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Councilmembers Trying to Get Maximum Value for Section of Fulton Street
What's at stake when a Buffalo street runs right through the territory of the proposed Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino? Call 4 Action's Al Vaughters reports it may turn out to be a street paved with gold for City Hall, or a roadblock to bigger plans for the casino.
City officials got a pleasant surprise, hearing that a new appraisal of a two-block section of Fulton Street could be worth three times more than previous estimates, if they sell it.
Richard Fontana, Lovejoy District Buffalo Common Councilmember, said, "We've been asked to give Fulton Street away. We said 'absolutely not'."
The Common Council wants to get the biggest bang for the buck from Fulton Street, which is inside the Seneca Nation of Indians' Buffalo Creek Casino compound.
Fulton Street runs right down the middle of the casino's nine-acre footprint, and Seneca Gaming officials say if they can't get Fulton Street, they might have to scale back their grandiose plans for developing Buffalo Creek.
But some councilmembers feel the best way to deal with the casino is opposing it altogether.
Michael Kearns, South District Councilmember, said, "Even if you are pro or against the casino, it's a terrible deal for the City of Buffalo. Six percent of the revenue coming to us, the expanding responsibility of what's going to be coming, the social cost..."
Bob Heffern, an opponent of the casino, said, "It's disposable income coming out of -- get this now -- taxpaying enterprises in Western New York, going into a non-taxpaying one, and you know how many problems we have with public funds, both with the city and the county."
But other councilmembers point out that the city has very little to do with the deal between the state and the Senecas to build a casino in Buffalo, but they would like a larger share of the winnings.
Dominic Bonifacio, Niagara District Councilmember, said, "We have to be compensated fairly, and being compensated fairly is receiving the $22 million that the state has received, over the $6 million that they plan on giving the host community."
Brian Davis, Ellicott District Councilmember, said, "If it comes back and says 'No, you shouldn't do it, shutting off Fulton Street is going to strangle the community, you're going to have this problem or that problem', I'll be the first one to say 'I'm not going to vote for it, I'm not going to support it'."
The Common Council sent the Fulton Street measure to committee for further study, and for public hearings.
Mayor Byron Brown's feeling has been, "Just sell it."
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