Ellicott Street Corridor Redevelopment

Wendel worked with the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation to develop a Placemaking Strategy for the entire downtown stretch of Ellicott Street. This project was a core implementation component of the City’s Race for Place initiative to create a more livable environment in downtown Buffalo. The strategy responded to accelerating investment in downtown, including residential development, increasing entertainment options and the influx of high-paying tech jobs and young professionals.

The strategy included a redesign of Ellicott Street to create a more walkable, pedestrian friendly and safe public realm environment. It places an emphasis on intersections, critical urban nodes and remediating historical damage to the urban fabric of the street.

The design considers and encourages expanding mobility options including dedicated facilities for rideshare, personal deliveries, e-mobility and eventually autonomous vehicles. The result was an environment that supports professional lives in the 21st century.

The project also set the stage for infill development that can support the corridor’s emergence as a downtown neighborhood targeted for urban professionals, providing housing at a wide range of price points. We worked with every landowner, corporation, and developer along this stretch to understand their intentions for property investment and work collaboratively to establish a vision for the corridor that is broadly supported and championed.