(rshsdepot) DL&W - Buffalo, NY

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From today's Buffalo News.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
 
Senecas undeterred as ground is broken for downtown casino

- --
Next  New Year's is aim for debut on 9-acre site in Cobblestone District
 
By SHARON LINSTEDT and MARK SOMMER 
News Staff  Reporters
12/9/2005   

The Seneca Nation of  Indians is moving ahead to develop the Seneca Buffalo 
Creek Casino on vacant  land in downtown Buffalo's Cobblestone District. 

During a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Seneca leaders announced  they 
will build their main gambling complex on a nine-acre site along Michigan  
Avenue, the area they previously said would be a parking lot. 
 
While the Senecas have not set an exact time frame for opening their  Buffalo 
casino, leaders said they want to begin construction this spring and  will 
aim for a debut on New Year's Eve 2006. 
 
They also will continue efforts to acquire the nearby Delaware, Lackawanna  & 
Western Railroad terminal to expand their entertainment operations, as  well 
as more land in the neighborhood for additional parking. 
 
"The nine acres is the main casino site; the DL&W would be an extension  of 
that presence," said Rajat Shah, Seneca Gaming Corp.'s senior vice president  
for corporate development. 
 
The Senecas are looking at the second floor of the rail facility to develop  
limited gambling, retail, entertainment and a restaurant, according to Shah. 
 
The Senecas are making no secret of their desire to control more  Cobblestone 
neighborhood property beyond the nine acres that became sovereign  territory 
Dec. 2. Several sources said the Seneca Nation is seeking property for  
parking adjacent to the casino site. 
 
Unlike the Seneca casino deal in Niagara Falls, where parcels of land were  
identified in negotiations between the state and the tribe for its gambling  
operation, there is no specified limit on the amount of land that the tribe can  
acquire in Buffalo. 
 
However, the Senecas' casino compact with the State of New York says the  
land the tribe obtains in Buffalo must be limited for "gaming and commercial  
activities traditionally associated with the operation or conduct of a casino  
facility." 
 
The compact does not spell out what those activities are. And given the  
different things the Senecas have sold at their casino in Niagara Falls - from  
stereos to cigarettes - a Seneca casino in downtown Buffalo could end up being  
another location for smokers to buy cigarettes tax-free. 
 
At Thursday's groundbreaking, the Senecas also announced they will solicit  
designs from architects across the country to create a "signature destination." 
 
"We want it to have a distinctive flair," said John Pasqualoni, president  
and chief executive officer of Seneca Gaming. "We want a world-class facility  
that fits in with the HSBC Arena and the proposed Bass Pro store." 
 
Mayor Anthony M. Masiello, long a backer of a Buffalo casino, heralded the  
casino development as a "critical component" of downtown Buffalo's rebirth. 
 
The 100,000-square-foot casino complex will be built to accommodate 2,200  
slot machines, 50 gaming tables, a buffet and a fine-dining restaurant. A  
2,500-vehicle parking garage and operations facilities are planned for the  
nine-acre site bounded by Michigan and South Park avenues, and Fulton and Marvin  
streets. 
 
Leaders and dozens of other members of the Seneca Nation gathered for  
Thursday's groundbreaking, which served as a homecoming of sorts. Several times  
during the ceremony, speakers sprinkled their remarks with the Senecas' native  
language. 
 
Seneca President Barry E. Snyder Sr. recalled that 167 years ago, the  
Senecas were driven off the Buffalo Creek lands. "This is a truly wonderful  
homecoming for the Seneca people, and we are here forever," he said. 
 
While several Cobblestone District residents also were on hand, some  holding 
up "Welcome Senecas" signs, they were vastly outnumbered by casino  
protesters. The chorus included those who oppose gambling, as well as  preservationists 
who want the historic H-O Oats grain elevator on the building  site to be 
saved. 
 
The protesters, many of them holding anti-casino signs, chanted "Shame on  
You" and "More harm than good" as dignitaries made their congratulatory  
speeches. 
 
Many were members of Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County, which  
has announced that it will file lawsuits in federal and state courts to stop 
the  casino. "It's a very sad day for Buffalo," said Bill Durfee, a member of 
the  group. "The notion that the casino is going to be an engine for 
development is  ludicrous. Study after study has shown casinos are a net drain on the 
economy.  Casinos don't rejuvenate neighborhoods or cities." 
 
Tim Tielman of Campaign for Greater Buffalo expressed his dismay as the  
wrecking ball collided with the 1912 H-O Oats mill for the first time, barely  
disturbing it. 
 
"It's a disgrace that our elected leadership is standing here cheering on  
the destruction of a historic structure," Tielman said. "Development can  
co-exist with historic buildings, but no one is giving it a try here." 
 
Afterward, Snyder said that there would be no final decision on what to do  
with the H-O silos until an assessment is done. 
 
Snyder said he had no intention of meeting with preservationists. "We're  
more concerned about the Seneca Nation; that's my position," he said. 
 
Pressed on why he would not meet with them, he answered, "I don't have to." 
 
Mayor-elect Byron W. Brown was more optimistic about working with the  
Senecas to make sure serious consideration is given to preservation issues. 
 
"The Senecas have not made up their minds yet about how to deal with the  H-O 
Oats elevator, and I would urge them to explore whether it can be  
incorporated in their plans if that is reasonable and appropriate," Brown said. 
 

Tom Precious of The News Albany Bureau contributed to this  report.


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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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