DL&W’s second-floor project is at the ready.

Working with momentum and focus.

As soon as the NFTA completes its Metro station, fulfills its agreed-upon owner improvements, and finishes repairs addressing shoreline deterioration and seismic fragility at the DL&W Terminal, Savarino DL&W Development is prepared to commence with its developer improvements. Savarino’s programming and operations for the fully functioning facility will follow 24 months after the developer fit-out begins.

With a binding agreement with the NFTA in place, historic preservation approvals secured, feasibility studies completed, Design Documents complete, and a funding/financing plan in place, the redevelopment of the terminal’s second floor is positioned to proceed.

Historic approvals secured.

The DL&W project has already received both Part 1 and Part 2 approvals from the National Park Service (NPS). These approvals are essential for projects using federal and NYS historic tax credits. Part I certifies that the DL&W Terminal is of historic significance, and Part II confirms that the proposed rehabilitation meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. In practice, this means NPS has carefully reviewed the redevelopment plans and affirmed that the project will preserve the terminal’s historic integrity while adapting it for modern and public use.

A rendering of the DL&W’s outdoor deck fully-activated in winter.

Everyday activation and community life.

Today, the Cobblestone District is active in ways its original industrial builders may not have imagined. KeyBank Center, which opened in 1996, anchors the district with professional hockey, lacrosse, concerts, and events that draw thousands of visitors each year. Just steps away, Canalside has added seasonal programming, outdoor recreation, and cultural offerings that attract residents and tourists alike.

Neighboring businesses further broaden the area’s offerings, ranging from nightclubs to mixed-use buildings that house offices and residential units. This range of uses ensures that the district is not only an event destination but also a place where people work, live, and spend time each day.

“Buffalo Iron Works was built with the idea that live music and community can drive growth in the Cobblestone District,” said Josh Holtzman, the owner of Buffalo Iron Works and Twenty6 Productions, who serves as the Strategic Advisor – Events and Entertainment for the DL&W project. “With the DL&W terminal’s redevelopment, we see the opportunity to expand that energy across the district with even more diverse programming.”

When complete, the DL&W’s second-floor redevelopment will expand the District’s vitality with daily access to fresh food, public market stalls, restaurants, cultural spaces, flexible venues, and barrier-free year-round public space that can support both neighborhood needs and regional attractions. By introducing amenities that serve residents and visitors, the project will strengthen the district’s role as a neighborhood.

Test fit design completed.

Alongside these federal approvals, the project team remains on schedule with test fit documentation. Test fits are detailed layouts that verify how proposed uses (such as a public market, grocery, cultural venues, and civic space) align with the building’s architecture and systems. They ensure that tenant requirements and community programming can be accommodated within the historic structure without compromising its integrity.

This step is critical not only for design accuracy but also for leasing and operations. By completing test fit work, the project can move forward with confidence that the infrastructure of the building will function as intended. Design development and engineering documents have been completed and only need to be informed by the NFTA’s final engineering solutions for the structure’s seismic safety concerns and shoreline structural repairs.

Feasibility and operating studies confirm viability.

Independent third-party feasibility studies for the public market and performance venues are complete. These reviews confirmed demand for both food-related uses and year-round cultural programming in the DL&W Terminal. With input from its team of consultants, Savarino DL&W Development has prepared its baseline operating projections, demonstrating that the project can sustain programming and vendor activity once open. Together, these studies and projections provide added assurance that the project is feasible, financially viable, and positioned for long-term success.

Funding structured for success.

The DL&W redevelopment is supported by a layered financing structure, upfront developer funding, and completion and performance guaranties from Savarino. The project’s financial plan has been structured to meet compliance requirements and long-term operational needs.

Proven capacity to deliver.

Readiness is also measured by experience. Savarino Companies has completed a series of large-scale adaptive reuse projects across Buffalo and Western New York. These include 500 Seneca, Buffalo River Landing, Tugby-Lennon (Niagara Falls), First National (Olean), Academy Place (Gowanda), Artspace Buffalo, White’s Livery Apartments, and the rehabilitation of multiple properties in the Cobblestone District, such as Buffalo Iron Works, Helium Comedy Club, 26 Mississippi and 95 Perry, as well as dozens of significant third-party historic renovation projects to public structures throughout central and Western New York.

Each of these projects demonstrates Savarino and the company’s ability to restore historic buildings, manage complex financial structures — including New Market Tax Credit, Brownfield Tax Credit, and Historic Tax Credit investment — and deliver lasting benefits to both the public and private sectors. The DL&W project builds on this track record.

Community-first, community-ready.

Savarino’s vision for the DL&W demonstrates a commitment to ensuring this landmark returns to public use as a resource for the entire community.

“We are proud of the hard work it has taken thus far to make this project community-ready,” says Samuel J. Savarino, CEO of Savarino DL&W Development LLC and Savarino.co. “Every step we have taken is toward turning the long-neglected DL&W train shed into a needed public asset.”

The project’s readiness also means that community goals are embedded from the start. Job creation, fresh food access, cultural programming, and inclusive contracting practices are not secondary benefits; they are central to the plan.

“Savarino DL&W Development’s goal is to create a place that reflects Buffalo’s history while shaping its future. We are building a public marketplace and civic destination that will deliver long-term benefits for residents and tourists,” says Christa Glennie, the project’s Director of Operations. “In addition to ongoing leasing discussions, the team is currently working on limited programming for the terminal’s outdoor deck in 2027.”

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