Casino would enhance commercial base

[Unregistered]

From Buffalo.com. You are not responding to the original writer but your comments would be appreciated.

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Casino would enhance commercial base

9/11/2003

Once again, Cheektowaga has the opportunity to take advantage of our greatest asset - our location as the gateway to Buffalo. Our community is located along the New York State Thruway, and we have the airport, an Amtrack station, the Galleria and the Kensington Expressway. Yet every proposal for building a new addition to our commercial base, such as a casino, brings out a group of residents who wail that disaster awaits.
At times they succeed. A hotel proposal was blocked because of claims about traffic and sewage. One of the biggest targets was the Walden Galleria. Opponents claimed it would cause dangerous water runoffs and lead to the decline of Eastern Hills and the Thruway Plaza. The water problem has been fixed, and a thriving retail business expansion has been an asset to the town.

We may become the commercial hub of Western New York in spite of ourselves. If Buffalo wants to find a way to recapture a time long gone, it should have been more cooperative with the Senecas. City officials should call a halt to their endless, expensive feasibility studies and get to work on the city's assets: the Peace Bridge and the waterfront. They should make decent schools a priority so that people who have a choice will be able to take advantage of city living without depriving their children of a good education.

NANCY NAPIERALA
Cheektowaga

[Unregistered]

Well said Nancy i couldn't agree with you more.

The real problem here in my opinion is some people are jealous at the idea some people are going to make money from selling the land to the Seneca's. Those land owners have been paying out every year for taxes and now they get a chance to make a few bucks and people are mad.

Another point is that no matter where the Seneca's want to put the casino people are going to bitch and complain for one reason or another.

SO JUST BUILD IT

[Unregistered]

Traffic belongs in the city. I live off of Union Rd in Cheektowaga and the traffic is bad. I purchased my home years ago knowing the street traffic was low on my road. Since the mall was built and all the big box stores cars cut down the side streets to by pass Union. I notice people say build it when they don't live near it.

It belongs in the City of Buffalo.

[Unregistered]

I said to build it and for your information i live within 1 mile of the proposed site. Do you really think there wouldn't be any triffic problems in downtown Buffalo? How about parking problems downtown? Lancaster is just mad because they blew their chance for the Sensca's to build it in Lancaster across from Aero Dr.

[Unregistered]

THe city is supposed to be packed with traffic! The suburbs are a place to live. NOT that there would be no business in the suburbs but they are over doing it. I'm tired of having cars speed down my street that is residential

The casino should be downtown. That is what we were led to believe from the start.

[Unregistered]

Tell the indians we get all the cut, none for the state. This way we have all the funds to repair the roads from traffic, police and what ever else this may cost the community.

[Unregistered]

A casino will not, repeat WILL NOT be worth the expense for what the community gains from it. Any community. Do you see people from the Niagara Falls casino looking for restaurants and watering holes outside of the casino? No. And don't tell me it's because there is nothing around there. No one will leave a place where the primary reason for being there is to gamble, has a fine eatery and FREE cocktails. Get real.

I'm not opposed to gambling, have been to the Falls casino and I'll tell you- folks are being misled on this issue. It will not generate the revenue wonder- stream some are saying it will.

If it HAD to be anywhere though, Cheektowaga might be the place. At least you'd have people on layover from the airport or whatever. Not that it would bring this area much anyway.

The people for Western NY have gotten a truly RAW DEAL and it is (or should be) TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.

[WNYresident]

IT"S CALLED legalized organize crime where the state get's their cut. If anyone at all could open a casino without someones permission then it would be legal but it's not.

Can a group of businessmen open a casino if we give the same cut to the state?

[WNYresident]

OH the reason the powers that be want it in cheektowaga is to pad thier revenue stream. Just think of what they can do with that money with thier buds. Get the picture?

[WNYresident]

I own 1 gas station in the local area. Am I going to have to compete with thier gas prices seeing there's nothing in the contract about selling gasoline?

If so then I don't want to pay property taxes or have to taxes. I'm all for competition but thye indians would have an unfair advantage.

[Unregistered]

"Just think of what they can do with that money with thier buds. Get the picture?"

No not really.

NY State and the Seneca Nation stand to gain. No one else.

[Unregistered]

I know what he's getting at. The more revenue stream they get the more pet projects they can try to do. Thier developer friends make the profit off what they try to build or do. Like that golf course which millions were spent on and still is not off the ground. THey will use the excuse they need to hire more police seeing there's a casino and use that casino revenue to pay for it. Lose lose situation in the long run.

THe state will gain thier revenue and the town will pay for it in the long run.

[Allyssa]

Cheektowaga has the opportunity to take advantage of our greatest asset - our location as the gateway to Buffalo.
This is confusing to me...
If the casino is seen as a gateway to Buffalo, why is it going to be built in an area where people have already left the city?

Kind of like the "last chance for gas" sign posted 3 miles after the last exit.

And besides... has anyone been at the Mall lately? The Walden Galleria is becoming one of the biggest "eye sores" in Cheektowaga. Pavement and concrete is cracking severly, paint is chipping away, and rust... I couldn't beleive the amount of rust on the metal of it's structure.

I wonder... What will the casino look like after a few years if the mall is being neglected?