pools, playgrounds, and parking lots should be maintained. If a motel has lost these amenities, they should be reconstructed. Drawing attention to these amenities can further reinforce the theme; thus, swimming pools should be surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas with period-appropriate colors and patterns (Figure 4.4). •Parking should be maintained adjacent to each room in keeping with the historic character.

Figure 4.2: A pink motel in Las Vegas, NV 2017 Getty

•Character-defining architectural features such as massing, door/window location, and roofing style should be maintained. Figure 4.4: The Austin Motel swimming pool •Interior spaces should contain mid-century finishes 2017 and furniture to enhance the environment (Figure Tablet Inc. 4.3). Retail Structures

Figure 4.3: Retro mid-century interior with kitchenette 2013 Retro Rennovation

Currently, one of the biggest issues facing the Boulevard is the change in retail traffic, as there are sections that are only visited in small increments throughout the day and promote very limited pedestrian traffic. If the Boulevard is to maintain its place of importance and utility in the community, an increase in the volume of people utilizing it throughout both the day and night is necessary. One way that this can be accomplished is by buildings and plazas throughout the Boulevard to be mixed-use. This would create an environment where people could complete multiple tasks in one area, making it more likely to be constantly active. The typology of some of the strip malls on the

Boulevard lend themselves perfectly to this proposal, specifically the U-shaped ones that have an ample amount of real estate. Introducing a multi-use function to certain strip malls along the Boulevard would attract people to the area and activate the site, creating a meandering edge condition that would bring with it a host of design possibilities. Creating high-demand areas along the Boulevard would attract businesses and encourage developers to utilize the potential of the area by building and expand upon it. The maintenance of the original typology of the strip mall would reintroduce the public to a crucial part of the Boulevard’s historic story that speaks to the architectural and cultural response to the automobile and suburbanization. Design Guidelines: •Determine which strip malls maintain enough of their character-defining features to be considered historic. •Remove any alterations made significantly after the period of construction that alter the characterdefining features of the buildings, such as signage, horizontality, and large uninterrupted windows. •Replace missing features of the buildings and signage with mid-century- appropriate materials and methods of construction. •Makes us of the current ample real estate around the strip malls for community gathering space, outdoor leisure areas, and parking. Include paths, seating, and green space in order to encourage walking, meeting, and gathering by residents and guests, so that they will spend time in these areas rather than just coming to complete one task and leaving. •Introduce bike lanes to provide an alternate form of transportation that will allow for frequent stops and encourage pedestrian use. •Ample public transport should be prioritized. More bus stops should be added, and their design should fit in with the character of the Mid-Century Retro District.

•Varied types of businesses should be scattered throughout these multi-use areas, including traditional shopping, food markets, specialty stores, restaurants, and cafes. This will create variation in the type of consumer, circulation, and time of stay, allowing the sites to be active at all times of the day. Adjacent Suburbs The historical research and surveys of existing conditions done regarding residential development along Niagara Falls Boulevard shows that there is ample opportunity for improvement and continued future use. The wealth of the historic fabric from different points in time is a valuable asset that should be accentuated. The existing residential areas have two distinct historicallysignificant development patterns yielding two important themes: suburbanization and the pastoral scenic drive. By making alterations to the existing landscape to emphasize these themes, a positive sense of place can be created for the Boulevard. One aspect of the changes to the Boulevard over time are the neighborhoods that grew from and formed alongside its commercial portions in the postwar era (Figure 4.5). Currently, there are distinct pockets of subdivisions located near long retail strips and shopping centers. This pattern of development reflects how the road has developed into what it is today. The correlation between the two exhibits a significant trend in American suburbanization, which could be capitalized upon. A method for doing so would involve designating high-integrity neighborhoods as potential historic districts or incorporating them into the larger Mid-Century Retro District. Doing so would not only generate economic activity, but also demonstrate the value of architectural styles and designs that are often overlooked. For example, the Green Acres neighborhood in Tonawanda, which exhibits key design features of a typical suburban neighborhood from the 1950s, could be highlighted and used as a model for appropriate style and architecture (Figure 4.6). Other houses 70

which desire to fit into the character of the MidCentury Retro District could make modifications to recreate the uniformity which originally existed. The benefits of this would be the possibility of obtaining historic tax credits and further instilling a common character-defining feature in other aspects of the Boulevard. There is also the opportunity to include period street signs, lighting, and landscaping to establish a continued sense of the postwar era. Areas where residential development has been historically scarce should retain this character. In addition to the busy sections that have been radically altered from their nineteenth-century landscape, the Boulevard contains areas that have Figure 4.6: Map of Green Acres, Tonawanda Ca. 1960 Green Acres Anatomy of a Post World-War II Suburb

throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Furthermore, the route will stand out as a model for the revitalization and preservation of other similar areas.

Figure 4.5: Aerial view of Niagara Falls Boulevard 2018 Google Maps

retained a strong rural character, with properties fragmented from one another (Figure 4.7). The layers of history revealed through these different styles and forms of architecture are an invaluable resource that can be used to emphasize the Boulevardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, specifically its origin as a scenic route to Niagara Falls, its evolution into a destination for shopping, and the strong suburban character it developed. Through the promotion of these significant themes through various preservation and planning techniques, the Boulevard can come to serve as a lasting example of the development of the Buffalo-Niagara region 71

Figure 4.7: House along Old Falls Boulevard October 2018 Gregory Pinto

New Development Multi-Family Residential Incorporating a variety of housing options, specifically multi-family, along the Boulevard will increase connectivity and walk-ability. Multi-

family housing can be used as a buffer between commercial strips and surrounding suburbs. Attractive and safe pedestrian walkways should be created that connect the strip to adjacent housing, increasing customer accessibility.3 The areas around the stops for the newly-proposed Metro Rail line extension along the Boulevard should be transformed into a walkable mix of housing and retail. Zoning Parking regulations should be incorporated into municipalities’ zoning codes to encourage transit use along the Boulevard. Parking maximums should be implemented near transit stations. Any new development should require parking to be located in the rear or incorporated into mixed-use development. There should also be a set of zoning ordinances governing the design of new residential buildings to ensure that they consider the era of significance of the Mid-Century Retro District. Residential buildings should maintain a decent setback from the street directly adjacent to the strip malls, which will allow for pockets of gathering spaces that will promote walk-ability and allow people to frequent these areas. These new buildings would contrast the slight setback of the strip malls and create an undulating edge condition that would add variety to the street view of the “decorated shed.” 4 Zoning codes should also be amended to control how future development occurs. In order to maintain a pastoral setting, limitations on where new subdivisions can be created and the extent that they can spread should be enforced along sections of the Boulevard that have historically lacked such growth. The portion in the Town of Wheatfield, in particular, exemplifies this with areas containing large farmhouses that are set back from the road (Figure 4.8). Reconsidering future development is necessary in order to prevent densely populated areas from merging with regions that have a high degree of original integrity dating back to the early history of the Boulevard.

Figure 4.8: Property facing Niagara Falls Boulevard October 2018 Gregory Pinto

Design Guidelines: •Establish a uniform pattern and rhythm of properties along street frontage. Houses in suburban neighborhoods should additionally have an equal setback to ensure the maximum amount of green space. Directly on the Boulevard, housing should be urban, brought up to the street and incorporating mixed uses (retail on the first floor and residential above). •Introduce landscaping and sidewalks along streets that encourage walk-ability and attract people to the new neighborhoods. •Establish clear signage to promote legibility and a clear sense of place. •Implement parking in a way that does not detract from the design of properties. New structures should be brought to the sidewalk, with parking located behind the building. This will allow the Boulevard to attract retail and residential development in a more urban context, catering more to the pedestrian. •Require bicycle parking near the entrance of all new developments.

Existing and Future Infrastructure

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority 72

(NFTA) and the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) have the opportunity to create a successful regional transportation system that encourages interconnected employment and economic centers. By using the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ Design Guides as a foundation,5 improvements can be made to the transportation infrastructure along Niagara Falls Boulevard. Combined with an extensive community outreach effort, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and the areas in between can thrive. A traffic study should be conducted along Niagara Falls Boulevard, specifically looking at traffic counts (see map in Existing Conditions section), to determine major intersections where speeds could be reduced and where the best opportunities to create complete streets are. This will yield the data needed to reduce the number of traffic lanes, provide protected sidewalks and bike lanes, and introduce traffic-calming measures where needed. Pedestrian-crossing signs, crosswalks, curb extensions, and medians should be included.

Figure 4.9: Sheltered bus stop with lights and seats 2016 National Association of City Transportation

provide amenities to encourage transit use, such as retail, housing, childcare facilities, and green space.

Public Transportation NFTA bus routes 55 (Pine Avenue) and 34 (Niagara Falls Boulevard) should expand their services along the Boulevard to Amherst, North Tonawanda, and Wheatfield, more specifically between East Robinson Street and Ward Road, as there are currently no bus stops on this segment of the Boulevard (see map in Existing Conditions section). New bus stops should have signage in keeping with the aesthetic of the Mid-Century Retro District. Every bus stop on the Boulevard should provide comfort and safety and be accessible to all users (Figure 4.9 & 4.10). The GBNRTC’s original proposal for a Metro Rail line extension included a stop at the Boulevard Mall, (see Appendix 4.1), but the current proposed route would run above ground directly on the Boulevard. The new transit stops that will come with this extension will provide opportunities for TOD along the Boulevard. These stops can include park-and-ride lots that 73

Figure 4.10: Sheltered bus stop with bench, wayfinding, and bike racks 2016 National Association of City Transportation

Transit Station Design Guidelines:8 •Structures should provide a place to sit or lean, proper lighting, and shelter •Stops should be located near retail/commercial activity •Rehabilitate/reconstruct historic signage to encourage transit use and make routes more attractive o Reinforce the Mid-Century Retro

District by incorporating transit stops with important tourist destinations, such as a rehabilitated motel o Provide pedestrian travel paths with a clear width of eight to twelve feet •Incorporate bike parking at all stop •Platform heights for near-level boarding should be eight to eleven inches above the street and include ADA-compliant ramps and warning strips •For level boarding, the platform and floor heights will match. This is appropriate for light rail, streetcar, or retrofitted low-floor buses. TOD Design Guidelines: •Design for pedestrians •Make transit stations a prominent feature o Surround by public/green space o Include high-density development •Establish transit stations as regional nodes surrounded by mix of uses o Include specialized services to serve transit users o Encourage mid-century themes that tie into the Mid-Century Retro District o Create a 10-minute walk radius o Reduce and manage parking •Design for multi-modality •Ensure bicycle access by including bicycle parking areas (bike racks) and implementing a bike-share program

zones in order to provide a straight, convenient path •Widen crosswalks •Paint crosswalks with high-visibility ladder, zebra, or continental markings •Highlight crosswalks using hybrid or flash beacons •Provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible curb ramps •Include stop bar for cars eight feet before crosswalk •Shorten crossing distances using curb extensions or medians •Include pedestrian countdown signals with time for crossing scaled up or down as appropriate Sidewalks Sidewalks should be constructed in areas where they are currently lacking, including between Sheridan Drive and I-290 and between Tonawanda Creek Road and Porter Road (see map in Existing Conditions section). Any new sidewalks should be built with a buffer separating the roadway from the sidewalk. Street trees, landscaping, proper street lighting, and benches should be introduced along all sidewalks to improve the streetscape. Creating pleasant walkways will attract pedestrians and promote safety along the strip (Figure 4.12).

Pedestrian Crosswalks Due to the current unsafe conditions for pedestrians on the Boulevard,9 crosswalks at all intersections should be designed to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Crosswalks should Figure 4.12: Potential bike lane design be established at frequent intervals in order to allow all pedestrians to cross the Boulevard safely. 2011 Design Guidelines:10

National Association of City Transportation

•Align crosswalk striping with pedestrian through74

Sidewalk Design Guidelines:11

vehicle lane width to 10 feet •Designate a bicycle route along the Boulevard with • Sidewalks should be at least six feet wide. If directly appropriate signage and ensure connectivity to other adjacent to traffic, they should be at least eight feet bike routes and lanes wide in order to provide a two-foot buffer between Conclusion pedestrians and the street. •Frontage zones should be made appealing to Niagara Falls Boulevard has the possibility pedestrians •The street furniture/curb zone should contain to return to its roots as a scenic byway through the preservation and enhancement of its historic amenities such as: resources and infrastructure. Creating a distinctly o Lighting scaled to the pedestrian different feel between dense Tonawanda and Amherst o Overhead lighting for vehicles and rural Wheatfield will provide a pleasant variance o Benches and seating for users and allow for an understanding of how the o Kiosks Boulevard has changed over time. To truly restore the o Utility poles Boulevard’s position as a scenic route, automobile o Landscaping traffic will need to be slowed down by lowering the o Street trees speed limit. Including a well-defined median to o Bicycle parking separate lanes will create safer conditions along the o Green infrastructure •Place curb extensions, parklets, and bike racks in rural stretch of the Boulevard, and the establishment the buffer zone between the sidewalk and the street of a designated bike lane will provide connectivity between commercial sections and areas where historic nineteenth-century houses remain. Tying it Bicycle Infrastructure all together will be the Mid-Century Retro District, The Erie Canalway Trail’s paved bike path which will provide for the continued preservation of crosses Niagara Falls Boulevard at Tonawanda the Boulevard’s historic resources into the future. Creek Road. This section of the trail is also known as the Ellicott Creek Trailway (see map in Existing Endnotes Conditions Section).12 This bike routes should be 1.Kristin Hagar, “Toward a New Approach to Recent-Past Preservation extended onto the Boulevard to both the north and Planning,” 2011, 31. south. Designated bike lanes (Figure 4.12) should 2.Michael Lorin Hirsch, Richard Stokes, and Anthony Bracali, “How to Doo Wop: Wildwoods-by-the-Sea Handbook of Design Guidelines” be included along the entirety of the Boulevard. This (The Doo Wop Preservation League, n.d.), http://mail.stokesarch. will provide bicyclists with a safe alternative route com/doo_wop.pdf. between Buffalo and Niagara Falls and allow them 3.Nico Larco, “Overlooked Density: Rethinking Transportation Options in Suburbia” (Oregon Transportation Research and Education access to the commercial areas allow the Boulevard, Consortium (OTREC), 2010). along with providing another way to enjoy the 4.Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour, Learning historic resources in the Mid-Century Retro District. from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form Design Guidelines:13 •Bike lanes should be at least five feet wide •Designate bike lanes with clear markings •Establish shoulder bike lanes in low-speed areas, increasing shoulder width to five feet and reducing

(Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England: The MIT Press, 1977). 5.NACTO, “Design Guides,” National Association of City Transportation Officials, accessed November 27, 2018, https://nacto.org/. 6.GBNRTC and WSP, “Comprehensive Transit-Oriented Development Plan,” 2018. 7.McCarthy, Robert J. “NFTA Proposes New, Cheaper Route for Metro Rail Extension to Amherst.” The Buffalo News, November 20, 2018.

8.“Station & Stop Principles - National Association of City Transportation Officials,” accessed December 6, 2018, https://nacto. org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/stations-stops/stationstop-principles/. 9.Town of Tonawanda Office of the Town Engineer, and Town of Amherst Engineering Department. “Niagara Falls Boulevard Pedestrian Road Safety Audit: Ridge Lea Road to East Robinson Road,” 2018. 10.“Crosswalks and Crossings,” National Association of City Transportation Officials, accessed December 6, 2018, https://nacto. org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/intersection-designelements/crosswalks-and-crossings/. 11.“Sidewalks - National Association of City Transportation Officials,” accessed December 6, 2018, https://nacto.org/publication/urbanstreet-design-guide/street-design-elements/sidewalks/. 12.Parks & Trails New York, “Erie Canalway Trail Map,” Cycle the Erie Canal, 2018, https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/trail-map. 13.“Bike Lanes,” National Association of City Transportation Officials, accessed December 6, 2018, https://nacto.org/publication/urbanbikeway-design-guide/bike-lanes/.

Conclusion

Through extensive research and analysis, this report has demonstrated that the best option for the future of Niagara Falls Boulevard is to pay homage to its past. Given the rich history that the Boulevard has to offer, the proposed Mid-Century Retro District will ensure the preservation of its historic resources, reimagining them as valuable assets. Improving the unsafe conditions of the Boulevard will transform it back into a desirable route and even a destination in itself, as people come to enjoy and learn about its history. The preservation fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing interest in mid-century resources offers an opportunity for the Buffalo-Niagara region to improve one of its most iconic facets. As Niagara Falls Boulevard continues to evolve and urban planningcontinues to shift away from favoring the automobile, seemingly-mundane structures from the recent past must not be overlooked. These resources speak to a critical time in the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development, which makes them historically significant.

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Publications, 2012), 12–17, http://www.academia.edu/3216208/Patchett_M._and_Shields_R._2012_The_Future_of_Strip_Malls_in_Patch ett_M._and_Shields_R._eds._Strip_Appeal_Reinventing_the_Strip_Mall_Space_and_Culture_Publications. Pool, William, ed., Landmarks of Niagara County, New York (D. Mason, 1897), https://books.google.com/books?id=FvYpAQAAMAAJ&printsec= frontcover&dq=St.+Johnsburg,+Niagara+Falls+Boulevard&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiUgYTGusXdAhWnl-AKHXQxDWw 4ChDoAQhYMAk#v=onepage&q&f=false. Price, Mark, “Myers Park Is Home to the County’s Oldest Suburban Shopping Center. Is It Historic?,” Charlotte Observer, January 16, 2018, https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article194868454.html. Quednau, Rachel, “Stuck with Strip Malls,” Strong Towns, September 7, 2016, https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2016/9/6/strip-malls. “Rainbow Mall Redevelopment,” Empire State Development, August 23, 2017, https://esd.ny.gov/rainbow-mall-redevelopment. Reed, Dennis, “Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company,” n.d., http://nthistory.com/collections/show/52. “Reconnaissance Level Survey of Historic Resources” (Village of Willamsville, Erie County, NY: Bero Associaties Architects, 1997), http://walka blewilliamsville.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1997-Reconnaissance-Level-Survey-of-Historic-Resources.pdf. “Resources,” National Historic Route 66 Federation, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.national66.org/resources/. “Route 66: Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary,” National Park Service, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/nr/trav el/route66/. “Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program,” National Park Service, November 5, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1453/route-66-corridor-pres ervation-program.htm. Rugh, Susan Sessions, Are We There yet?: The Golden Age of American Family Vacations, Book, Whole (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008), http://buffalo.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/ Sampson, Rich, “Buffalo Belt Line,” Buffalo Rising (blog), October 26, 2016, https://www.buffalorising.com/2016/10/buffalo-belt-line/. Sanburn, Josh, “Why the Death of Malls Is About More Than Shopping,” Time, July 20, 2017, http://time.com/4865957/death-and-life-shop ping-mall/. Schaffer, Regina, “Taking Tacky to New Heights: Preserving the Wildwoods’ Doo-Wop Treasures,” New Jersey Monthly, May 6, 2014, https:// njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-shore/tacky-new-heights-wildwood-motels/. Schmitt, Angie, “Albuquerque’s Ground-Breaking BRT Project Makes Its Maiden Voyage on Route 66,” Streetsblog USA (blog), November 28, 2017, https://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/11/28/albuquerques-ground-breaking-brt-project-makes-its-maiden-voyage-on-route-66/. Shapiro, Kelli, “From Modernism to McDonald’s: Ideology, Controversy, and the Movement to Preserve the Recent Past,” Journal of Architectur al Education 61, no. 2 (November 2007): 6–14. Shifting Suburbs: Reinventing Infrastructure for Compact Development” (Washington D.C.: Urban Land Institute, 2012), http://uli.org/wp-con tent/uploads/ULI-Documents/Shifting-Suburbs.pdf. Sisson, Patrick, “All-Electric Bus Rapid Transit Launches on Old Stretch of Route 66,” Curbed, December 20, 2017, https://www.curbed. com/2017/12/20/16800586/bus-rapid-transit-albuquerque-brt-transportation. Sears, John F., 1941, Sacred Places: American Tourist Attractions in the Nineteenth Century, Pbk., Book, Whole (Amherst: University of Massa chusetts Press, 1998), http://buffalo.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/ Sherfy and Luce, “Guidelines for Evaluating and Nominating Properties That Have Achieved Significance within the Past Fifty Years,” National Register of Historic Places Bulletin (Nrb 22). Shiffer, Rebecca, “Where Did the Twentieth Century Go?,” History News 51, no. 4 (Autumn 1996): 18. “Sidewalks - National Association of City Transportation Officials,” accessed December 6, 2018, https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street- design-guide/street-design-elements/sidewalks/. Silsby, Robert, Settlement to Suburb: A History of the Town of Tonawanda 1607-1986 (Sterling C. Sommer, Inc, 1997). Simons, Sasha-Ann, “Historic Cleveland Park Strip Mall Contends with a New Tenant: Target,” WAMU (blog), December 11, 2017, https:// wamu.org/story/17/12/11/historic-struggling-sams-park-shop-plaza-tenants-offer-lukewarm-welcome-new-target/. Smith, Henry Perry, “Chapter XXXII. Railroads,” in History of the City of Buffalo and Erie County: With Illus. and Biographical Sketches of Some

of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, vol. 1 (D. Mason & Company, 1884). “Station & Stop Principles - National Association of City Transportation Officials,” accessed December 6, 2018, https://nacto.org/publication/ transit-street-design-guide/stations-stops/station-stop-principles/. Stone and Stewart, New Topographical Atlas of Erie County, NY (Philadelphia, 1866), Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/map01000036. Summerson, Mia, “Wheatfield Approves Boulevard Rezoning,” Niagara Gazette, September 19, 2017, https://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/ local_news/wheatfield-approves-boulevard-rezoning/article_bec1ad1a-9cff-11e7-a9b4-0b6d09bb55f5.html. The City of Buffalo et al., “Buffalo Greencode Unified Development Ordinance,” 2016. “The Doo Wop Motel District,” Doo Wop Preservation League, accessed December 2, 2018, http://www.doowopusa.org/district/index.html. “The History of Route 66,” National Historic Route 66 Federation, accessed December 5, 2018, https://www.national66.org/histo ry-of-route-66/. “The Whole Story of Delawanda: Delaware Avenue between Buffalo and Tonawanda,” Buffalo Evening News, May 29, 1909. “The Peterson Automotive Museum - Treasure Trove of Our Car Culture,” Discover Hollywood Magazine, 2011, https://www.discoverhollywood. com/Publications/Discover-Hollywood/2011/Issue-Summer-2011/The-Peterson-Automotive-Museum-Treasure-trove-of.aspx. Tielman, Timothy, “How Green Were My Acres: Builders, Designers, and Buyers in an Atomic Age Suburb, 1946-1956,” December 21, 2011, https://greaterbuffalo.blogs.com/files/tielman-green-acres-narrative-2.pdf. Tonawanda Town Board and URS Corportation, “Town of Tonawanda Comprehensive Plan Update and Generic Environmental Impact State ment,” 2014. Town of Tonawanda Office of the Town Engineer, and Town of Amherst Engineering Department. “Niagara Falls Boulevard Pedestrian Road Safety Audit: Ridge Lea Road to East Robinson Road,” 2018. Town of Wheatfield Town Board, Town of Wheatfield Planning Board, and Wendel Duchscherer Architects & Engineers, “Town of Wheatfield Comprehensive Plan,” 2004. Town Planning Board, “The General Development Plan for the Town of Amherst, NY,” 1955. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Brochure,” National Park Service, 2002, https:// www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/brochure/. Venturi, Robert, Brown, Denise Scott, and Izenour, Steven, Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form (Cam bridge, Massachusetts and London, England: The MIT Press, 1977). Wallace, Roberts and Todd, LLC, URS Corporation, and Economics Research Associates, “Town of Amherst Bicentennial Comprehensive Plan,” 2011. Ward, “Nashville’s Offers Twice Rejected by Former Hickory Hollow Mall Owner,” The Tennessean, June 2, 2016, https://www.tennessean.com/ story/money/real-estate/2016/06/02/nashvilles-offers-twice-rejected-global-mall-owner/85303624/. Weiss, Thomas, “Tourism in America before World War II,” The Journal of Economic History 64, no. 2 (2004): 289–327, https://doi. org/10.1017/S0022050704002712. “Wonder Falls - Rainbow Centre Mall Renovation,” Buffalo Billion, accessed December 4, 2018, https://buffalobillion.ny.gov/wonder-falls-rain bow-centre-mall-renovation. “Zoning,” Town of Wheatfield NY, accessed December 7, 2018, http://wheatfield.ny.us/358/Zoning. “Zoning Ordinance” (City of Niagara Falls, New York, February 4, 2013), http://niagarafallsusa.org/download/Code-Enforcement/Zoning-Ordi nance.pdf. “1930 United States Federal Census,” n.d., Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/ “2279 Niagara Falls Boulevard North,” Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, 2018, https://www.howardhanna.com/Property/Detail/2279-Ni agara-Falls-Boulevard-North-Wheatfield-NY-14304/BuffaloNY/B1155118. “§ 200-20.3. NFBO Niagara Falls Boulevard Overlay District” (Town of Wheatfield NY), accessed December 7, 2018, http://wheatfield.ny.us/ DocumentCenter/View/1535/Overlay-Explained?bidId=.

Appendix: Executive Summary

A: Sanborn overlay (LaSalle) 1914 Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

B: Sanborn overlay (Niagara Falls) 1947 Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

C: Sanborn overlay (Niagara Falls) Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

Appendix: Historical Context

1.1: Gifford Geil Niagara County 1852

1.2: Gifford Geil Niagara County 1852

1.3: Gillette Matthews & Co Erie County 1855

1.4: 1866 Stone & Stewart 1866

1.5: Beers Niagara and Orleans County (Wheatfield) 1875

1.5a: Beers Niagara and Orleans County (La Salle) 1875

1.6: Beers Erie County (Buffalo) 1880

1.7: Hopkins Buffalo (Kenmore) 1891

1.8: Hopkins (North Tonawanda) 1893

1.9: Sanborn Buffalo 1900

1.10: Niagara County (La Salle) 1908

1.11: Existing Motels on Niagara Falls Boulevard Generated by Natasha Davrados with Esri ArcMap

Appendix: Existing Conditions

100

Roadside pylon sign

Parking adjacent to rooms

Pool

2.1: Character Defining Features of Motels Photo by Marie Shearing - Diagram Generated by Lemma Al-Ghanem

101

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lâ&#x20AC;? shaped massing

Playground

Detached office

Roadside one pole pylon sign

Broad expanse of glass with minimal framing

Angled canopy

Simple massing

Pilotis (typically thin)

Parking directly

2.2: Character Defining Features of Stripmalls Photo: Google Maps - Diagram Generated by Lemma Al-Ghanem

102

2.3: Residential development trends Gregory Pinto

103

2.4: Native American trails Ca. 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thomas Voigt using Esri Living Atlas

104

2.5: Boulevard in relation to streetcar and bus lines- 1935 Emily Moll using Esri ArcMap

105

2.6: Boulevard annual average traffic counts Thomas Voigt using Esri Living Atlas

106

2.7: Existing bicycle lanes in Erie and Niagara Emily Moll using GBNRTC data

107

2.8: NFTA bus stops along the Boulevard 2018 Thomas Voigt using Esri Live Atlas

108

2.9: Areas lacking sidewalks on the Boulevard 2018 Emily Moll using Google Street View and Esri ArcMap

109

2.10: Rail infrastructure and transmission lines 2018 Emily Moll using Esri Living Atlas

110

2.11: Retail on Niagara Falls Boulevard by decade Generated by Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

111

2.11a: Retail on Niagara Falls Boulevard by decade Generated by Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

112

Appendix: Proposals

113

4.1: Proposed Metro Rail line extension 2018 GBNRTC

114

4.2: Motel/Hotels eligible for preservation Natasha Davrados using Esri ArcMap

115

Appendix: Inventories

116

Hotel-Motel-Existing Inventory 1. Name: Boulevard Inn Picture:

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, changeable copy sign attached Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Large Jacuzzis, Weekly rates, Phone # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under window Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1950

Address: 785 Niagara Falls Boulevard Amherst Notes: First existing motel from beginning (Southern) of NFB.

No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

2. Name: Days Inn by Windham Tonawanda/Buffalo Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐

Form:

U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 1120 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes: Possibly former motel renovated.

Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, LED electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Free Wifi Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under window Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1965

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

3. Name: Royal Inn Picture: Yes: ☐

No: ☒ Google Street View

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 1378 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Filled In: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Free Wifi, HBO, Phone #, Weekly Rates Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1954

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

4. Name: Red Carpet Inn Picture: Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 1900 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # 4 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, LED electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Renovated Jacuzzi, HBO, WIFI, Fridge Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Upper wall next to room Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1961

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

5. Name: Rodeway Inn & Suites Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form:

Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ Other: ☒ Complex – L, L, I, Reception 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ Quick stop-beer, cigarettes, Address, Cigarettes, Soda, Beer, ATM Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Upper windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1965

Address: Yes: ☐ No: ☒ 1951 Niagara Falls Boulevard Amherst Notes: New or renovated; Front reception new addition 2017. Additional structures: Reception and Quick Stop convenience store, Bob Evans shares parking lot Used to be Blue Dophin Motor Lodge.

6. Name: Knights Inn Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☒ No: ☒ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, changeable copy sign attached Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Other: ☐ Low rates, cable-HBO, Wifi, Microfridge Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under window in back of rooms Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1954

Address: 1970 Niagara Falls Blvd Tonawanda Notes: Retains Historic Features: Possibly new or renovated

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

7. Name: Econo Lodge Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 2000 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ Front-2, Back-1 Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Possibly renovated Jaccuzi Rooms, Fridge, Microwave Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windos Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1946

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

8. Name: Blue Falls Motel Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 2142 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes: Renovated – front windows filled in.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside Pylon and neon lettering mounted on building Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Renovated: ☐ Free WIFI Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1950

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

9. Name: Crown Inn Picture: Yes: ☒

No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 2270 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes: Possibly added to a residence.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, neon vacancy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Other: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Not visable Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1960

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

10. Name: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Other: ☒ Not open yet U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # 4 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Mounted backlighted letters on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: In rooms Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2018

Address: 2430-2360 Niagara Falls Boulevard Tonawanda Notes: Previous location of Boulevard Garden Courts Motel

Yes: ☒ No: ☐

11. Name: Hayat Motel Extended Stay Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☒

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 1182 Niagara Falls Boulevard North Tonawanda Notes: Residential office/reception building.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☐ Other: ☒ Across from rooms Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, Neon vacancy sign underneath, Changeable copy sign underneath, Mounted illuminated cabinet on building Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Other: ☐ Serenity, WIFI, Hideaway Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Not visible Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1945

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

12. Name: B Cozy Picture: Yes: ☒

No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form:

Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ Other: ☒ Complex: I, 5 duplex cottages 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☒ Across from cottages Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, changeable copy sign attached, and painted sign on building Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: In windows Yes: ☐ No: ☐

Address: Historic Photos: 1200 Niagara Falls Blvd Year Built: 1955 North Tonawanda Notes: Cottage camp. Residential office/reception building

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

13. Name: Starfire Motel Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Other: ☒ Vacant U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ Other: ☒ Curved L 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Roadside, double-sided one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, with aesthetic design, changeable copy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Air conditioning Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Not visible Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☒ No: ☐ 3486 Niagara Falls Boulevard Year Built: 1950 North Tonawanda Notes: Residential building on site. Located on 12+ acre parcel of land with pond.

14. Name: Sleepy Hollow Motel Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Other: ☒ For Sale U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Post and panel with neon lettering, Neon vacancy underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☒ 2279 Niagara Falls Boulevard Year Built: 1941 Wheatfield Notes: Residential property and restaurant on site. Currently listed for sale by Howard Hanna Real Estate Service for $1 – 1.5 million. Commercial – 6562 SQ FT – B1155118 MLS#

15 Name: Summit Park Court Motel Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 2305 Niagara Falls Boulevard Wheatfield Notes: Residential property on site

Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Other: ☐ ? U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside, double-sided two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, changeable copy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Heart shaped Jacuzzi Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Not visible Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1986

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

16. Name: Niagara Falls Campground & Lodging Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

No/Vacancy Sign Address: 2405 Niagara Falls Boulevard Wheatfield Notes: Land use code: 582

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ Other: ☒ Campground 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ n/a Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☐ Other: ☒ On site Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ None Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Other: ☒ n/a Location: Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Historic Photos: Year Built: 1935

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

17. Name: Driftwood Suites Picture: Yes: ☐ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, illuminated changeout price sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Hot Tub, VCR, DVD, Low Rates Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1962

Address: 2754 Niagara Falls Boulevard Wheatfield Notes: Two additional two-story buildings built in 2014.

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

18. Name: Days Inn & Suites by Windham Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 2821 Niagara Falls Boulevard Wheatfield Notes: New or renovated.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated Cabinet, four small cabinets underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ High Speed Internet, Phone #, AAA Approved Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2000

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

19. Name: AA Royal Motel & Campground Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 3333 Niagara Falls Boulevard Wheatfield Notes: Office/Residential Building

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ Other: ☒ Campground 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☒ At site Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with three illuminated cabinets, Neon vacancy underneath Post and Panel Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ Micro, Fridge, Phones, TV, VCR, Daily & Weekly Rates, Laundry, Wi-Fi Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Not visible Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2009

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

20. Name: Scottish Inns Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 3930 Niagara Falls Boulevard Wheatfield Notes: Additional structure: reception

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, illuminated changeout price sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Flat screen tv, Free wifi, Micro-Fridge Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Not visible Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2009

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

21. Name: Hillside Motel Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Address: 5627 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Restaurant, Gas station-H-S Truck Stop

Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Other: ☒ Vacant U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Post and panel, multiple panels Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Rooms, AC, Cable Color TV, Phones, Direct Calls, ATM, Gas prices Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Historic Photos: Year Built: 1970

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

22. Name: Niagara Falls Lodging/Enjoy Hotel Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Address: 5655 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Attributes: Operation: Form:

Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Porte Cochere Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Outdoor Pool Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Playground Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Parking At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Sign Type Post and panel Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Amenities None Advertised: A/C: Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows No/Vacancy Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Year Built: 1950

23. Name: Econo Lodge Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Address: 5919 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ AAA Approved, Niagara Falls Welcome Center Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Not visible Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Historic Photos: Year Built: 1962

Notes: Additional structures: Gazebo, Welcome Center

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

24. Name: Comfort Inn & Suites Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6115 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # 4 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Tall Hwy Two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, mounted backlighted lettering on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ Indoor pool, Business center, Fitness center Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Not visible Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2017

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

25. Name: La Quinta Inn & Suites Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6225 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # 4 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Tall Hwy Two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, mounted illuminated cabinet on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ Kid friendly, Indoor pool, Business center Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2015

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

26. Name: Hampton Inn by Hilton Picture: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6501 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: New construction

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # 4 Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Small illuminated monument sign, mounted backlighted lettering on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Unknown: ☐ Business center, Fitness center, Indoor pool Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 2014

Yes: ☐ No: ☒

27. Name: America’s Best Value Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Tall highway, two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, and a small monument on premise Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Jacuzzi rooms, free continental breakfast, internet Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Lower wall units Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ 6505 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Year Built: 1968 Falls Notes: Connected to former Howard Johnson.

No: ☒

28. Name: Budget Host Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6621 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls Notes: Restaurant and picnic area on site.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Filled In: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Picnic area At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, and two illuminate changeable price sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ TV, Refrigerator, Micro, Free WiFi, Free Shuttle, Breakfast Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Year Built: 1941

29. Name: Red Carpet Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6625 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, illuminated changeout sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1955

No: ☒

30. Name: Caravan Motel

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6730 Niagara Falls Blvd 6730 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Additional reception/office building

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Historic sign - roadside two pole Pylon with neon decoration, illuminated changeout sign underneath, and two small one pole Pylons on premise Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Park and Fly specials, outdoor pool, HBO, internet, senior discount, low weekly rates Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1955

No: ☒

31. Name: Aarya Motel by Niagara Fashion Outlets

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6734 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Additional reception/office building Recent renovations.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Tall roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, and a short one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Pool Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1965

No: ☒

32. Name: Pelican Motel

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Historic sign - roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, with an illuminated changeout sign underneath and a small illuminated price sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Low weekly rates, high speed internet, HBO, kitchenette, 3 beds and family suites, senior discount Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ 6817 Niagara Falls Boulevard Year Built: 1955 Niagara Falls Notes: Multi-building complex, garage and storage shed.

No: ☒

33. Name: Swiss Cottage Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 6831 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Reception is different building type.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated triangular cabinet, and one pole Pylon with changeout copy sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Canadian money at par Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1954

No: ☒

34. Name: Super 8 by Windham Niagara Niagara Falls Pictures

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 7680 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Recent construction.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, changeable copy sign underneath, and two illuminated cabinets on building facade Yes: ☐ No: ☒ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 2001

No: ☒

35. Name: Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 7726 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Recent construction

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # 4 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Two roadside one pole Pylons with illuminated cabinets, electric message sign underneath, mounted backlighted lettering on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 2017

No: ☒

36. Name: Quality Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, LED electronic message sign underneath, illuminated cabinet signs on build Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Antonio’s Restaurant and Banquet Center Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 2014

Address: No: ☒ 7708 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Multi-building complex, Antonio’s Restaurant and Banquet Center attached Recent construction. On the property of former Cascade Inn built in 1960.

37. Name: Moonlight Motel

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Address: 7811 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Historic roadside two pole Pylon off of porte cochere, with neon lettering, neon vacancy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Free shuttle Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1965

No: ☒

38. Name: Niagara Rainbow Motel

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Address: 7900 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Multi-building comlex.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Historic roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, two illuminated changeout signs underneath, illuminated vacancy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Jacuzzi suites, weekly rates $259 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1940

No: ☒

39. Name: Niagara Falls Motel

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 8710 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Filled In: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Roadside one poly Pylon with illuminated cabinet with neon lettering, and small one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, a changeable copy sign, and neon vacancy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1950

No: ☒

40. Name: Memory Lane

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 8800 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Roadside two pole Pylon with neon lettering, illuminating changeout sign underneath, small illuminated cabinet underneath, and banner on building Yes: ☒ No: ☐ None Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☒ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1974

No: ☒

41. Name: Knights Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 9001 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet Yes: ☒ No: ☐ 1 bed, 2 bed Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under window Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1956

No: ☒

42. Name: Motel 6 Verify Pic

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 9100 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Recent construction.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ # 3 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Short roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, electronic message sign underneath. Mounted illuminated cabinet on building, and mounted electronic message sign on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 2008

No: ☒

43. Name: Sands Motel Niagara Falls

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 9393 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Two-story reception building. Gazebo on site.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with two illuminated cabinet Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Low weekly rates, Wi-Fi, plasma TV, Micro, Fridge, free shuttle to casino and falls Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1956

No: ☒

44. Name: Travelodge

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminating cabinet, small illuminated cabinet underneath, tall two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, mounted illuminated cabinet on reception building Yes: ☒ No: ☐ New rooms, heart shaped Jacuzzis, adjoining rooms, family units, king and queen size beds Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1940

Address: No: ☒ 9401 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Multi-building complex, reception building is a more recent building type.

45. Name: Scottish Inns

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 9470 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes:

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside one pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, small illuminated cabinet on reception building Yes: ☒ No: ☐ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1970

No: ☒

46. Name: Best Western Summit Inn

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 9500 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Recent construction.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinets Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Indoor pool Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Location: Yes: ☐ No: ☒

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1964

No: ☒

47. Name: Inn Niagara

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, electronic message sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ None Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Yes: ☐ No: ☐

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☒ 9505 Niagara Falls Boulevard Year Built: 1949 Niagara Falls Notes: Multi-building complex. Reception/office building in residential style.

48. Name: Rodeway Inn & Suites

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside two pole Pylon with illuminated cabinet, illuminated changeout sign underneath Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Family suites Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: Under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ 9802 Niagara Falls Boulevard Year Built: 1967 Niagara Falls Notes: Was former Castle Motor Inn, now remodeled.

No: ☒

49. Name: Algiers Motel

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Roadside two pole Pylon with neon lettering and design, neon vacancy sign underneath, and a small one pole pylon with illuminated cabinets on premise Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Low rates, AC, TV Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Address: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ 9820 Niagara Falls Boulevard Year Built: 1952 Niagara Falls Notes: Office attached in the middle of the building.

No: ☒

50. Name: Bit-O-Paris

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type

Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C: No/Vacancy Sign

Address: 9890 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Reception/office additional structure.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Filled In: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☒ Surface: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Roadside two pole Pylon with neon lettering and decoration, illuminated changeout sign underneath, neon vacancy sign underneath Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Low rates Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 1950

No: ☒

51. Name: Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Attributes: Operation: Form: Floors Porte Cochere Outdoor Pool Playground Parking Signage Sign Type Retains Features Amenities Advertised: A/C:

Address: 10111 Niagara Falls Boulevard Niagara Falls Notes: Recent construction.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Other: ☐ U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Filled In: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ At Room: ☐ Surface: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Roadside illuminated Pylon, mounted backlighted lettering on building Yes: ☐ No: ☒ None Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Location: under windows Yes: ☐ No: ☐

No/Vacancy Sign Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ Year Built: 2008

No: ☒

1. Name: Encompass Agency Inc Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 142 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: Character defining features: Punch windows, roof overhang.

Unknown Insurance agency U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☒ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Historic: ☐ N/A Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐

Signage Sign Type Retains Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of West Side Street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Year Built:

Unknown: ☒ 1968 (city directories)

2. Name: N/A Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 240 +244 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: The salon is a house converted into a shop. Aquarium shop has small awning and large window wall with very simple massing. Parking is right up to the store.

Unknown Salon and Aquarium shop U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ # Yes: ☒ No: ☒ (Very slight over aquarium shop) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Sign Type Façade Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of West Side Street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built:

1960

3. Name: Unlimited Mini Mart Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 354 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Unknown Convenient Store U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ #1.5 Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Very slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Detached and Façade Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

Notes: This building is a house converted into a store. Character defining features include a pitched roof, brick, and large windows that were added on after construction.

Year Built:

1950

4. Name: 422 Picture:

Address: 422 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: Some character defining features of this building is its simple block massing (with a later addition on the back that makes it an L shape), the small punch windows, minimal “L” shaped parking, exterior detached street sign.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Business

Multiple Business U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950

5. Name: Sweeney’s Car Garage and S + E Jewelers Picture:

Address: 422 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: Some character defining features of Sweeney’s Car Garage is that it is a home that was converted into a shop. It has large window walls and an overhanging awning and L shaped parking. S and E’s has many defining features of a midcentury strip mall building. It is flat, long and emphasizes horizontality with large window walls set back with little to no interruption and parking that abuts the building right to the street. Both business have large pylon signs directly next to the street.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Business

Car garage and Jeweler’s U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950 (Sweeny’s) 1970 (S and E’s)

6. Name: Amherst E Closets Picture:

Address: 450 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building is very small and has many character defining features of a midcentury strip mall building. With very simple massing, no ornament, large window walls with very thin mullions and an overhanging canopy.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Store

Clothing store U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950

7. Name: Darcy’s Grooming Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking Does Parking abut building Signage Sign Type Retains Features Address: 462 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building has two stories with a simple square massing, brick, minimal windows, set back from the street front. It also has a pylon sign that is set right up to the street front.

Store Dance Studio U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☐ Façade and Detached Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ West Side

Pylon Sign Side of street: Historic Photos: Year Built:

1980

Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

8. Name: Towne Building Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking Does Parking abut building Signage Sign Type Retains Features Address: 479 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Barbershops Hearing Aid Center (now vacant) U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Façade and Detached Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ West Side

Pylon Sign Side of street: Historic Photos:

Notes: Year Built: This building has a simple block massing with minimal punch windows and no ornament. It has light colored brick and a very slight overhang. It also has a pylon sign that is set right up to the street front.

Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ 1960’s

9. Name: Shukin Spa and Diamond Style’z Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 482 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Barbershops Spa and Jeweler U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

Notes: This building was a house that was converted into a place of business. It is a two story simple square massing, brick, minimal windows, set back from the street enough for cars to park in front.

Year Built:

1960

10. Name: Dip ‘N Dive Picture:

Address: 500 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building has many of the character defining features of a typical midcentury strip mall building. It emphasizes horizontality while a large overhang held up by very thin pilotis. It also has a large window wall with very thin mullions.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Dive shop

Dive shop U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1960

11. Name: Saigon Bangkok Picture:

Address: 512 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: Defining features: Simple massing, ribbon windows, set back with large “L” shaped parking.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Video and TV shop

Restaurant U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950s

12. Name: Lakeland Auto Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 536 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Food Market Auto Supply U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

Notes: This building has many of the character defining features of a typical midcentury strip mall with an emphasis on horizontality, “U” shaped massing, an overhang with pilotis and large window walls.

Year Built:

1950’s

13. Name: Yakitori & Donburi Picture:

Address: 546 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building emphasizes horizontality and has a very small footprint with minimal windows that we believe were there originally but were infilled later on.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Food market

Restaurant U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950’s

14. Name: Corner Mart Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 681 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Food market Convenient store and restaurants U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of East Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐

Notes: Year Built: This building has many of the character defining features of a typical midcentury strip mall with an emphasis on horizontality, “I” shaped massing, an overhang with pilotis and large window walls and thin mullions.

Unknown: ☒ 1950’s

15. Name: American Auto World Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 733 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Auto Supply Garage U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building is originally a auto garage and remains with the same character defining features as a midcentury auto garage. It has a small footprint and very simple rectangular massing with parking available fully around the building.

Year Built:

1950’s

16. Name: Hector’s Hardware Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 751 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Hardware Store Hardware Store U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building is originally a hardware store, it has most character defining features of midcentury strip mall construction. It emphasizes horizontality, has very large windows with very thin mullions and a detached sign that is close to the street. The building is set back a little further than most midcentury stores are.

Year Built:

1950’s

17. Name: 771-775 Picture:

Address: 771-775 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building has all the character defining features of a midcentury strip mall including an emphasis on horizontality, a large overhang with thin pilotis, very thin mullions in its large expanses of glass. It is also situated at the end of a “U” shaped motel (The Boulevard Inn) from the 50s.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Convenient store

Restaurants and Tailor U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of East Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950’s

18. Name: Dairy Queen Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 782 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Dairy Queen Dairy Queen U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: Year Built: This building has all the character defining features of a midcentury strip mall including an emphasis on horizontality, a large overhang with thin pilotis, very thin mullions in its large expanses of glass. It is set back a little more than other stores with parking located around it on three sides.

1950’s

19. Name: Multiple Businesses Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 804 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Multiple Stores Doctors office, Offices, Nail Salon U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: Year Built: This building has all the character defining features of a midcentury strip mall including an emphasis on horizontality, a slight overhang and large expanses of glass (on the one on the end). Two of the buildings are brick with minimal punch windows.

1950’s

20. Name: 803 Picture:

Address: 803 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building is extremely minimal with simple massing a very minimal fenestration.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Hardware Store

Vacant U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Historic: ☒ Sign Type N/A Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of East Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1960’s

21. Name: Northtown Animal Hospital Picture:

Address: 839 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building has most of the character defining features of a midcentury strip mall. It emphasizes horizontality, has a long expanse of glass with minimal millions, an overhang and a detached sign.

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Multiple Businesses

Animal Hospital U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ Floors 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Overhang Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Parking In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Does Parking Yes: ☒ No: ☐ abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of East Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ Year Built: 1950’s

22. Name: Noco Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 820 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building has most of the character defining features of a midcentury strip mall. It emphasizes horizontality, has a long expanse of glass with minimal millions, an overhang and a detached sign.

Gas Station Gas Station U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Unknown: ☒ 1950’s

23. Name: Woori Mart Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 850 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Laundromat Food Market U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This has a very small footprint with an overhang and minimal windows. It has been added onto over the years.

Year Built:

1965

24. Name: 843 - 847 Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 883 - 847 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: These buildings have very small footprints. Two of them are converted from houses.

Food mart (843) Management, Appliance service, Vacant U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

1955

25. Name: Fancy Florist Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 853 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Auto Supply Shop Florist U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building has some elements of midcentury strip mall character defining features however it has been added onto and altered throughout the years. Some of the character defining features it retains is the horizontality, limited parking that abuts the building, bit expanses of glass, and the overhang that is supported by thin pilotis.

Year Built:

1955

26. Name: Kenilworth Electronics Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 860 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Landscape Shop Electronic Shop U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building has a simple massing with large fenestration. It is more set back from the street than many of the other buildings around it.

Year Built:

1955

27. Name: First Klass Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking Does Parking abut building Signage Sign Type Retains Features Pylon Sign Address: 874 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214 Notes: This building has a simple massing with large fenestration. It is more set back from the street than many of the other buildings around it and has a flat store front.

Side of street: Historic Photos: Year Built:

Gas Station Auto Repair U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Façade and Detached Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ West Side Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒ 1955

28. Name: Pearce and Pearce Co. Inc. Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 900 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Real-estate Agency Private Company U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade and small Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

Notes: This is a very unique building on Niagara Fall Boulevard. It retains many of its character defining features such as its simple “L” shaped massing, its lack of ornamentation, its ribbon windows and thin pilotis.

Year Built:

1955

29. Name: Lombardo Corporate Office Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 899 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Restaurant Corporate Office U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This is a very unique building on Niagara Fall Boulevard. It has a very unique massing with the entrance being an extruded circle. It has no ornamentation, many large windows and parking on all sides.

Year Built:

1955

30. Name: Black Horse Studios Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 910 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Photo Service Photography Company U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building is set back from the street a single car width. It has a very small foot print with a simple massing and minimal windows.

Year Built:

1955

31. Name: Head Space Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 920 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Auto Service Shop Smoke Shop, Insurance Company, and Dance Studio U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This is a two-story brick building with many openings. It is more set back than other buildings on the Boulevard.

Year Built:

1965

32. Name: Sun City Mattress Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 926 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Auto Service Shop Mattress Shop U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building has a small foot print with large expanses of glass.

Year Built:

1970

33. Name: U-Haul Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 925 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

U-Haul U-Haul U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☒ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building features very large expanses of glass and original signage. It has a very minimal massing and little to no ornamentation.

Year Built:

1970

34. Name: Firestone Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 995 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Firestone Firestone U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building features very large expanses of glass and original signage. It has a very minimal massing and little to no ornamentation.

Year Built:

1965

35. Name: Large Shopping Center Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 1060 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Firestone Firestone U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: Year Built: This building mimics the typical midcentury strip mall typology. It emphasizes horizontality, has a large overhang, and a long expanse of minimally interrupted glass. The building is a little more set back than a midcentury strip mall however.

1980’s

36. Name: Salvation Army Store Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 1089 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Pizza Restaurant Salvation Army Thrift Store U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building has a simple massing with a large set back. It is also built on a slight hill off the road making it different from most other strip malls and retail establishments on the Boulevard.

Year Built:

1965

37. Name: Premier Car Care Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 1167 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Collision Center Premier Car Care U: ☐ L: ☒ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building has a simple massing with a large set back from the street. The pylon sign is set on top of the building rather than on the edge of the street.

Year Built:

1965

38. Name: M&T Bank Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 1167 Niagara Falls Blvd, Buffalo, NY 14214

Restaurant Bank U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This building has the character defining features of a typical midcentury restaurant typology. A very low pitched roof, long expanses of glass with very thin mullions, and an overhang.

Year Built:

1965

39. Name: The Boulevard Mall Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 730 Alberta Dr, Amherst, NY 14226

Mall Mall U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade only Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of East Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐

Notes: The Boulevard Mall retains all the character defining features of midcentury mall design. For more information, please see section on Mall in “Historical Context.”

Year Built:

1962

40. Name: Macdonald’s Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 1385 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Macdonald’s Macdonald’s U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: This Macdonald’s is the first one in the state of New York. The building has been renovated through the years but retains some of its character defining features. The two iconic golden arches are original to the building.

Year Built:

1958

41. Name: Mandarin Garden Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 1400 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Pizza Restaurant Mandarin Garden U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes:

Year Built:

1965

42. Name: Green Acers Animal Hospital Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 2060 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Animal Hospital Animal Hospital U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Notes: Some of the character defining features of this building is its large set back, brick, intricate massing, multiple roof-lines, and wrap around parking.

Year Built:

1965

43. Name: Terrace Room Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Gift Shop Restaurant U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☒ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ (Slight) In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☒ Historic: ☐ Sign Type Façade Only Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☐ No: ☒ Side of East Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐

Notes: Year Built: This is one of the oldest known buildings on Niagara Falls Boulevard. It was originally used as a tourist gift shop for tourists on their way to the Falls. It has an intricate massing with wrap around parking and retains much of its character defining features although it has been altered through the years.

1955

44. Name: Steffan Court Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 2468 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Retail (city directories) Retail U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Façade Only Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☐ No: ☐ Unknown: ☒

Notes: Year Built: This building was built in the 1980’s but mimics all the character defining features of a midcentury strip mall such as its “U” shape with an emphasis on horizontality, and long expanses of glass. However uncharacteristically, it is a brick building with a pitched roof and thick supports.

1980’s

45. Name: Steffan Court Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 2488 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Retail Retail U: ☒ L: ☐ I: ☐ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☒ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐

1980’s

46. Name: Astrology Readings Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 2488 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Housing then a Beauty Shop Astrology Readings U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☐No: ☒ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☐No: ☒

Does Parking abut building Signage Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Historic: ☒ Sign Type Detached Retains Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Unknown: ☐ Features Pylon Sign Yes: ☒ No: ☐ Side of West Side street: Historic Photos: Yes: ☒No: ☐ Unknown: ☐

Notes: This building was converted from a house to a business and has one of the oldest pylon signs on the Boulevard.

Year Built:

1970’s

47. Name: Arby’s Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 8562 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 Notes: This buildings pylon sign is one of the original historic Arby’s signs and is still intact.

Arby’s Arby’s U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☐ 2: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☐ Other: ☒ Yes: ☐ No: ☒

Unknown: ☐ Ca. 1960’s

48. Name: Warren's Carpet One Floor & Home Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Address: 2965 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226

Retail Retail U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐No: ☒

Notes: This building is unique on the Boulevard for due to its streamline shape and simple massing.

Year Built:

1970’s

49. Name: Sawyer Creek Hotel Picture:

Attributes: Original Use (if known): Current Use: Form:

Floors Overhang Parking

Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

Address: 2965 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst, NY 14226 Notes: Sawyer Creek Hotel and Restaurant was originally acquired in 1915 by the Weigand family and has functioned as a rest stop and restaurant/Inn for residence and tourists in the region since then. It has been altered throughout the years but has the same footprint and is still in function now. For more information, see historical context chapter.

Rest stop/ Retail Retail U: ☐ L: ☐ I: ☒ Block: ☐ New Build: ☐ 1: ☒ 2: ☐ Other: ☐ Yes: ☒ No: ☐ In front only: ☐ L shaped: ☒ Other: ☐ Yes: ☐No: ☒

Unknown: ☐ Ca. 1800’s