No casino…possibly.
Anyone with a remote interest in Buffalo is aware of the casino ruling and the opinions are varied and abundant.
The casino had the potential to serve as an entertainment anchor along with the HSBC Arena to help encourage business. And before you bring the Seneca Niagara analogy I submit to you that their (NF) project was
1. around minimal development
2. brought in revenue to pay for the new NF airport
3. put pressure on surrounding hotels to up the ante or die
One could argue the announcement of the hotel aspect of the project put some extra pressure on the Adams Mark and maybe even the Hyatt to make sure their upgrades were soon and of high quality.
A Buffalo Creek casino could have had some drawing power to developers needing an extra reason to commit to a store or restaurant or hotel on Canal Side. Since Canal Side is to become a regional attraction-having a large facility that draws people who clearly have a burning hole in their wallet who hail from Cheektowaga or Fort Erie or anywhere else around town-would help increase foot traffic at some small to medium scale.
In reference to the Senecas sucking in the poor who live in the Perry Projects or Douglass Towers- I have never once seen a pedestrian go to the casino, I’ve also never seen anyone get off an NFTA Bus to go there while the parking lot is packed all the time…I’m not buying the ‘exploitation of the nearby poor’ theory. Yes, a blue tool shed with slot machines has drawn in some not-so-fancy characters for the most part, but I can’t see the clientele base not evolving a bit after the completed project.
I think gambling is a stupid thing, I resent the fact that Buffalo got such a paltry deal on the project, and I think anyone who regarded the project as a great way to revitalize downtown is delusional BUT I think every project with drawing power adds up to eventually create a much better downtown. The more options one has when looking for things to do downtown, the better it is for everyone. The Senecas are in the game of profiting off of people who want to throw money away knowing that there is some sort of chance that they’ll get some of it back but the sad reality is that most of if not all these customers already waste their money on OTB’s and the Fort Erie Slots and NF Ontario Casinos-if your dwindling tax base wants to waste money, at least give them an option of doing so while giving back to the local municipalities.
To stereotype further, a bunch of old rich people in North Buffalo got together to sue because they feel they know what’s best for everyone else in the area. Whether they’re right or not is debatable. The Cobblestone District will continue to slowly evolve, probably into a quiet, high-rent loft neighborhood with some decent restaurants and cafes but they missed out on a chance to take a quicker path to vibrancy-perhaps a riskier one at that but Buffalo is in a position in which taking big chances might not be such a bad idea.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I think it is funny that they say that “the poor” and “the lowlifes” are going to ruin the city. This could not be further from the truth. If you look up at Niagara Falls (Ontario not NY) the casinos are doing very well and provide many tourists with the experience they want. You will not get the lowlifes but will instead get the US citizens who will go downtown instead of making the trip across the border. No one took that into account. With the increased security and hassle crossing the international border, local people don’t want to wait in long lines at the bridge just so they can go gamble. This would have been a great opportunity to help the city to revitalize but instead we went and screwed it up. The people who are against this plan are older people who don’t want to see change. They are single-handedly ruining it for us, the young citizens of the area. In 20-30 years we will look back and wonder why the city hasn’t changed and the people who are against it now won’t be around and it won’t even matter to them. The casino doesn’t just provide 1000 jobs IN BUFFALO, but also gives businessmen and tourists and other visitors to the area something to do while they are in what could be the Great City of Buffalo. I hope that the correct decision is made and the new casino is allowed to be built.
Thanks.
*These are just my views and opinions. If you disagree, that is your right as an American.*
July 9th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
BIG LOSS FOR BUFFALO!
July 10th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
first off, writer…this was your most passionate blog yet…bravo!
my biggest issue is the hotel aspect. i have serious curiosity as to how the rest of the country views us, and i really believe that our hotels’ reputations aren’t probably what we think they are (not meant to be offensive to those in the industry, im just making a point), what was so bad about putting up a 20 story 4 star hotel, creating the possibility of both urgency at other hotels and also when businesspeople may be in handling business for a just a day, they might have incentive to stay the night, better quality hotels, not everyone is from the area, also, not everybody gambles, which may lead to them to spending some cash on our local businesses…there is so much more than gambling at stake..it is that ‘big chance we should take’
July 11th, 2008 at 8:24 am
FYI the Senecas are going to proceed with their plan. Most likely they’ll appeal this to a higher court.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:10 am
I am always amazed that Buffalo’s culture seems to be what I’ve coined ACS (arrogance, cynicism and suspicion) toward anything that is new that might remotely sound like changing from what we are to what we could be. Someone once pointed out to me that Buffalo is very much like European cities in that none like changes of any sort. Well, my response is that THIS AIN’T EUROPE and the ACS people AREN’T GOING TO WIN this one. Judge What’s-his-name’s decision WILL NOT BE ENFORCED by the state and will be OVERTURNED on appeal. Old World/old school thinking is a dinosaur who’s current thinking portends its final gasps of fighting to keep a past that never existed except in their own minds. In this case, I say GET OUT OF THE WAY. You’ll adjust sooner or later OR NOT!
July 17th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
We don’t need a casino. And in case you haven’t been to Europe lately, the cites there are great, and the quality of life is superior to the U.S. Buffalo should be so lucky.
The anti-casino people are not cynical. Just the opposite. They believe Buffalo is a great place and doesn’t need a casino. Cynical people think nothing ever happens here and that our only hope is a casino.
Casino development is not exactly a new idea. Cities desperate for development are building them all over the U.S. They include Gary, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, Biloxi, MS and Atlantic City. Not exactly hotbeds of development.
ACS people will win. And that is a win for the city too.