Collins Discontinues County Lawsuit to Block Casino
Chris Collins was joined today by Seneca Nation President Maurice John to announce that Erie County was discontinuing its action against the federal government, which sought reversal of the decision to allow the Senecas to complete their Buffalo Creek Casino project. From Watchdog’s report:
“Casino gaming already exists in Downtown Buffalo,” said Collins. In its current form, however, the casino is only attracting local visitors. The Seneca’s plans for a permanent casino will be a destination, helping to improve local tourism efforts. In addition, the casino plan also calls for a three acre public park. This green space will beautify the cobblestone district and improve quality of life for families living in that neighborhood.”
It’s interesting that we’ve replaced Giambra, who occasionally sided with the Joel Roses, Tim Tielmans, and Donn Esmondes of the world, with a completely different type of person. Obviously, Collins is bringing a new sort of mindset to the Rath Building. Where Giambra was a streetwise West Side politico, Collins is a millionaire amateur politician and resident of Spaulding Lake.
On the casino issue itself, I continue to oppose the Seneca Casino because I dislike the idea of carving out a sovereign enclave in downtown Buffalo, and there ought to have at least been some sort of plebiscite on the question. It is an interesting start to his tenure, though.
Click through here to listen to a podcast of the press conference. The full press release is after the jump.
Erie County Executive Chris Collins announced today that he is removing the County as a party to the two ongoing lawsuits attempting to block construction of a permanent Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo. Collins will ask Acting County Attorney George Zimmerman to file the appropriate paperwork today. Seneca Nation President Maurice John joined the County Executive for today’s announcement.
“Throughout my campaign for County Executive, I pledged to not stand in the way of the casino project in downtown Buffalo,” said Collins. “Erie County can not turn its back on an over $300 million construction project and private investment in the City of Buffalo. While I certainly do not believe the casino will be the answer to all of Buffalo’s problems, this project does offer a considerable opportunity to redevelop the Cobblestone district and attract visitors to downtown.”
Collins has met personally with members of the Seneca Nation and has been fully briefed on their plans for the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. In addition to the 1,000 new jobs this project is expected to create, the casino will also generate millions of dollars in local revenue share for the area.
Scheduled to open in 2010, the permanent Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino will feature a 90,000 square-foot casino floor with 2,000 slot machines and 45 table games according to the Seneca Nation.
“Casino gaming already exists in downtown Buffalo,” said Collins. “In its current form, however, the casino is only attracting local visitors. The Seneca’s plans for a permanent casino will be a destination, helping to improve local tourism efforts. In addition, the casino plan also calls for a three acre public park. This green space will beautify the Cobblestone district and improve the quality of life for families living in that neighborhood.”
Mike Says:January 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
The casino did not improve any area of Niagara Falls. Quality of life might improve on the seneca nation, but not really for city folks. We were at the least hoping to get better looking hookers, but no such luck. we did have a massage parlor, but the heat came down on them. Good luck with the green space, it will be a great place to park.
BFLOnian Says:January 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Im sure the BRO crowd that voted for a “change” are gonna have their britches in a knot over this. Love the term “amatuer politician.”
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Bill Altreuter Says:January 4th, 2008 at 7:58 am
What a chump move. The taxpaying hospitality businesses in downtown Buffalo will all suffer when the hotel is built– it has happened that way in every place that has tried it.
Sally Would Says:January 4th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Contrary to what you believe, being an amateur politician can be a good thing BFLOnian.
See Mark Poloncarz, Jon Powers, and Alan Bedenko.
Frieda Says:January 4th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Of course there is spinoff from the NF Casino. It’s in the form of an 80 million dollar annual payroll that the employees spend elsewhere. No effect on Niagara Falls? The 24 million paid in lieu of taxes (18 months) saved Niagara Falls from a control board. No spinoff development there is 22 million upgrade to a Crown Plaza across the street, an expanded Hampton Inn and an upgrade to the rodeway. And whether he likes to admit it or not Mr Palladino’s 9 million renovation to the United Building.
steve Says:January 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Sally is on the mark. Look how well we’ve done with the professional politicians over the past four or five decades.
I’m not sold on a casino as economic jump-starter for anything, and I don’t believe the deal struck under Pataki serves the local community as well as it should. But, I’m hoping Collins looked at the issue, saw that it was a losing battle, and simply decided to move on.
Pauldub Says:January 4th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Well put Frieda. Perhaps Dyster can implement some business friendly change in the city so it can better capitalize on the xasino.
wcp Says:January 4th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Does this count as a Buffalo-based solution to economic problems?
Check out the guest editorial in today’s News…
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/anothervoice/story/243189.html
“..when Brian Hansberry, in an effort to distract from the sad economic realities discussed in the article, states “. . . the [Seneca Gaming] corporation has made a $450 million investment in the city” he is being disingenuous. He might add that this investment on the Senecas’ own land has yielded more than $1 billion for the Senecas and $23 million for Niagara Falls.
If Hansberry didn’t “spin” the investment issue enough, when asked why the casino’s hotel refuses to book rooms to larger nongambling conventions, he states that they do not yet have enough rooms to meet both the casino’s and the city’s needs for space.
What Hansberry doesn’t tell us is that on average, approximately 440 rooms per day, every day, are given away free to gamblers (source: filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission). Remarkably, the corporation would rather provide a free room to a gambler then allow a nongambler, who might spend money outside of the casino, to pay for the same room. This behavior is very cynical and anathema to the corporation’s claims of being an economic stimulus to Niagara Falls. Perhaps the corporation could see fit to allow a few of these 161,000 free rooms given away per year to be booked by nongambling conventioneers; after all, the city gave the Seneca Nation the former Niagara Falls Convention Center to be developed as the casino.”
Vivian Says:January 4th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
if they rented rooms to non-gamers there would be complaints that they would be competing with the rest of the hospitality industry
Frieda Says:January 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Another pathetic article from the Buffalo News. It would have had more credibility if written by a two year old. . I guess when you don’t know the figures, the rule of thumb is to round everything up to the nearest billion. And if you don’t know the figures then you are not required to differentiate between a revenue stream and profits. For detail of 2007 figures for Seneca Gaming Corp (all casinos and hotels) see business first
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2007/12/31/daily7.html?ana=from_rss
total revenue stream 725 million. Costs: payroll (90 million for Niagara Falls alone) , Advertising (100+ million) , payment in lieu of taxes to the state (100+ million) , and we haven’t got into servicing the debt on the infrastructure, the cost of insurance, food and supplies etc. etc. etc.
wcp Says:January 4th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
It was an editorial, not an article in the News. A PILOT to the State? Show me, it wasn’t in the article you linked to. Unless you are referring to the slot profit sharing agreement.
Jwalker Says:January 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
What is the difference between A slot profit sharing agreement and payment in lieu of taxes?…. NADA. What is the difference between an article and an editorial? …only the page it is printed on.
hank Says:January 4th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
This is quite upsetting. Collins said this was his position throughout, but between listening to Hardwick on the Internet, reading the Snooze (for what that’s worth) and reading here, I don’t remember coming across THAT particular plank in Collins platform.
Just to blow most of you away, Joel Rose and I are aquainted,2 summers ago when I was home he came to the Croatian Club in Riverside and had cockails with myself, Allen Coniglio, Rus Thompson, Ostrowski and some of the RonPaulistas from FNY.
We consider each other friends and allies re the Casino.
So a Conservative expat from NC and and a Liberal academic from UB
CAN find common ground. My reasons for being against the Casino/Hotel are different than Joel’s but we both agree on each others reasoning.
If the Senecas are allowed to build a Hotel/Casino downtown, you might just as well demolish the Adam’s Mark, and from what I’ve read about the Hyatt, blow it up too. God Save the City.
TseTse Says:January 4th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Not to worry about competition with other hotels. The Seneca Gaming ,as a rule, only rents rooms to Casino Patrons. What was strange about Mr Giambra getting the county involed in the suit, in the first place, is that he was a regular at the Seneca Niagara.
BFLOnian Says:January 4th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
I mean I really LOVE the term. Works both ways. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jon and his family for years.
Mike Says:January 5th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Frieda, 98% of the jobs created by the casino pay about as much as a walmart or mcdonalds and are part time. Paving the street around the casino and the remodeling of a out dated hotel is not spin off. Maybe if the workers at the said casino could unionize they might be able to make a living wage, but not likely, labor laws are non-existant within the senca nation. Please show me some spin off and i wont use the rule of thumb stick.
TseTse Says:January 5th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
depending .. SGC pays a minimum starting wage of 8.25 / hr. for parking attendants, dishwashers, housekeep etc….
Dealers, Waiters/Waitresses starting (including tips est is approx 16.00 / hr). Salried employeees like marketing, accountants, IT is negotiated separtely based on experience. SGC also provides health benefits and 401ks.