Revitalizing a Village

Creating a “live, work, play” Central Business District.

Sixty years ago, a fire destroyed West Main Street in the Village of Lancaster, NY. Attempts were made to revitalize the area, but the result was a nearly vacant shopping mall and parking lot where there had once been a bustling business district. The village wanted to restore the historic central business district, reinvigorating it by adding destinations for residents and visitors alike. In 2019, the village received Smart Growth Community Funding through New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The Village envisioned its Central Business District as a vibrant, mixed-use destination providing residents and visitors with opportunities for a “live, work, play” experience

Reestablishing the historic street grid.

Reestablishing the historic street grid enabled new economic development opportunities for infill and mixed-use buildings to recreate the urban fabric of the Village. This project began with Wendel’s innovative Immersion™ process. Over two days, the Wendel team met with key players to capture ideas from the Village, the public, and merchants, as well as the landowner/developer of properties on both sides of West Main St. This process led to creative design solutions such as retaining walls and utility improvements both designed to accommodate the road extension as well as future buildings, and also a mini-roundabout at the newly created intersection of West Main and North Aurora St. Considering both the public and private impacts, the collaborative solution for the new retaining walls led to significant cost savings that allowed a typically challenging urban development project, with slim financial margins, to be feasibly constructed. To reconnect the village and in preparation for the Village Center Complete Streets project extended West Main Street, utilizing placemaking urban design to stimulate economic development by reconnecting Central Avenue and North Aurora Street, providing two-way traffic, wider sidewalks, improved parking, and new development parcels.

Lancaster Village Center Phase One

Construction began on Phase 1 of the Lancaster Village Center in April of 2021 and was completed in June of 2022. The center sits on approximately five acres and includes enhanced site amenities including parking, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, and more. Phase 1 includes approximately 9,000 square feet of commercial/retail space and 18,000 square feet of residential space. To honor the character of the Central Avenue Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, the building is no more than four stories tall. The project included obtaining a Certification of Appropriateness from the Lancaster Historic Preservation Commission, and Additional considerations for the site include the New York State Heritage Area (West Erie Canal Corridor) and the National Register of Historic Places.

Phase 1 includes six new businesses and eighteen apartments. The owner, Tommy Sweeney of Glassco Management, LLC, is extremely invested in the village, and very passionate about the area. Phase 1 is the first phase of three planned for this project and gives people in the village and surrounding areas more options for places to shop, eat, drink, and live; helping draw more attention and revenue to the village. In discussing the projects and what they have meant to the village, he said “Property values in the Village are going up because people want to be here. Retail demand within ten miles of West Main St is very low, but the Village now has a waiting list due to the economic ecosystem that was generated by this plan.” What was once an open asphalt parking lot that looked somewhat abandoned is being transformed into a place where people want to come to visit.

Accolades

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York Chapter Gold Award in Transportation

Buffalo Business First Brick by Brick Award, Community Revitalization

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