Archive for June 22nd, 2007
The next time someone tries to tell you the Riverwright Project is good, tell them to watch this!
[tags]ethanol, Riverwright, Buffalo, grain elevator, pollution, government, waste[/tags]
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Following is commentary written by Larry Quinn on the Canalside project. My comments are inserted in red.
A handful of project detractors have assigned all variety of sinister actions and motives to “Quinn and Company.” I’d like to set the record straight.
“Quinn and Company” is actually the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC), which is a subsidiary of New York State’s economic development agency. The Governor appointed members to the corporation board two years ago in the hope that local citizens could finally reignite development of the Buffalo waterfront.
The ECHDC is another Public Authority, in the long line of Authorities, that have subjected the people of New York State to publicly funded projects with virtually no accountability to the public. Many of these projects fail because the money used is YOURS and the Authorities have no actual financial stake.
After six decades of neglect and inactivity, the Governor was rightfully concerned that recent waterfront projects on the boards were also stalled and heading towards failure yet again. The Adelphia tower was dead, the Bass Pro project was stalled, the Opus project on the outer harbor was teetering and even the much-vaunted Canal project had not attracted a single private investor. The Governor correctly determined that a fresh approach was needed.
The Governor recruited seven people to the “public service” of figuring out what was wrong and fixing it. I was honored to be selected and serve along with such fine people as Chairman Tony Gioia and public officials Mayor Brown, Congressman Higgins, County Executive Giambra and others. It took us about a year and a half, countless meetings and discussions and thousands of volunteer hours, but I think we have come up with an opportunity for Buffalo to make a better future. And here is the opportunity: Remake downtown as the true retail and business center of the region.
A fresh approach was not needed. A plan was, and still is, in place. The failure was in the unsuccessful attempt to locate Bass Pro in the Aud, despite approximately $100 million earmarked for the project. Now, the unelected Authority is determined to land Bass Pro by giving them a free building, rent & property tax free for a minimum of 20 years, control of the public Marina and locating them on prime property adjacent to the canal. Obviously, someone’s agenda includes landing Bass Pro at any cost.
