Federal funding drag delays NU's North End hub

NIAGARA FALLS — It was billed as "one more step forward" in efforts to bring "economic, workforce and social development" to north Main Street in the City of Niagara Falls.

More than two years later, Niagara University's proposed Academic Innovation Hub has not opened and has not advanced beyond the design stages.

NU officials remain confident the hub — a central piece of a larger plan to renovate and restore Cleveland Avenue's historic First Congregational Church building — will move forward eventually.

For now, they say, progress relies heavily on the federal government's decision to formally release funds dedicated to the project last February.

"We're ready to go on our end as soon as this money comes through," said NU Associate Vice President Karen Kwandrans.

Plans for the hub were first announced in June 2022 during a press conference inside First Congregational Church, a Cleveland Avenue building that traces its roots back to 1855. In establishing the hub, the university plans to restore the building, including replacing mechanical work and the roof and updating the structure so it is up to code and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The academic hub itself, to be located in the church's basement, would include space for computer labs, faculty offices and off-campus learning activities, including research, meetings and internship programs. NU also plans to use the site as the future home of the university's Levesque Institute for Civic Engagement, which coordinates programs designed to foster systemic change in the Falls under four main pillars — early childhood, community outreach, health and wellness and revitalization.

From a community standpoint, the hub has been described as a "resource center" that would provide "outreach to help residents with early childhood development, economic development and community collaborations, with a focus on their health and wellness."

NU representatives say the hub is not designed to duplicate support services currently offered just blocks away at Heart, Love & Soul food pantry on Ontario Avenue. While it would provide opportunities for job training, career exploration and advancement, it will not focus on basic human service needs like food, shelter or life skills training.

"If someone came to us that needed help, our partner is Heart, Love and Soul and we support them wholeheartedly," said Tom Burns, a spokesperson for the university.

NU committed $2.5 million to the development of the academic hub, including $1.1 million in state grant money secured through New York's Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

On Feb. 10, 2023, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced the commitment of another $1.4 million in federal funds.

Construction bids also came in higher than expected, which NU officials attributed, at least in part, to the increase in demand and cost for labor and materials amid the ongoing construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium in Orchard Park and the Amazon distribution facility in the Town of Niagara.

Kwandrans said the university is exploring all of its options to make the project a reality while staying within its original budget.

"We're not spending more than we have," she said.

The biggest sticking point remains the lack of release of federal dollars, which Kwandrans described as key in advancing the hub beyond design and into construction.

Evan Lukaske, a spokesperson for Gillibrand's office, said the federal dollars for the hub have been earmarked through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He described HUD projects as complex and said they require various environmental reviews before grant agreements can be completed and funds can be disbursed. He said it is up to the university and HUD to negotiate the final agreement to move the project forward.

Kwandrans said university officials remain in contact with the representatives from HUD, which she described as being "flooded" with a backlog of earmarks that, like NU's hub, remain unfulfilled.

"We're awaiting the grant award," Kwandrans said. "They have everything they need from us."

"Everybody's still very excited about the project," she added. "We didn't realize how much time it takes and the length of the process."