National Grid : Buffalo's Central Terminal Aided by $300k Grant

National Grid awarded a $300,000 economic development grant to Central Terminal Restoration Corp. which is moving forward with adaptive re-use plans for the vacant, nearly 100-year-old building in Buffalo.

When Central Terminal opened in 1929, it handled more than 200 trains and 10,000 passengers a day.

The property spans 523,000 square-feet, consists of a concourse building, a 17-story tower and a baggage and mail building. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Central Terminal closed in 1979.

Central Terminal Restoration Corp. Executive Director Monica Pellegrino-Faix thanked National Grid for the grant at an Aug. 9 media event.
Here, she poses with National Grid regional director Ken Kujawa outside the entrance to the terminal.

Central Terminal Restoration Corp. is currently executing a $5 million capital project to prepare event space, focusing on 8,000 square-foot former restaurant area.

The cost to restore the art deco facility is an estimated $300 million, a figure that was released at an Aug. 9 media event. The plan calls for an underground geothermal system and photovoltaic solar panels. When complete, the refurbished Central Terminal will become a destination with economic and social benefits to the neighborhood.

The grant was made through National Grid's Brownfield Redevelopment Program, which funds utility-related infrastructure improvements and other costs that are necessary to progress the redevelopment of a brownfield site or vacant building. More information about National Grid's economic development programs can be found at www.shovelready.com