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By: Brendan McDonough

Reporter for North Tonawanda

From Webster Street to Oliver Street North Tonawanda is getting busier and City officials could not be happier. With the coming addition of Spot Coffee and other restaurants opening near the old history museum, it’s something that they hope will bring more people in; helping to grow the City and the local economy.

“Right in the middle of our downtown section with the History Museum being moved to Oliver Street, what is going in there is going to be a tremendous thing for this community,” said Mayor Art Pappas. “Being right where it is, right in that location, I think the citizens of this community are going to be very, very happy and proud to see what is coming.”

It’s not just coffee either. North Tonawanda is also growing with diversity and cultural arts programs.

“The other thing I am happy to report on is the usage of the Carnage Arts Center,” said Mayor Pappas. “That building is now being used more and more for exactly what we had planned for and that is the introduction of more of the arts and more programs; like that in the Twin Cities.”

Thanks in large part to city leaders and Common Council President Eric Zadzilka, these additions, as well as the changes being made effecting the everyday lives of residents, are turning North Tonawanda from just a nice place to visit to ‘destination hub.’

“It is a busy, busy time,” said Zadzilka, “and we are really focused on projects throughout the City. NT has become a destination over the years. We are experiencing it and even have a housing boom happening. These are the things that really need to be focused on. It is so important that we dedicate our time and effort to making sure all of these prospective projects, and even ones that are coming down the road that the public isn’t aware of yet, are successful.”

From the sprucing up of the Botanical Gardens to business booming, 2019 is going to be a busy year for North Tonawanda.

“I am very pleased about Armstrong Pumps and their $18 million expansion that shows their commitment to this community,” said Zadzilka. 

“It had been a slow roll for them to get a commitment into doing this and now we are actually getting that done. I also want to acknowledge the botanical gardens as a group that has worked hard. It is volunteer based and they are continually working alongside city leaders to maintain and restore our botanical gardens. It is a huge thing for us to be working with the waterkeepers and to be getting grants. We have got a lot of good things coming so be on the lookout because this year is going to be even bigger and better than the last.”

2018 also showed the influence that volunteers can have in the community.

“Tied together with the Rivera Theater and the Hershel Carousel Museum, and even the volunteers at Project Pride, all of these things help the cultural arts in our community, so I am very happy to report on that,” said Mayor Pappas.