COUNTY: Legislature supports Greenway funds for Penney Center

By Joyce Miles<br><a href="mailto:joyce.miles@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Joyce</a>

The county Legislature is backing Niagara River Greenway funding for institution of Penney Center in Lockport.

By unanimous vote Tuesday, the body approved an ad hoc committee’s recommendation that Niagara County Historical Society receive $176,000 in Greenway funding to establish the center at Erie Canal Discovery Center.

Charles Rand Penney, an internationally known art, artifacts and memorabilia collector, recently turned over a 5,000-piece collection to the historical society. Composed of items associated with the Erie Canal, Lockport and Niagara County, it’s reportedly the largest local art/memorabilia collection in the world, and the historical society is seeking grants to build research and exhibit space inside the Discovery Center.

The Legislature’s ad hoc Greenway Committee recommends funding for projects it finds are in keeping with Greenway goals. Penney Center fits the bill by bolstering heritage preservation and tourism development, according to committee chairman Mike Hill, R-Hartland.

“This type of project is easily supported because of the magnitude of the art and artifacts (donated). It’s important to keep them here in Niagara County,” he said. “There are no guarantees where they’d go otherwise.”

Opening of Penney Center “would add another jewel” to the county’s heritage trove, Legislator John Syracuse, R-Newfane, added.

The Niagara River Greenway Commission already said the project is consistent with greenway goals, as well. Now the question is to be taken up by the Host Communities Standing Committee, a voting body with members from the Niagara Power Coalition that negotiated greenway funding with New York Power Authority. If that committee also approves, the historical society is guaranteed to get the money, Hill said.

The Lockport-based Grigg-Lewis Foundation granted the historical society $105,000 toward establishment of Penney Center. A greenway grant would cover the rest of the tab, according to Discovery Center Director Doug Farley.

In other business Tuesday:

• Legislator Rick Updegrove, R-Lockport, chairman of the economic development committee, said the county advanced economically in 2009 despite the recession. In his 2010 Niagara County economic address, he committed the Niagara County Economic Development Agency to developing relationships and luring businesses in three “key” sectors: renewable energy, logistics and data management/high tech. The agency will try to capitalize on proximity to the U.S.-Canada border and nurture deals for logistics facilities near the recently expanded Niagara Falls International Airport, he said.

According to Updegrove’s report, the county secured over $70 million in new spending/investments by seven businesses through grant of tax incentive packages last year. Among them, Globe Specialty Metals is reopening Globe Metallurgical, and hiring up to 100 people, in Niagara Falls; Kissling Interests is turning the Remington Rand building into a mixed-use facility with a variety of business tenants and expected job creation exceeding 100; and Budwey’s Marketplace opened in Newfane, bringing 23 full-time and 70 part-time jobs into the small town that lacked a grocery store. Yahoo! landing in the Town of Lockport created another $150 million investment and the promise of 75 high-end jobs for the region. Empower Niagara, the Legislature’s program of redistributing power it receives from NYPA, helped generate nearly $10 million in private investment by four businesses and helped retain or create about 500 jobs. Power went to New England Seafood to expand in Gasport, Budwey’s in Newfane, the new Winter Carnival Snow Park in the Falls and Viatran Corp. to locate in Wheatfield.

• The Legislature’s economic development committee agreed to back Center Court I LLC’s request for tax -exempt status as it issues $18 million in bonds to raise money for construction of the Hope VI low-income housing project in Niagara Falls.

Before the full Legislature endorses it, however, Center Court officials will be asked to explain why they need $2 million more than was sought in 2007.

Lawmakers also:

• Awarded the job of rebuilding the Drum and Seaman road bridges, in Hartland, to Yarussi Construction of Niagara Falls. Among six companies, Yarussi submitted the lowest bid, $1.2 million. Both bridges over Johnson Creek will be replaced at the same time this summer, according to Richard Eakin, deputy commissioner of public works.

• Approved a two-month time extension for the contractor rebuilding the Cedar Street bridge in Royalton. All physical work is on schedule, Eakin said, but the state wants additional review time to ensure the $2 million project meets federal stimulus spending requirements. The target date for closing out the project was June 18; now it’s Aug. 28. The bridge will be open to traffic before then, Eakin said.

• OK’d creation of a new job, an electronics technician post, for the Niagara County Water District. The post will pay a beginning salary of $42,616. The district Administrative Board, comprised of member town representatives, determined a second technician is needed on staff to support the district’s increasingly electronically driven operation, according to district Administrator Herbert Downs. Electronics technicians maintain and repair all electrical/electronic equipment and apparatus at 16 water facilities countywide.

• Hired Wendel Duchscherer engineering firm to be the county’s consultant as it purchases and installs an emergency generator at the Shaw Building, Mount View Campus. The contract is for $14,500. The generator has to be relocatable in the event Mount View is sold, the resolution said.

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