So what’s up with the state acquisition of the historic Hotel Niagara, the legendary Niagara Falls hotel at 210 Rainbow Blvd. in Niagara Falls? USA Niagara, one of the state’s development agencies under Empire State Development, which played a big role in the state-backed Hamister Hotel project, acquired the once-grandRead More

By Vince Anello Former Mayor, Niagara Falls As you read this, the mayor, the city administrator, the city’s department heads and the city’s finance office are working on the 2017 budget. Anyone who is familiar with the 2013 New York State Comptroller’s audit of our city’s budget or the city’sRead More

by James Hufnagel and Frank Parlato The banner headline at the top of the LPCiminelli website proclaims, “Integrity and Ingenuity at Work” That integrity has been called into question as shock waves from the federal indictments handed down last week accusing Louis Ciminelli, two of his executive staffers and severalRead More

The Northpointe Council’s methadone clinic in Niagara Falls, which only a few short months ago was on track to move to a Sixth Street site that some residents were resisting, will remain at its current location at the Trott Access Center on 11th Street thanks to bipartisan efforts of severalRead More

  By Frank Parlato Only in Niagara Falls would government officials be stupid enough to build a train station without a tenant that can run trains. But city leaders, not known for either brains or heart, built a $43 million train station without ever once considering the fact that beforeRead More

The average reader might suspect that we photoshopped the above vintage photos of Niagara Falls on this page – but we didn’t. They’re real images of real people perched at the precipice of Niagara Falls before areas such as Prospect Point, Three Sisters Islands and most of the entire perimeterRead More

We recently had a conversation with Harvey Albond, a gentleman who has seen the ups and downs experienced by the city of Niagara Falls over a period spanning nearly the last six decades. Mr. Albond, 88, served as City Manager for Niagara Falls for two terms, the first 1959-60, andRead More

  It made me laugh and made me kind of sad, at the same time when I saw it. A recent article published on Expedia entitled the “The 55 most breathtaking destinations in the world” rates Niagara Falls New York (but not Niagara Falls, Ontario) as one of them. “Beauty mayRead More

BY MATT RICCHIAZZI;     Hamilton’s news broadcaster, CHCH, is reporting that Niagara Falls, ON enjoyed the best season it has had in nearly eight years. Niagara Falls Tourism chair Wyane Thomson says the city is on pace for a record tourism year measured by visitors and spending. “We’ve stepped up theRead More

A remarkable publication from 2013 entitled “Station Program and Planning Guidelines”, put out by the passenger rail concern Amtrak to assist municipalities in the design, planning and construction of new “intermodal transportation centers” (aka train stations), raises continuing questions about the practicality of the $44 million facility recently built onRead More

The 2013 Amtrak “Station Program and Planning Guidelines” document specifies numerous requirements for any municipality contemplating construction of a new rail passenger station. Notwithstanding its imposing height and size, and the fact that it spans an entire city block, the new Niagara Falls International Railway Station and Intermodal Transportation CenterRead More

BY Tony Farina; As Niagara Falls city officials try to address taxpayer concerns about a planned citywide property reassessment, the first in 14 years, we have learned that lawmakers may have a new problem on their hands that may not sit too well with already apprehensive city residents:  the appearanceRead More

USA Niagara officials have recommended that state taxpayers give developer Mark Hamister an additional $1 million for his downtown Niagara Falls Hyatt Place hotel project. That money supplements the $3.85 million the state-run agency has already committed to the project. The $4.85 million represents a 14% public subsidy for the purportedRead More

Promising transparency and a new path that provides hope, faith and trust in government, businessman JC Seneca of the Cattaraugus Territory announced today that he is running for president of the Seneca Nation of Indians in the election scheduled for Nov. 1. Seneca, 56, chairman of the One Nation Organization,Read More

It appears the planned citywide property reassessment in Niagara Falls, the first in 14 years, is not necessarily a done deal just yet after many taxpayers voiced strong opposition to the plan at last Tuesday’s public hearing in council chambers. “People were obviously concerned,” said Council President Andrew Touma onRead More

The USA Niagara Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Empire State Development, is issuing a request for proposals for ‘qualified developers’ to purchase, restore/rehabilitate and reuse the historic Hotel Niagara on Rainbow Boulevard.  Several developers participated in a meeting last week hosted by USA Niagara, giving them an opportunity to assessRead More

The recently published Niagara Falls Water Board’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2015 disclosed that more than two thirds of the city’s treated water was never sold to customers. The report may offer a clue as to the severity of the underground water leakage problem in the city. TheRead More

  by Tony Farina Residents of Niagara Falls who want to learn more about the planned citywide property reassessment should make a point to attend next Tuesday’s (Sept. 6) council meeting at City Hall when officials including Assessor James Bird will brief lawmakers on the reassessment process. Joining Bird inRead More

Realistically Taxes will go up for most through reassessment in Niagara Falls There is a dirty little secret no one but the Niagara Falls Reporter will dare to tell you about the proposed Niagara Falls reassessment of properties. Most people’s taxes will go up. And they are high enough already.Read More

by Ann Williams – Committee to Stop the Reassessments & Continuous Tax Increases   Too many of our elected officials have found the ways and means to put their own interests above those whom they swore to serve and protect. The profligate spending over the past eight plus years is disgracefulRead More