Despite receiving nearly $1 million in Community Development Block Grants, state aid and tax and water bill incentives since 1999, as well as a federal Small Business Administration contract worth an additional $1 million each and every year, local businessman James "Harry" Williams and his company, 360 Rainbow Associates, are unable to pay their electric bills.
As a result, many employees of the AquaFalls Building's major tenant, the SBA, found themselves looking for things to do Thursday afternoon after Niagara Mohawk cut off power to the building. Sources said 360 Rainbow Associates failed to pay well over $200,000 in outstanding electric bills that are three months past due.
"I want to boil them in oil," said one SBA official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The SBA pays Williams' company $85,000 a month in rent, and has complained in the past that the landlords have allowed the building to deteriorate, failing at even the sort of routine maintenance that involves keeping the restrooms stocked with toilet paper and soap.
"We keep our own, in our desks, I swear to God," the official said.
Despite the horrendous conditions, the rent paid to maintain the Niagara Falls field office is among the highest the SBA pays anywhere in the country, including cities like New York and Los Angeles. In one of his final acts before leaving office, former Congressman John LaFalce used his political muscle to keep the office here, despite the wishes of many members of the SBA staff.
Aside from the fact that last week's shutdown delayed the processing of financial SBA aid to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, it caused many here to wonder why the AquaFalls building has been the beneficiary of so much government largess.
"The federal, state and local governments have pumped more than $5 million into that building in the last four years alone," said one downtown businessman. "You've got to ask yourself why. The building is an eyesore and it's falling apart."
Following hasty negotiations Thursday, Niagara Mohawk officials agreed to turn the power back on only if the SBA took direct responsibility for paying electric bills in the future.
But, the officials warned, the company is prepared to take 360 Rainbow Associates to court if a payment plan isn't worked out on the outstanding debt.
As for the AquaFalls project, despite rosy predictions as recently as last month by Mayor Irene Elia and the ever-optimistic daily newspaper, it is dead in the water. The massive, 40-foot-deep hole in the ground dug next to the office building during the summer of 1999 has remained just that.
The inability of Williams' company to do something so simple as pay its electric bill does not jibe with announcements that new funding has been secured for the project, prompting some to speculate the hole was actually dug so that the building itself could be bulldozed into it.
Then the entire site could be paved over to provide for additional parking in the city's South End.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | January 14 2003 |