What if Niagara Falls Leaders lead?
Negative Perception needs to change
Went to Taste of Niagara over the weekend and I was a little more than disappointed at what I saw. The weekend before; our organization took part in the 125th Anniversary parade of the State Park and the BBQ Festival. The City gave the Hard Rock Cafe how much money to run those concerts at the height of tourist season? And even with the massive amount of tourists, the attendance to these functions is pathetic at best.
Our organization is not immune to the problem with our special events. We found a successful formula for our Career Fair and we will be using it more in the future. What needs to happen is Niagara Falls leaders need to create the opportunity for those that can change things positively.
Niagara Falls has a problem
More importantly is anyone listening? We have a City that by all means should be thriving; yet we flounder. What is it going to take for everyone to put aside their personal agendas and turn things around? Big question and lots of possible answers. The problem is there is not one person with the vision and leadership to make things happen. Everyone cringed when Carl Paladino spoke at our Kickoff Reception on June 25th. But there was a lot of truth in what he was saying about Niagara Falls and development in general.
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One developer coming in and having vision is not enough. Those that hold public office cannot be beholden to their benefactors. There are many folks in the area that have great ideas for Niagara Falls, yet they are not implemented.
Why is that? I write this as I sit in the Casino Hotel looking out at the Giacomo, the Conference Center and the newly updated Old Falls Street. And I see the empty Turtle, the Empty Rainbow Mall and the One Niagara Building with the tacky parking, and even tackier banners hanging off of it. Across the street I see a half baked attempt at an amusement park. Not far away from this scene there are acres of vacant land to the east.
Seriously? This is how we want Niagara Falls to be seen by the thousands of visitors as they approach our Nation’s Oldest park? One just needs to look across the way at Canada to know that we have it all wrong. I don’t care what anyone thinks, boarded up buildings, streets with crater sized pot holes and nothing is tackier then what the Canadians present to the world. Just look at the comments for the photo to the left on my facebook page.
I have been playing tour guide to my son the past few days showing him the sights. We spent some quality time exploring the American side of the Falls. Granted this is a teenager; and he has been to the Falls before. But we lived in the Metro NYC area, and spent several years living in Florida. So he has seen tourist destinations and he is shocked that there is really nothing to do here other than visit the Falls. He saw the Aquarium and asked to go, I took him. As we left he said “you know the Aquarium in Atlanta is so much cooler”, I cringed I remember when going to the Niagara Falls Aquarium was a day filled of adventure and wonder.
I love this community, I want it to be successful! For that to happen, there has to be significant change to make Niagara Falls a true world class tourist destination. Perhaps we need to send City Planners to Orlando, NYC, Branson MO to see what happens in an area that is tourist driven. Perhaps we need to open ourselves to the possibilities.
So back to the original question — What if Niagara Falls leaders lead the way? What if we treated the downtown area of Niagara Falls like a true tourist area? With quality entertainment, restaurants and exciting things for people to do. For that to happen, we need leaders to hold people accountable and instead of leaving buildings vacant, put them into the hands of those that will do something. We need standards for the attractions that are built up. The unofficial visitor centers need to be dealt with and don’t get me started with the quality of t-shirts and gifts that people have to select. The money from the Park goes to Albany, the money made outside of the park could stay here. I would think it would be in the City’s best interest to do something sooner than later.
But then again is anyone really listening?
I too spent a day playing tourist this weekend with some friends from the great white north. I honestly go the the Falls all the time. We had to walk past One Niagara and their parking lot attendants. They were loud, RUDE, and nasty. They wave their flags as if there is a road block ahead and the driver has to turn. They then whistle and point and yell at the cars to get them into their lots. It doesn’t help that their “uniform” looks like a national park uniform (and honestly most people don’t realize that the Falls is a State Park).
We need to have a vision, a plan in place and need to see it through. We can not allow these vacant buildings, the weed covered areas to continue. BUT we need more than thoughts and plans, we need HELP! We need the city to pull together! We have a natural wonder of the world and we need the state of NY and the federal government to work with us to ensure that this is not an area best forgotten, but remembered, cherished and visited again
Think we are starting the process. It is amazing when you see things from a tourist point of view!
Maybe a ‘Shame Campaign’ should be launched against the speculators & the like who are sitting on dormant prime property. Inundate the local papers with Op/Ed articles putting those intities under the microscope. Unravel the webs of greed, deceit and corruption!! We need a nationally recognized person who hails from this city to offer their notoriety as a means to bring attention to the potential this area offers. SHAME CAMPAIGN!!!!