What once was a food distribution hub in Buffalo has become almost forgotten. Now progress is being made to revitalize the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal.

"Hopefully in the future, the Food Terminal will become a fun and funky district for people looking to have a drink or see what the food producers are doing and then maybe experience all the art that is happening in the buildings," said Matt Wattles, Niagara Frontier Food Terminal director of development.

The Food Terminal was built in 1931 and, according to records, attracted more than 50,000 people the very first day.

"Food producers and farmers would come here to sell their wares to the small neighborhood stores that were prevalent at the time," said Carl Schmitter, Chateau Buffalo owner.

This demand wasn't sustained as truck shipping became the main mode of food distribution. Plus, advancements occurred in freezer technology, and grocery stores developed their own produce warehouses.

"Now with consolidation, we have mega stores like Wegmans and Tops, and that sort of thing, and they pretty much took over," added Schmitter.

Matt Wattles now manages about 400,000 square feet at the Food Terminal.

"What we want to do with the buildings is just an overall revitalization and increased vibrancy," said Wattles.

This plan is already coming to pass.

"One of the most interesting tenants that we have recently gotten in was Exchange Studios, a group of five artists. They're a really big force in the art community and we hope to capitalize on what they have done," explained Wattles.

Wattles has received inspiration for the future of the Food Terminal from markets in Boston and New Orleans. He has been networking with cultural communities to bring in new tenants with the goal of merging the arts and food into a new kind of hub.

There's no timeline yet for the whole project to be finished because Wattles says it's hard to predict how long development will take.