Daily Archive for May 9th, 2007

Resident wants last Fallsview look at cataract preserved

Published
by
Graham
on May 9, 2007
in Niagara Falls News
. 2 Comments

From Niagara This Week:

A city resident wants the last remaining view of Niagara Falls from the Fallsview area protected against development through a heritage designation.

Bernadette Secco made a presentation to council asking them to start the process leading towards a historical designation for the pedestrian deck, located beside the former Loretto Academy in the Fallsview area. She said the tiny piece of land needs to be preserved as a place residents and tourists can see and listen to the falls.

“This is the Niagara Falls experience and this is why tourists and residents come to Niagara Falls and Fallsview,” said Secco. “You don’t get the same experience at Table Rock (where it is often misty) or the viewing deck at the Fallsview Casino where the trees get in the way.”

The land is currently owned by Niagara 21st Group, owners of the Marriott, who asked city hall in September to release it from a pedestrian deck agreement in place since 1991. The pact, which restricts use of the land and air rights to only allow a pedestrian deck on the land, originated in the early 1960s.

Growing concern over casinos

Published
by
Graham
on May 9, 2007
in Niagara Falls Casinos and Gaming and Niagara Falls News
. 0 Comments

From the Niagara Falls Review:

The seeds of discontent about the role Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort play in their host city appear to be taking root just days after city council pointed them out. But the casinos’ spokesman said they have always been committed to helping Niagara Falls, but have to make sure their business is profitable first.

City council passed a resolution Monday saying the “symbiotic relationship” between the casinos and the city needs to improve. There has always been an expectation the casinos would be more than a cash cow, raising money for the provincial treasury.

Whether it’s talk about employee relations with their 5,000 associates, competitive practices that hurt existing businesses, or the perception they’re backing away from their support of community groups, there seems to be more grumbling now than ever before.