Niagara Falls Continues to Struggle As Opportunities Give Way to Revenge Agenda

By Tony Farina

The City of Niagara Falls might better be called the “City of Missed Opportunities’’ because it has a history failing to move on creating opportunities for its hard-working and over-taxed families who must continue to suffer under that dreaded banner as one-by-one the opportunities come and swiftly go.

And these days, the missed opportunities come in the form of a revenge-style political agenda practiced by the current mayor, Robert Restaino, who in his own brand of divisive politics is charting his own course to fulfill the legacy of missing the chance to make the city and residents better off, attractive to investment, and working together to create a city worthy of the world wonder in its midst. Take the Hard Park Ice Pavilion as an example of the mayor’s divisive political
retaliation style.

For 13 years, Mark Carella and his team at Niagara Sports Tournaments kept the rink alive even as the city let it crumble. The Zamboni broke down, the roof leaked, the boards wore out, but the city did nothing. Carella was the savior, paying out of his own pocket for equipment to keep the kids skating. But more to come.

When the City Council last summer rejected the mayor’s hand-picked, out-of-town vendor to take over and stood with the community favorite who had been there all along, Mark Carella, the mayor retaliated. He didn’t take rejection of his vendor with dignity and instead he shut down the rink and hundreds of kids, families, and hockey teams were locked out of their home ice.

But that’s only a part of the sad story as Restaino, while he’s padlocking the ice rink he is out promoting a dream of a brand new arena, Centennial Park, supposedly for the very same kids and families he just shut out. Restaino says his $150-million ice and entertainment arena will be the future of hockey and tourism in Niagara Falls. But how can you claim your fighting for kids’ future while you are slamming doors on them today? Sorry, it just doesn’t add up to progress.

And make no mistake. The mayor’s pipe dream arena is hardly for kids as there’s no real funding in place, no committed anchor tenant, and a major court fight over the land. A glitzy idea, yes, but no dollars or much else to back it up. And worse yet, the mayor could easily work out a deal with Niagara Falls Redevelopment in a state-of-the art data center and more than $1 billion in private investment. Yes, the number is correct: $1 billion. The NFR development would create high-paying jobs, expand the tax base, and put Niagara Falls on the tech map. But no, instead of cooperation on building a better future, the opportunity may go under as the mayor has chosen conflict instead of progress, burning time and money on lawsuits and standoffs for whatever purpose.

The mayor’s weekly YouTube updates are less about informing people and more about attacking his critics. There’s a place to respond to criticism, of course, but not instead of moving forward to nurture development and hope for the future by bringing people and interests together. It adds up to petty politics dressed up as public service and the city’s future remains very much a repeat of the past. More missed opportunities.