At the last board meeting of the year, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority commissioners awarded “pre-development rights” to the Savarino Cos. for the second floor of the DL&W train shed (if you can call a 130,000 square foot space a shed.) The new partnership is aimed at turning the facility into a leading waterfront attraction.

Savarino will now hire a consulting firm to put together a workable space plan. In the meantime, Metro is surging ahead with $20.5 million in improvements to track and overhead wires. Due in 2022, a new Metro Rail stop will serve the Buffalo River side of the station.