A new hotel on a vacant lot next to the Amtrak station and a large academic building that might be operated by Niagara University near the Public Safety Building are among the projects the City of Niagara Falls proposed in the $10 million state grant it just secured.

The city also suggested $2 million in grants toward a $10 million fund that could be tapped to renovate and preserve historic buildings, such as the old Jenss Department Store, and an $800,000 fund to improve residential properties in the Main Street area, which the city now calls the Bridge District.

"We want people to live there and work there and shop and recreate there," said Thomas J. DeSantis, the city's acting economic development director. "The reason Main Street has failed over the years is the people who supported the stores moved away."

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called it "a smart plan" when he announced Wednesday that Niagara Falls was this year's Western New York winner of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The summary of the application package, released by Mayor Paul A. Dyster's office, included $12.75 million worth of grant requests to fund almost $37.3 million worth of ideas.