The One Niagara building changed ownership hands this past week, and that is a good thing for the city of Niagara Falls.
Gone is managing partner Frank Parlato; in is an eclectic group of hometown heroes, including a former mayor and former fire chief, two attorneys, a tour operator, a realtor, a sports entertainment professional, and a longtime businessman and restaurateur who might be just as well known these days as the publisher of the city's only locally owned newspaper.
Parlato leaves as polarizing a presence as when he first arrived on the scene six years ago. He's the type of guy who people either love or hate, with middle ground being the only land untrodden.
However one may feel about him, this much is certain: Before he arrived the glass building, erected in 1980 and adjacent to the Rainbow Bridge, sat vacant for years. Worse, the failed AquaFalls project had left a literal hole, to match the figurative one, in the center of the city's tourism district.
Parlato filled that hole on both accounts. Today his One Niagara building is a hub of buzzing tourist activity. Sure, it's tacky, but it is also something that almost everything else in downtown Niagara Falls is not -- vibrant, successful and relevant.
The new group at One Niagara reads like a Who's Who of successful local business and politics. A Dream Team of tourism ownership, if you will. It is the type of local partnership group that can take something that is proven and make it a catalyst for growth in the downtown corridor.
It's no secret that Parlato and the folks at City Hall weren't exactly drinking buddies, but now is the time for the slate to be wiped clean for the in-coming group. Here's hoping that Mayor Paul Dyster sits down with them over a glass of some sort of beverage and forges a new relationship between One Niagara and the city.
The future of the tourism district hinges on successful development. Whether you liked what Parlato did with One Niagara or not, it was far better than an abandoned building with a gaping hole halfway to Middle Earth out front.
The new group deserves a fair shake to see where they can take it from here, and the successful resumes of the men involved dictate that they be given the benefit of the doubt.
Speaking of downtown development, Craig Avery has been in the news a lot recently. He is the man behind ERDCO Development, LLC, which plans to rehab the moribund 1920s-era building at 451 Third St.
Much has been made of the decision to grant Avery $305,000 in combined dollars secured through the city and USA Niagara. I can vouch for Avery's intentions, as I've had the good fortune of knowing him for 16 years.
I first met Craig back in the early '90s, when the Aquarium of Niagara announced that they needed to raise $200,000 or they would have to close the doors for good. Along with a partner, I concocted a plan to sell T-shirts through area schools as a way to raise the needed money. We contacted the aquarium, and Craig was then chairman of the board of directors.
To make a long story short, the T-shirt campaign was a rousing success, and, due to Craig's political skills, the necessary funds were raised to keep the aquarium a part of Niagara Falls for emerging generations.
I can tell you unequivocally that none of that would have happened without Craig Avery at the helm. The aquarium was truly on the verge of being shuttered for good and, in my humble opinion, the other members of that board did not possess the political savvy to do what Craig managed to accomplish. He even reached into his own wallet to seed the T-shirt campaign.
I have spoken with multiple sources who tell me that Craig had to be heavily convinced to reinvest in Niagara Falls, when there are other nearby municipalities that make it much easier for investors to do business.
Here's hoping that Avery sticks with Third Street and Niagara Falls. I've seen what he can accomplish, and the future for Third Street got quite a bit brighter when he decided to hang his shingle there."
Back when the Sabres were jettisoned from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, General Manager Darcy Regier intimated that changes would be made to help the team get over the hump for the 2010-11 season. Fans took him at his word and hoped that a piece or two would be added to a core that includes All-Star goalie Ryan Miller and phenom defenseman Tyler Myers.
When free agency started early this month, the Sabres did very little. Regier stated at the conclusion of opening day that they had been close on a few deals, but no cigar. Fans had to be content that they had tried to pluck a few apples, though their basket bore no new fruit at all.
Just this week, the GM announced that, barring anything just falling into his lap, he's done shopping and the roster is set. That must be downright jolly news for Sabres fans starved for a Stanley Cup championship. In essence, the team got rid of two veteran players and replaced them with two possibly inferior ones.
The question is: How much longer will Sabres fans put up with mediocrity at the GM position? Regier should thank his lucky stars that 25 percent of HSBC Arena is filled with season-ticket holders from Canada who come to watch NHL games first and Sabres games second.
If that not were the case, the empty seats in the stands might force ownership into making a move at the GM position -- something that Tom Golisano should consider doing anyway.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Aug. 3, 2010 |