Developer David Cordish sent me a short response to last week’s notebook.
Mixed reaction is about the best way to describe it.
On the one hand, he said it wasn’t as bad as another local publication’s take on the state of development in Niagara Falls.
On the other hand, he said I missed the mark on the Rainbow Centre mall his company has been leasing from the city since 1981.
The e-mail included a letter from one of Cordish’s associates, a guy named Zed Smith who offered a brief review of the mall’s history and several reasons why the shopping center finds itself in its current condition.
He says two “macro” economic factors fueled the mall’s demise, including the rapid decline in Canadian customers following a drop in the currency exchange rate and the severe economic malaise that gripped the city years ago and really hasn’t really let loose since.
Smith notes that at one point mall tenants were allowed to stay rent free, but none could make it.
In many ways, he suggests the mall agreement was worse for the developer than it was the city.
Despite a poor economy and other factors, Smith notes that the mall operated as a fully functioning retail center under Cordish’s watch for 18 years.
The letter closed on an optimistic note, saying Cordish does not cut and run and wants to work things out in the Falls.
In his letter, Smith asks an intriguing question: “If downtown Niagara Falls is a sure thing, then why aren’t developers lined up to develop?”
It’s the same one people around here have been asking for decades.
I don’t have an answer.
I did see some tangible signs of progress at the new-look West Pedetrian Mall last week.
The state recently completed a $7.9 million redevelopment project in that area. There’s a new cobblestone road stretching from the Prospect Street entrance to Niagara Falls State Park to Rainbow Boulevard. There’s fresh concrete seats, reconditioned lampposts, fresh landscaping and a pair of mist fountains. Across Rainbow Boulevard, the old Wintergarden building continues to come down. Eventually, the area where the atrium once stood will become a pedestrian-friendly connection of its own, making the dowtown area more inviting to visitors who wander out of Niagara Falls State Park, looking for something more to do in Niagara Falls.
It is hoped locally that the public improvements will make properties like Cordish’s Rainbow Mall more attractive to visitors.
Here’s hoping Cordish views it as a welcome sign of progress.
As I said last week, I don’t imagine he enjoys leasing an empty mall anymore than the residents of Niagara Falls like having to explain to newcomers the long and painful history behind how it got that way.
Demler update
The New York State Attorney General’s Office has confirmed receipt of a letter from the Town of Wheatfield Republican Committee which has called for an investigation into Supervisor Timothy Demler.
Lee Park, a spokesperson for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, said his office has received the letter requesting the investigation. Park would not discuss any specific allegations contained in it.
“We have received the letter and we are reveiwing it,” he said before declining further comment.
The Town of Wheatfield GOP Committtee sent a letter requesting an investigation into Demler’s conduct as supervisor following its decision to pull its endorsement of he long-time supervisor. The committee has not released copies of the letter, nor will any members discuss the specific nature of the allegations involved.
Demler insists the committee’s allegations are bogus and are part of a larger effort to smear his reputation and attack his character for political reasons.
The committee pulled its endorsement of Demler for supervisor earlier this year, selecting former Town Justice Robert Cliffe as its preferred candidate.
Local News
NOTEBOOK: Cordish responds on mall
- Local News
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- Sense of resignation escorts AES tax pact
- Town considering WNYLC's request
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Palace, Hartland get Greenway funding
The Historic Palace Theatre and the Town of Hartland both were cleared Tuesday to receive Niagara River Greenway funding for improvement projects.
The eight-member Host Communities Standing Committee voted unanimously to approve funding requests of $151,000 for the Palace and $244,000 for Hartland, which is planning a multi-phase town park enhancement project.
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Erie Canal photo contest underway
The seventh annual Erie Canalway photo contest is under way.
Entries are being accepted now through Sept. 7. Winning photos will be published in the 2013 Erie Canalway calendar.
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Jobless totals drop slightly
Unemployment in the Lockport area decreased slightly last month, but it wasn't because more people are going back to work.
The New York State Department of Labor reported Tuesday about 1,000 city residents were without a job in April, the fifth straight month with over 1,000 unemployed. That was down from the 1,100 it reported in March, however, the number of employed stayed the same at about 9,700 people.
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Fishing for 'Ultimate' perks
Olcott teaming up with Ontario town in running for Canadian equivalent.
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Sprinkler work coming
Piping in high school fire sprinkler system will be addressed in July.
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Willow Street victim identified
The victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Willow Street on Saturday was identified by Lockport Police as Richard Boye, 46.
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Cutting the travel time
For the most part, there is a lot of planning that goes into traveling. Some like to handle the details on their own, making arrangements on the phone or using travel websites to book hotels, planes, vehicles and so on.
But lately, working with a travel agent is becoming more popular.
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Marine veteran will be grand marshal for Memorial Day Parade
Stan Moreland, who has served as marshal for the Memorial Day Parade since 1994, will be honored as grand marshal for the 2012 holiday on Sunday. The parade will start at the Veterans Memorial at 1 p.m. and by the time it reaches the court house, the Marine Veteran will be in a convertible.
Moreland, a 62-year-old Lockport native enlisted in the Marines at 17 after dropping out of school. He was served three years and while in the service, he was a welder and stationed in Japan.
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