Housing project at site of former TeleTech moves forward while seeking City Council support

Rick Pfeiffer -, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·3 min read

Sep. 22—A proposed $38.6 million development project that will replace the former TeleTech call center building with a new six-story, 78-unit affordable housing and retail complex is on the verge of completing its financing and could be ready to break ground this time next year.

Representatives of Community Services for Every1 (CSE1), a Buffalo not-for-profit, made that announcement in a briefing for Falls City Council members Wednesday night. Kelly E. Kinderman, CSE1 vice president of program support and development, told the council that her organization, which currently operates programs in the Falls School District, is looking to expand its presence in the community and establish a local base of operations with the project.

The development is set to be funded by a combination of private investments, through the sale of tax credit bonds, and a host of state and local government grants and incentives. The largest share of funding will come from a competitive New York State grant program, which CSE1 expects will be announced in March.

Kinderman said her organization is looking for a resolution of support from the City Council for its grant application. CSE1 also said that to "ensure the long-term affordability of the project" it will seek a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with the city.

The CSE1 representatives told the council that they anticipate completing their financing package and beginning construction in September 2024. Their plan calls for construction to be completed in March 2026, with commercial and residential tenants moving in by December 2026.

In April, CSE1 received approval of a Level 2 site plan for the project from the Niagara Falls Planning Board. The site, in the 300 block of First Street, was also the former location of Smokin Joe's Native American Cultural Center. The property was one of 21 South End parcels acquired from Anderson by USA Niagara, the subsidiary of Empire State Development that is assisting in the redevelopment of the Falls.

In March, USA Niagara Development Corp.'s Board of Directors approved an agreement that designated CSE1 as the preferred developer for what that agency calls First Street Apartment Building Redevelopment Project. CSE1 has named its project "THE NEST."

The approved site plan calls for a six-story building with 78 apartments and 4,700 square feet of commercial space. Kinderman said her organization's local staff will initially occupy the commercial space.

The long-term goal, Kinderman said, is to bring a commercial tenant into that space. She said USA Niagara also asked, in its request for proposals, for the project to have a retail component.

The project will have three studio units, sixty-one 745-square feet one-bedroom apartments and fourteen 970-square feet two-bedroom units. The apartments will be targeted to households earning up to 50-60% or 80-90% of the area median income.

Eight units will be designed to accommodate individuals with mobility impairments, four will be for persons with hearing or visual challenges and 18 apartments will be dedicated for survivors of domestic violence. Kinderman told both the planning board and the council that the mission of CSE1 is to support domestic violence and crime victims and people with disabilities.

USA Niagara has said the project will "help meet the local need for new housing, while street-level commercial and community spaces will contribute to pedestrian activity and street life."

The project also calls for a parking lot for tenants and green space, including a playground.

The project architect told the council members that the building will be environmentally friendly and "all electric."