Falls City Council will consider contract for feasibility study of proposed Centennial Park project

Rick Pfeiffer -, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·3 min read

Apr. 23—The Niagara Falls City Council will consider a proposal to hire a Florida-based sports facilities consulting company to conduct a feasibility study of the city's proposed Centennial Park Project at its meeting tonight.

The lawmakers are being asked to approve a $140,000 contract with Sports Facilities Advisory LLC to provide a "market analysis and feasibility study" of the Centennial Park plans which call for the construction of a "multi-faceted, year-round event campus" that would include a 6,000 to 7,000-seat arena for sporting and entertainment events, a smaller arena for sporting and entertainment events and a splash pad that could be converted into an ice-skating rink during winter months.

The project also calls for the construction of a parking ramp with exterior walls that could be used for rock climbing and a roof that could be used as a location for concerts or movie screenings.

The park would be constructed on 12 acres of South End property described as 907 Falls St. and an adjacent portion of property along John Daly Memorial Parkway. That property is currently owned by Niagara Falls Redevelopment (NFR), and an affiliated company, Blue Apple Properties.

NFR has opposed the project and the city is in the process of taking the land through the use of eminent domain. As part of that process, the council has already adopted a "Determination and Findings" that the proposed $150 million campus, would be "a public benefit."

Councilman Donta Myles questioned the timing of hiring the firm to perform a feasibility study, arguing that it should have been the first thing done before "anyone wholeheartedly supported this idea" and long before the city started down a costly road that led to court action in an attempt to forcibly acquire NFR's land through eminent domain.

"It would have removed a lot of doubts, but it seemed like it was more like hurry up and push it through and we'll talk details later," he said. "That's not a way to run things, especially when you are trying to utilize funding that is meant for our city. Blind support is never good for a municipality. Never."

Council Chairman James Perry who said he supported plans for the feasibility study and the project in general, adding that Centennial Park is the right thing to move the city forward.

Sports Facilities was one of three companies that responded to a request for proposals from the city's Purchasing Division. It was recommended by the Purchasing Division and Mayor Robert Restaino.

"It's going to help determine what the facility should be," Restaino said in describing the expected parameters of the study. "What does the market need? What size should (elements like the events center) be? It will help crystalize the idea of what Centennial Park should be."

The mayor noted that Sports Facilities has a lengthy track record of investigating and developing projects like Centennial Park in communities around the United States, including areas comparable to the Falls. The company also manages "sports, recreation and events destinations" in more than 45 municipalities across the country.

Sports Facilities says it specializes in "pre-development and advisory services" such as "market opportunity reports, feasibility studies, financial forecasting, economic impact reporting, recreation master planning and existing facility optimization."

The cost of the Sports Facilities contract will be reimbursed by grants from Empire State Development and the National Grid Strategic Economic Development Program.