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Council hears proposal to bring Italian bakery to Lockport train station
Summary
A local baker, Nicole, pitched operating 'Heavenly Cucina' at the Lockport Train Station; staff proposed waiving rent through January to allow time for a specialized oven and health-department approvals. Council discussed signage, shared parking and permit limits tied to the historic station building.
City staff presented a proposed license agreement to allow a bakery, identified in the presentation as Nicola's/Heavenly Cucina, to occupy space at the Lockport Train Station and requested council support for temporary rent relief while the tenant installs specialized equipment.
"I propose that we didn't charge rent until January because she's gotta order a specialized oven that's not even gonna come for 10 or 12 weeks," a staff speaker said, explaining the rent-waiver recommendation to accommodate equipment lead times.
Nicole, the prospective operator, described more than 20 years of baking experience and a menu focused on sourdough and traditional Italian breads and pastries. She told the council she has run bakeries and farmer's market stands and plans early-morning hours to serve commuters. "I wanna do premade breakfast sandwiches for the train commuters," she said, and added she will follow health-department restrictions (some items must be premade rather than cooked on-site because of plumbing constraints).
Council members asked about signage and parking; staff said temporary signage would be allowed and a sign can be added under an existing State Street marker, subject to historic-building restrictions. The council discussed reserving a small number of nearby drop-off spaces and re-signing the area to accommodate commuters without encouraging long-term parking in the kiss-and-ride zone.
No formal vote on the license agreement was recorded in the transcript excerpt. Council members encouraged the tenant and staff to finalize permitting and signage arrangements and wished the operator luck.
Next steps: staff will continue lease/license negotiations, coordinate signage and parking plans with public works, and work with the health department on final permit approvals before the bakery opens.
