TOP 10: No. 4 — Several area hotels get great news in 2011
The Niagara Gazette is going through their list of top 10 stories of the year. I’m sure many of them are working linking to, but I’ll post this one, and then you can follow links on that page to other articles.
The calendar year has been anything but vanilla for the hotel industry in Niagara Falls.
While the area received praise as a most popular tourist destination in two separate national magazines, four hotels either changed ownership or received major renovations in 2011…
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Fixing the Falls: Missing the Experience
From the Niagara Gazette:
What’s next for the concept known as the Niagara Experience Center? Having been rejected as a project worthy of funding under the first round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new regional economic development initiative, supporters of the plan to create a one-of-a-kind visitor center in Niagara Falls aren’t quite sure.
After languishing in limbo for several years, it appeared as though the experience center concept was about to gain renewed life in the form of financial support through Cuomo’s regional council program. Members of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, which put together the local strategic plan for development projects to be funded under Cuomo’s initiative, identified the center as one of its 12 “priority” projects. On Thursday, local leaders learned that while the council’s overall plan ranked as one of the “best” of those submitted by the 10 regional councils statewide, the experience center would not be receiving $5 million in seed money requested by project supporters.
Related posts:
- Fixing the Falls: All aboard From the Niagara Gazette: Imagine having developer and one-time gubernatorial...
- Fixing the Falls: Hoping for a development From the Niagara Gazette: Niagara Falls Redevelopment. For many years,...
- FIXING THE FALLS: Inspiration is right across the border From the Niagara Gazette: Credit the idea for this week’s...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
The ‘Holiday’ has arrived for downtown Niagara Falls
From the Niagara Gazette:
Mark Rivers is calling it the “anti-mall.”
While thousands of eager shoppers will be running through department stores and retail outlets Thanksgiving night and early Black Friday, the man behind the new Holiday Market in downtown Niagara Falls is encouraging his customers to take it easy, avoid the rush and get down to Old Falls Street whenever they feel good and ready.
“We’re not open Thanksgiving night,” said Rivers, whose firm, Brix and Co., has put together the city’s inaugural 37-day holiday event. “Sleep in on Friday and enjoy a family fun and shopping day in the Falls.”
The Falls version of a winter wonderland officially opens at noon on Friday. Billed as an American take on outdoor markets traditionally found in Europe, the Falls market will feature a mix of retail offerings, live performances and holiday activities.
Related posts:
- Will Niagara Falls become a winter wonderland? From the Buffalo News: In March, Ellicottville native and Idaho...
- Fixing the Falls: Downtown still under development From the Niagara Gazette: The DiCienzio family has been doing...
- Ceremony set Nov. 23 to open Holiday Lights From the Buffalo News: The Holiday Lights of Niagara Trail,...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Fixing the Falls: Hoping for a development
From the Niagara Gazette:
Niagara Falls Redevelopment.
For many years, candidates seeking elected office in the city of Niagara Falls have been asked how they would advise the city to deal with the company which, through its various affiliates, owns more than 400 parcels of prime real estate near the heart of downtown.
This year’s crop of mayoral candidates and city council hopefuls generally agree more needs to be done from the city’s end to spur action within NFR’s development territory.
The majority also said they would support a direct approach — simply sitting down with owner Howard Milstein or his associates and discussing why more hasn’t happened on NFR land and what more can be done from the city’s end to help move things along.
Related posts:
- Fixing the Falls: Downtown still under development From the Niagara Gazette: The DiCienzio family has been doing...
- Fixing the Falls: All aboard From the Niagara Gazette: Imagine having developer and one-time gubernatorial...
- Economic development: How could this happen? From the Niagara Gazette: It almost defies logic. Niagara Falls,...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Wallenda making pitch to Canada for tightrope walk
From the Niagara Gazette:
Nik Wallenda’s lifelong dream may be coming closer to reality.
The tightrope walker and his team met with Canadian officials Thursday in continuing efforts to convince that side of the border to allow a wire walk next year above Niagara Falls. Wallenda said he wasn’t expecting anything but a continuation of the dialogue his group has had with elected officials.
“I don’t perceive a 100 percent go-ahead,” he said during a press conference Thursday. “We’re just discussing the next step. But we’ve gotten great support from Mayor Jim Diodati and the other officials”
I saw several other articles about this:
- WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo – Wallenda Visits Niagara Falls For Gorge Walk
- Buffalo News – Wallenda meets Canadian officials
- Niagara Falls Review – Wirewalker has ‘plan B’ ready if Canada says no
Related posts:
- Wallenda makes pitch to Canadians From the Tonawanda News: After his first meeting with officials...
- Daredevil Nik Wallenda discusses proposed Falls stunt From the Niagara Gazette: Nik Wallenda’s motto in life is...
- Governor OKs tightrope walk over falls From the Buffalo News: The Flying Wallenda who wants to...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Stanley Cup takes a ride on the Maid of the Mist
From the Niagara Gazette:
The Stanley Cup sure gets around.
It has been in strip clubs, bedrooms, showers, the bottom of swimming pools and on television shows such as Letterman, Leno and Howard Stern, but on Wednesday it was in Niagara Falls playing tourist by taking a ride on the world-famous Maid of the Mist boat.
Related posts:
- Tours4Fun Announces “Maid of the Mist” Tours in the Boat Ride’s Finale Month – October 2010 From a press release seen on BusinessWire: Los Angeles based...
- Maid of the Mist’s future uncertain From Buffalo Business First: The 2011 season for the Maid...
- Maid of Mist soon to set sail From the Welland Tribune: The Maid of the Mist will...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Fixing the Falls: Downtown still under development
From the Niagara Gazette:
The DiCienzio family has been doing hotel business on both sides of the border in Niagara Falls for years.
In 2007, the family business, Canadian Niagara Hotels, sold the old Holiday Inn at the corner of Third Street and Rainbow Boulevard to make way for its demolition as part of the expansion of the footprint for the Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel.
Three years later, the Dicienzios, who own several hotel properties in Niagara Falls, Ontario, returned to the American side with an investment in the former Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Third Street property has since been renovated and re-opened under the Sheraton flagship. Last month, the company opened a TGI Friday’s restaurant inside the hotel on the side facing Old Falls Street.
Michael DiCienzio says favorable Canadian currency rates and other market factors played a role in the family’s decision to invest downtown. He said improvements to the appeal of the area helped as well.
“It’s better since they took out the Wintergarden and developed the Old Falls Street promenade,” DiCienzio said. “You have the anchors at each end with the casino and the park and now everything else can line up in between. It’s absolutely moving in the right direction. There’s no doubt about that.”
Related posts:
- New downtown Sheraton celebrates official opening From the Niagara Gazette: A family with a long history...
- FIXING THE FALLS: Inspiration is right across the border From the Niagara Gazette: Credit the idea for this week’s...
- Bankruptcy Filings Drop From WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo: A popular Niagara Falls,...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Tourist season kicks off
From the Niagara Gazette:
This weekend the prime tourist season started with most visitors likely arriving from the Canadian side of the river.
Over there, the long Victoria Day weekend celebrates the birthday of Queen Victoria of England. Banks, schools and government offices will be closed in Ontario on Monday.
Traffic should be backed up at the international bridges as Canadians hop across to shop with their higher-valued currency. On Friday, that dollar was worth $1.03 (U.S.).
That hurts, if you happened to be stuck in Canada with your American buck. Chances are an Ontario merchant smugly told you that your Yankee dollar was worth 90 cents. (It’s called payback time.)
Next weekend, many of us will be off Monday to observe our Memorial Day holiday.
Related posts:
- Craitor kicks off Tourism Week in Falls From Niagara This Week: Niagara Falls’ economic bread and butter...
- Improving tourist signs in city becomes priority From the Buffalo News: The generations- old debate over the...
- A rewarding getaway on a tight budget From the Toronto Star: Problem: The family needs a weekend...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
New downtown Sheraton celebrates official opening
From the Niagara Gazette:
A family with a long history in Niagara Falls hotels is expanding back into the Cataract City and putting a new face and name on a familiar Third Street fixture.
Under the kind of sunny skies that herald the return of tourist season to the Falls, the DiCienzo family, the owners of Canadian Niagara Hotels Inc., cut the ribbon on their newest New York property, the newly rechristened Sheraton at the Falls.
Also see New Hotel Brings New Life To The Falls from WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo.
Related posts:
- Bankruptcy Filings Drop From WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo: A popular Niagara Falls,...
- DiCienzos buy two hotels From the Niagara Falls Review: Niagara’s DiCienzo family has picked...
- Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls – Fallsview Celebrates $60 Million Expansion From a PR Web press release seen on Yahoo! News:...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
It’s a strange way to observe ‘Family Day’
From the Niagara Gazette:
If you were driving anywhere near the border Monday, there’s a chance you observed the traffic lines waiting to cross the international bridges.
It was, of course , the day for U.S. residents to honor their presidents.
Meanwhile, in Ontario, it was a holiday called Family Day.
Canadians seem to have a problem with how to spend their day while Americans can’t agree on how to spell it.
Supposedly the Ontario holiday was designed for families to spend more time together, either at the Fashions Outlets, Military Road, Town of Niagara, or perhaps sitting in the car for more than an hour to pass through customs.
Related posts:
- Family Day ‘spectacular’ for tourism From the Niagara Falls Review: It was designated as a...
- Report: Niagara is family fun From the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal: A Philadelphia TV reporter...
- TWO NEW PRIMARY INSPECTION LANES ADDED TO THE LEWISTON QUEENSTON BRIDGE TO ALLEVIATE CONGESTION This is a press release I received from the Niagara...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.