BUFFALO, N.Y. -- There may not be cranes in the air, but upper Niagara Street is undergoing a major transformation.

"Comparatively speaking to many years ago, we've seen a renaissance on Niagara Street, the same as we've seen in other parts of the city Larkinville and downtown," Niagara District Councilmember David Rivera said.

Rivera says the stretch of Niagara Street north of Albany was once home to several industrial businesses. Now that's changing.

"We're seeing adaptive reuse of old buildings throughout Niagara Street. You have buildings like the one across the street, Crescendo's, which was an old warehouse and now it’s being used as mixed use development market rate and downstairs some businesses, and we're seeing that throughout Niagara Street," said Rivera.

Everywhere along the street are signs of the new alongside the old. A new Tim Horton’s next to an old building being repurposed into apartments. Right across the street from River Front Auto Sales, a dealership that's been around for 40 years, an old building being repurposed into upscale apartments.    

"It's great for the area. This area definitely needed a makeover. Buffalo's coming on strong, this area here's great. We got high end apartments here on each side. We got Resurgence Brewery we got RU's, we got Crescendo. They're doing a hell of a job," said Jimmy Avino, River Front Auto Sales.

Rivera says in addition to offering developers tax credit for adaptive reuse, the city is also investing in infrastructure improvements.

"We're investing millions of dollars, tens of millions of dollars to add some infrastructure work to Niagara Street, which is the Niagara Gateway Connection project. Which means new overlays, new sidewalks, curbs, lighting, benches, trees and bike lanes to make it bicycle friendly and pedestrian friendly," Rivera said.

Rivera says he's hopeful the renaissance will help revitalize the area for all residents.

"We want to create economic opportunity for all the folk that live in the neighborhood as well. At the same time we want to make sure that everybody rises with this prosperity that we're currently having," said Rivera.     

The third phase of infrastructure work along Niagara Street should be completed by 2018.