Tony Farina
Amateur Sports Facility in Falls Could Be a Success Story If Done Right
By Tony Farina Niagara Falls has the name recognition, the location, and the tourism appeal to compete, and if the city is willing to do the hard work and planning necessary to turn possibility into reality, an amateur sports facility could be a big success. But if not done properly, a large, costly sports facility that sits empty could become an expensive project that fails to deliver on expectations and becomes an eyesore that all can see and not admire. So there are two sides to this issue, and Niagara Falls must do the work necessary to make sure that
Path Clearer for NFR Data Center But Will NYS Hold Up 1,000 Construction Jobs
Now that the Niagara Falls City Council has approved a land dispute between the city and Niagara Falls Redevelopment (NFR) that seems to clear the way for NFR to move forward on the company’s plan to build a $1.5 billion data center at 10th and Falls St., there is one more potential obstacle for the Niagara Digital Campus: a statewide moratorium for a one-year freeze on construction of large data centers to allow time for more study. The pause now before the governor. The data center construction freeze is fiercely opposed by tech industries and labor unions, and the IBEW,
City Must Open City Hall To Allow Government to Work Better
By Tony Farina It may not be an impregnable “iron fortress” in a historical literal sense, but residents and visitors to City Hall in Niagara Falls, New York may find that navigating the hallways and the rest of the city government’s headquarters is a very difficult endeavor. And I mean lots to overcome to witness the way government works and to be a part of it. Not long ago, during the COVID crisis, limiting access made sense in the name of public health. Residents accepted those measures because the situation demanded it. But that was years ago. Times have improved
City Needs to Compete and Fill Jobs; Economic Development Hurting
By Tony Farina As one veteran developer said to me, “economic development doesn’t fail in the boardroom—it fails in the permit office.” And that’s the case right now in struggling Niagara Falls, New York, where development is stalled because permits and inspections cannot be executed at exactly the time the city claims it is ready for growth. Worse yet, $10 million in Main Street state funding could be at risk if permits and inspections cannot be executed and that means a slow down to other projects as well. So what gives? Let’s give it a shot here. An architect submits
Time for Niagara Falls to Think Big And Help Tell Story of Power History
By Tony Farina Niagara Falls, N. Y., has the ability to build on its history at the Adams Power Plant and show exhibits where people could see electricity in action, see sparks fly, see how motors spin, and learn how power moves from one place to another. Kids could learn through simple, fun displays. Adults could explore deeper ideas about science and technology. This would not be just about the past; it would also be about the future. Exhibits could explain how power is used today in data centers, advanced technology, and new industries. It would connect Niagara’s history to
WEBR and Kenmore Broadcasting Bringing Back ‘The Breeze’ Soft Rock
By Tony Farina Kenmore Broadcasting is relaunching The Breeze easy listening brand of soft rock from the 1970s and 1980s and you can enjoy the terrific sounds on WEBR 1440 AM and 105.3 FM and 106.9 FM, says program director Frank Miller. Positioning as Buffalo’s “Smooth Hits,” Kenmore President Bill Yuhnke announced it brings the “Breeze” brand back to the market after previously being used by Townsquare Media’s 96.1 WMSX from 2018 until 2023. Yuhnke said in his post on Facebook it follows Kenmore’s recent acquisition of W295BW, bringing the station into Buffalo proper. “It’s a pleasure to bring The
Niagara Falls Must Clean Up City; Act on Illegal Dumping and Graffiti
By Tony Farina A tourist-driven city like Niagara Falls, N.Y., should make every effort from the top on down to put on its best face for visitors, perhaps giving them pause to stick around for a while before leaving after seeing the natural world wonder and the marvelous State Park. Sound like a good idea? Well that’s what I decided to concentrate on today, cleaning up the city with graffiti and illegal dumping as the targets. Cleaning up the city was actually brought to light recently by Mayor Robert Restaino in his weekly podcast when he talked about a new
Relicensing Power Deal Not Great for Niagara Falls
By Tony Farina Niagara Falls, N.Y., is good at getting the short end of the stick and that was the case once again in the power project relicensing deal with Buffalo getting the big payoff while Niagara Falls is still waiting for a visible transformation. If the Niagara Power Project is in the Falls and the turbines, land and water impact are in the Falls, why did the Falls come out on the short end again? Buffalo got a relicensing deal that was large, centralized, and easy for the public to see. It is commonly described as a $279 million,
Niagara Falls Can Power Forward With Data Center Opportunity
By Tony Farina While Niagara Falls, N. Y., is known far and wide for its beauty and natural world wonder, the real story of its incredible journey is about power where more than 100 years ago that power helped change the world when the Adams Power Plant was built in the late 1800s, just a couple hundred feet from where a new data center is being proposed today. Adams Station -Historic view of the Adams power complex on Buffalo Avenue, showing the scale and permanence of the industrial buildout. And indeed the location matters today. The power plant was one
Niagara Falls Needs to Fix the Way It Works To Make a Better Future for All
By Tony Farina I’ve written extensively the past several weeks about the failure of Niagara Falls USA to fully commit to a better path for the future by turning around its fortunes, escaping a mostly tourism-based economy by building the kind of attractions, density, or experience that keeps visitors staying overnight and spending real money. Most people come, look at the Falls, and leave. That translates into seasonality, and it doesn’t work as a year-round economic engine. Niagara Falls should be one of the strongest small cities in America, with many advantages like the attraction of a natural world wonder
Mayor, Council Should Work Together To Provide Teens Recreational Help
Sometimes, no matter how well-intentioned, new projects don’t make good policy and must be tweaked or changed to fit the desired objective. And if you have two projects with the same objective, there should be a blending of efforts to make them more in harmony and perhaps, ultimately, a successful policy. That seems to be the case at hand in Niagara Falls, where it seems there are two projects getting attention at City Hall, looking to provide structured late-night recreational opportunities for teenagers, one from Mayor Robert Restaino’s office and the second being talked about by city lawmakers. While the
Three Cities, Three Strategies: Where Does Niagara Falls Go?
In today’s world, the enormous renewable hydroelectric power along the Niagara River is still here, the same power that helped the city on the American side of the Falls attract industries from around the world that kept workers getting a paycheck from plants powered by that energy. But while that power is still here, the industrial base has declined dramatically and tourism has become the city’s main economic engine and strong as it is, with the beautiful State Park and the mighty world natural wonder attracting visitors from around the world, many don’t stay long, and tourism alone can’t carry