By Tony Farina
I think NFR’s Roger Trevino makes very strong arguments in response to Councilman Kenny Tompkins’ op-ed in piece in the Niagara Gazette this week on needing to work together to foster development.
Trevino, in today’s Guest View article in the Gazette, quite accurately points out the omissions in the Tompkins’ article like the fact the city’s proposed Centennial Park project on property currently owned by NFR is estimated to cost $150 million but as of this writing lacks any commitment for funding from any level of government, city, county, or state. That’s a big omission for sure. In fact, as Trevino pointed out, there are some who estimate the cost at much more than the city’s projections.
Roger Trevino
And also left out is the cost of acquiring the property from NFR through an eminent domain proceeding that is currently in the courts, a costly legal battle that could take years to settle.
Trevino notes that NFR has a Toronto-based development partner that is ready to proceed on building a data center on NFR property, creating high-paying jobs and new tax dollars that was proposed long before the Centennial Park project, but the city has resisted and city leaders have not followed through on promises to discuss the differences and work out a solution that’s best for the city. In the best of development cooperation, a two-project solution seems possible if there’s a willingness to sit down and talk.
Trevino makes a strong case for some kind of negotiated settlement to possibly get both projects done which would be a big win for everybody.