Niagara Falls Reporter
Home | Archive / Search
MAR 10 - MAR 17, 2015

Council Unanimously Approves Hyde Park Pavilion Bond Resolution

By Tony Farina

March 10, 2015

The Ice Pavilion repairs won't be put on ice any longer.

The third time was a charm on Monday for the proponents, including Mayor Paul Dyster, for winning council approval of the $3.1 million bond resolution for the fourth phase of work at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion rinks in Niagara Falls.

The council had twice before failed to muster a super majority of four of the five council members to approve the bonding resolution, but at a special meeting of the council on Monday afternoon, all five city lawmakers voted in favor of bonding the work after language was added to the resolution stipulating it would be "all paid for out of casino dollars," said Council President Andy Touma.

It was the language inserted into the resolution that persuaded Councilman Bob Anderson to support it and his fellow lawmaker Glenn Choolokian, who had been a strong opponent of borrowing for the rink work even though he favored it, also voted yes.

"I think everyone realized just how important this work is," said Touma. "It is necessary so we can stay competitive with nearby rinks in Lockport and Buffalo and keep the leagues we have right here in the city."

Touma added that rink operator Gene Carella was obviously pleased to get the okay so that work can get started in April and the rinks can be ready for use in October with all the necessary improvements.

Proponents of the bonding resolution have warned that nearby businesses would have been hard hit if the 40-year-old rinks failed and hockey leagues moved out of town. Carella has estimated the rinks generate about $6 million a year in economic activity, money that would be lost if the leagues currently using the facility left town.

Touma said Controller Maria Brown advised lawmakers that the city would use casino cash to make the $255,000 annual payments for 15 years on the rink bond.

"The rink work is $2.7 million of the bond," said Touma, with another $400,000 included to cover possible cost overruns on the project given the deteriorating conditions of the rinks of the aging facility.

 

 

 

 

Our Report on the Proposed Hamister Hotel Through a Series of Connected but Separate Stories
Hamister Seeks Tax Discounts, Grants, Discounted Real Estate -- Totaling $9.4 Million
Job Promises, Job Delivery - Vast Errors By Expert State Officials
Hamister to Build Lower Quality, Lower Density Than RFP Sought
Price Doesn't Sound Right
How Was Hamister Selected?
Financing in Question?
Hamister Hotel History - A Shrinking Deal With Escalating Handouts
A Key Property, if Built as a Hyatt Place, Will Be Underdeveloped
The City Hall Good Life
Former Lockport Youth Director At Center of Credit Card Investigation Files Complaint with State
Council Unanimously Approves Hyde Park Pavilion Bond Resolution
Why I Voted for Ice Pavilion Renovation - But Paid For With Casino Cash
The Best Community to Live, Work, and Raise a Family Ortt Reaches Out To Reporter Readers
Niagara Falls Getting Hamister Hotel, Not Nik Wallenda
Only in North Tonawanda: Questions for Common Council
Sound Off on Steroids? No Sweeney, it's Not All The Republicans Fault
Mayoral Candidate Szwedo Talks His Talk with Sense of Humor
Native American Marijuana Production A Bad Bet for Niagara County Taxpayers
Findings Warn About Continuing CMO Vacancy at Erie County Correctional Facilities.
Casino Cash - Gone with the Wind
Paladino Carrying Fight to Minority Board Members
Military-Strength Anti-Bleeding Product Coming to Stores
Skrlin Hammers Home a Homely Masterwork
The Great One Scores Again: Skrlin Deftly Weave a Monster Story
Letters to the Editor
City Hall and Dog Park Jokes

Contact Info

©2014 The Niagara Falls Reporter Inc.
POB 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304
E-mail: info@niagarafallsreporter.com
Phone: (716) 284-5595

Publisher and Editor in Chief: Frank Parlato
Managing Editor: Dr. Chitra Selvaraj
Senior Editor: Tony Farina