LDC delayed

There won’t be a Local Development Corporation formed any time soon unless the proposal from Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino gains two more members and a guarantee that the cost of the proposed multi-purpose event center formerly known as Centennial Park will not come back on the taxpayers.

Those were the demands laid out by City Council Chairperson Brian Archie on Wednesday night. Councilmember Jim Perry wanted to take it in the other direction, asserting that if a board of 3 works for the Water Board, it should work for the LDC.

The event center was first proposed 4 years ago at a cost of about $200 million. Restaino attempted to use eminent domain to acquire a site for the project from Niagara Falls Redevelopment. That action eventually resulted in the city acquiring land from the do-nothing developer at a cost of $4.2 million in taxpayer funds.

NFR owns 140 acres downtown. It has mowed the grass and kept the mostly vacant land and properties boarded up. It plans a massive data center adjacent to the proposed entertainment complex.

The entertainment complex site is on the east side of the casino adjacent to John Daly Boulevard, a half-mile from the tourism district. A feasibility study released last year did not include meaningful research on siting or any consideration of financing and debt service.

The mayor has argued the LDC would remove the project from having anything to do with the city government or finances. It would sink or swim on its own merits.

Numerous speakers at city council meetings have questioned why the project is a priority for the city which can’t seem to do anything about dilapidated buildings, unmown vacant lots and a lack of economic development.

Supporters of the project contend it will help make Niagara Falls more of a year-round destination.

The city government also has a labor problem – at any given time there are at least 20 vacancies in the Public Works Department.

For now, the LDC vote has been pushed off for another two weeks.

In other action, the council tabled a $537,251 change order for engineering on Royal Avenue over contamination and testing concerns, postponed a road resurfacing contract following union objections, and adopted agreements for drainage work, electric landscape equipment, police fleet additions, and parking fee waivers.

Public Comments & Community Presentations

• Union Labor & Taylor Law Concerns: Tim Huether, president of United Steelworkers Local 9434 objected to contracting out in-house paving work on Item 3, citing case number U-40536 before Judge O'Donnell scheduled for conference on November 16, 2026, at 2:30 p.m., warning that approving external paving contracts would result in added PERB charges and Taylor Law violations.
• Contract & Environmental Due Diligence: Speakers raised concerns regarding lack of supporting documentation for contract expansions using unspent ARPA funds, winter weather preparedness, and potential radioactive contamination on Royal Avenue and near the proposed sports complex.
• Sports Complex LDC Governance: Multiple speakers and council members criticized the proposed five-member structure of the Local Development Corporation (two mayoral appointees, two council appointees, and one joint), advocating for independent community representation, labor training pipelines, and safeguards protecting the general fund.
• Youth Workforce Proposal: A guest speaker proposed a $165,000 workforce development program for 15 youth over six months focused on audio engineering, digital media, and street cleaning services, requesting that the council designate a city property, establish building costs, and define work scopes.

Council Agenda Actions & Resolutions

• Item 1 (Engineering Change Order - Royal Avenue): A motion to approve change order number 4 with Wendel Associates for $537,251 for additional engineering services was tabled until the Nov. 18, meeting. Council members raised concerns regarding potential radiological soil contamination under the asphalt on Royal Avenue and requested the administration contact the EPA or DEC before breaking ground.
• Item 2 (Drainage Structure Repair): Approved change order number 1 in the amount of $0 with Laubacker Enterprises Inc. for additional labor and materials on the 2026 drainage structure repair and replacement project; a motion to postpone failed for lack of a second.
• Item 3 (Road Resurfacing Agreement): Following debate regarding the capacity of in-house DPW crews, weather windows, and the status of emergency paving contracts, the council voted to postpone the agreement with Miller Construction Services Inc. until November 18, 2026.
• Item 4 (Electric Landscape Equipment Grant): Approved accepting a $135,000 NYSERDA grant and purchasing electric-powered landscape equipment (including trimmers, mowers, and blowers) from Admar Supply Company Inc. under a Sourcewell contract; a motion to postpone for two weeks failed.
• Item 5 (Police Fleet Vehicle): Approved a purchase agreement with Falls Dodge Inc. for one new 2026 Jeep Cherokee Laredo for police department operations.
• Item 6 (Unmanned Aircraft Equipment): Approved a purchase agreement under a Sourcewell contract with Advex LLC for additional unmanned aircraft equipment for police use.
• Item 7 (Parking Fee Waiver): Approved waiving municipal parking fees at the 238 3rd Street surface lot for Master Kritscher’s Martial Arts Academy hosting the Capital Classic Tournament at the Niagara Falls Convention Center on November 20–21, 2026.
• Item 8 (Entertainment & Sports Complex LDC): Council discussed Resolution 2026-53 to authorize the formation of the Niagara Falls Entertainment and Sports Complex Local Development Corporation. Council members indicated support for amending the governance structure to expand the board from five to seven members to include community residents and clarifying in plain language that the city bears no financial liability; legal counsel noted revisions should be directed to designated outside counsel.