Printed from Niagara Falls Review
Council, Lichtman agree on project
Corey Larocque, Review Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 09, 2006 - 02:00
Local News - After a brief courtship, city council appears to have said yes to the proposal from Historic Niagara to revitalize downtown Niagara Falls.
Aaron Lichtman, the head of the Historic Niagara investment group, says he’s “sold” on revitalizing downtown Niagara Falls and had just been waiting for council to take the plunge.
“I think council wants to get married. We just want to make sure there’s a pre-nup,” said Ald. Vince Kerrio.
After a four-hour discussion, council agreed to most of the points the Historic Niagara group has said need to be in place for their revitalization project to work.
By the end of the marathon meeting, Lichtman and council seemed to be on a honeymoon. Lichtman volunteered publicly that his group’s first project would be the renovation of the Rosbergs department store building.
“We wanted to pick an important project,” he said, adding it would become a large retail anchor, “consistent with a bookstore” like Chapters.
“It’s on our wish list,” Lichtman said.
Officially, the report on council’s agenda had been the Strategic Implementation Plan, the city’s second study since 2004 that describes what has to be done to encourage commercial and residential development around Queen Street.
The Strategic Implementation Plan was an extension of the Community Improvement Plan, a study the city adopted in 2004, said Jay Valgora, the architect hired to prepare the SIP.
“If the CIP gave the city a destination, the SIP gives it a road map,” Valgora said.
But the revitalization project initiated by the Historic Niagara group loomed large in the minds of council and dozens of people in the public gallery. Historic Niagara is the first major developer to emerge since the CIP was passed in 2004.
Instead of a staff report that recommended the city embark on $1.6 million in further studies, council agreed to embrace the SIP policies but to proceed with doing only the environmental studies that are legally required.
“Your report talks about studies and I don’t want studies,” said Ald. Selina Volpatti.
Downtown revitalization will be identified as “one of the top three priorities” for the city. That designation is aimed at making an impression on the provincial and federal governments because the city will also ask them for financial assistance.
Historic Niagara says it can revive downtown with a retail commercial district. They will spend $100 million renovating 500,000 square feet of historic buildings and bring a variety of national and local retailers.
The group has said it needs the city to make $35 million in public-area improvements, including a parking garage, downtown parks, and improved gateways at both ends of Queen Street.
Those recommendations were also included in the Strategic Implementation Plan.
“We chose to participate because we believed in your vision,” Lichtman said.
Council agreed to put the money it will receive from the sale of city-owned land at the northwest corner of McLeod and Montrose roads toward its commitment to the downtown project. Some estimates suggest that sale could bring the city $7 million. The city will also go after matching funds from the provincial and federal governments.
“If we’re going to adopt this SIP, we’re going to have to spend money,” Volpatti said.
Ald. Janice Wing and questioned committing the land-sale cash to the downtown. There had been earlier talk of using the revenue to pay down debt on the MacBain Community Centre or repairing roads and sewers.
Though council agreed to move ahead with Historic Niagara, some longstanding property owners said they’re concerned the SIP might force them from their land.
The SIP shows a riverside park, running south from Queen Street along River Road.
Shelagh Mulligan whose family has owned property at that corner for 80 years and run a motel said council was turning its back on long-time residents “to support out of town interests.”
Sean Hyde, who owns an apartment complex on River Road, said, “I ain’t going anywhere.” He objected to the possibility he might be expropriated to make a park.
clarocque@nfreview.com
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Niagara Falls Review acticles reprinted with permission by the authority of Joe Wallace, Managing Editor of the Niagara Falls Review.
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