BUFFALO — Members of the Seneca Nation rallied in Niagara Square on Thursday, insisting they will continue construction of a planned gas station at 5 Miami Street despite opposition from Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan.
The demonstration came after Ryan sent a letter demanding construction stop and suspended the project's permit to connect to the city's sewer system, according to Seneca Nation leaders.
Seneca Nation President J.C. Seneca said the Nation is not backing down and maintained that the property belongs to the Seneca Nation.
"It's not about us building a gas station, which is great, but it's about our land and our ability to do what we want on our land and when we want to do it," Seneca said.
During the rally, Seneca signed an executive order symbolically renaming Niagara Square as "Seneca Circle."
Earlier in the day, Seneca leaders held a news conference across from the construction site for the planned Seneca One Stop gas station.
Leaders pushed back against reports describing the project as a truck stop, saying the facility would include four diesel pumps while the remaining pumps would dispense regular gasoline.
J.C. Seneca said he met with Ryan on Sept. 11 to discuss the project. Asked whether the mayor had communicated opposition to the gas station, Seneca said they did not know what to expect before the meeting but said Ryan appeared taken aback by the situation.
Recalling part of the conversation, Seneca said Ryan jokingly suggested there could be "a tire fire" at the site. Seneca said he responded, "Maybe we will, I don't know."
The dispute has also surprised some Seneca officials who pointed to Ryan's previous support for tribal sovereignty issues.
Seneca Nation member Odie Porter noted that when Ryan served in the state Senate, he supported legislation that helped the Seneca Nation remove intruders from Seneca territory.
"It's really surprising that now he's interfering with that," Porter said.
Supporters at Thursday's events also emphasized that the project is ultimately a gas station and convenience store development.
Peg Overdorf, director of the Buffalo Riverfest Park, said she believes the Nation intends to make the facility an attractive addition to the area.
"It's a gas station," Overdorf said. "But we can make it the prettiest gas station it can be and the one-stop building pretty too."
For now, construction at 5 Miami Street continues as the dispute between the city and the Seneca Nation unfolds.
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