The first design for the Heritage Gateways will incorporate new park space for the city. A vacant lot will be transformed into a new public space that highlights Niagara Falls’ industrial past, making visible the path of the long-buried hydraulic canal that used to power mills and refineries that were the beating heart of the city’s 19th and 20th century economies; with a new platform for public performances anchoring its most visible corner to frame the gateway into the downtown. The Niagara Gorge Gateways Park will be a public green space complete with woodland gardens, stormwater meadow, promenade, terraces, with an open lawn and multi-use pavilion. The 1,500-sf Gorge Gateway Pavilion is designed to reflect the unique character of the site, with its precast concrete forms inspired by the leaves of the surrounding trees. A raised wooden platform below creates a flexible area that will accommodate multiple uses through both day and night, providing a place of gathering throughout the whole year. Across Main Street, the Hydraulic Power Plaza features a play area, an interactive water feature, a seasonal ice rink, and a Power Promenade design invoking the history of hydraulic power generated at the site.

Along the Niagara River and by the entrance to the State Park, A new scenic overlook, the Riverway Tree Walk, will tie a historic district of downtown to an under-used portion of the state park along the river while providing information and context to Frederic Law Olmsted’s canonical design. On the South end of the Heritage Path, the existing site is home to an existing connector path and stair between Buffalo Avenue and Riverway. From below, the Riverway Tree Walk will act as a beacon welcoming visitors, while from above, the lush foliage opens up to a panoramic view of Goat Island and the upper rapids of the Niagara River.