Another State Authority, the Inner Harbor Development Corporation, a/k/a Empire State Development, complicit with Brian Higgins, now seeks to control our Buffalo outer harbor development.

The NFTA sat on the outer harbor property for over 30 years and did nothing but deny access claiming that the property was environmentally challenged. They alluded to contaminants but never disclosed the quantity and nature of the contaminants. We now learn that the only significant environmental concern is erosion.

In the 1990’s, when the NFTA put out an RFP for development of the outer harbor, the Masiello administration gave up its reversionary rights to the outer harbor. The RFP failed. Ergo the inducement for the surrender of the reversionary rights failed. Legally, the City continues to have the equitable reversionary rights to the property.

Jordan Levy and Empire State Development botched the inner harbor development when they laid down to Brian Higgins’s arrogant, incompetent, and unnecessary ultimatum to Bass Pro. We now have a big hole where the old Aud stood which they are trying to fill with anything and no major destination retailer to draw people to Canal Place.

The State is all about the politics of Higgins and Cuomo. They talk a lot but have never done anything constructive for WNY development or job creation.

The City of Buffalo deserves an opportunity to develop the outer harbor for our future generations.