NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Plans for a $210 million, 6,000-seat arena in Niagara Falls are coming closer to reality, as the city council voted to agree on a property settlement with Niagara Falls Redevelopment.
The settlement would, among other things, “donate” 907 Falls Street to the city so that it can build its $210-million Centennial Park stadium concept.
While the settlement lists the property as a “donation,” it will still cost $4.029 million, as a ”reimbursement of costs and expenses incurred by NFR in connection with the Donated Property.” Mayor Robert Restaino says that money is coming from the city’s general reserve funds.
WATCH: Niagara Falls and NFR agree on settlement for city-owned arena and NFR data center
The agreement will rezone properties owned by NFR that are East of 907 Falls Street so that NFR can develop its $1.5-billion Niagara Digital Campus data center.
For years, NFR has owned acres around 907 Falls Street, but it has yet to do much in the way of developing properties.
“It's super sad they can own this property and do not a darn thing,” said Marybeth Nugent, whose Gadawski’s Restaurant is surrounded by NFR-owned properties.
In a statement on NFR's website, it says those lots can soon find development, thanks to the approved settlement. It claims the data center will bring hundreds of permanent jobs and major tax revenues.
“We are pleased that the City Council has approved the settlement of all litigation between NFR and the City of Niagara Falls and has established the Planned Unit Development (PUD) district and implemented other zoning-related changes that allows the Niagara Digital Campus to become a reality.
It has now been more than five years since this project was first proposed. Our efforts have always been about bringing jobs and economic development to the people of Niagara Falls. The Niagara Digital Campus will bring 10 years of union construction jobs to area residents, as well as hundreds of permanent jobs. Jobs will be at all levels of education and experience, and locally sourced materials and services during the decade-long construction phase will keep investment in the community. Tax revenues will be unlike anything Niagara Falls has ever seen -- most of which will directly benefit the people of Niagara Falls and can be used to fund education, roads, police and firefighters, and other essential benefits.
We look forward to working with the community and its leaders to make the Niagara Digital Campus a reality.”
“I have my doubts,“ Nugent said. “They haven’t done anything in all this time, so maybe they just made $4 million off of us.“
“I don’t have any reason to support or deny what they are going to develop,” Mayor Restaino said.
As for the other part of that deal, Centennial Park, Restaino clarified the size of land they received as the full 10-acre property of 907 Falls Street. He and city councilman James Perry defended the decision to spend $4 million.
“You have to invest money if you're going to develop, and I believe the money will come back to us,” Perry said.
“Why are we spending $4 million when we can’t even clean up our city?” asked Nugent.
“If just throwing money at the [cleaning] problem was the only way to do it, then I'd agree. But that isn't the problem. The problem is manpower,” Restaino said.
Restaino said the goal is to see progress within the next year or two.
“My hope is that this is something that, now, gets accelerated, so that we're really talking about moving forward in the next year or two years,” Restaino said.
He also said that the commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) had already reached out about putting a team inside the new arena immediately after the settlement’s approval.
