Long-term readers of this space may remember that I've mentioned a large indoor amusement-park attraction that was proposed last spring for Buffalo's long-dormant waterfront. I was of mixed mind on this proposal: it struck me as the typical "silver bullet" project, just the latest in a long line of big-ticket projects that are put up on the drawing board, promised to create jobs and draw people to downtown, and yet never actually built. Nevertheless, I liked the actual idea, since it would entail an attraction for families to the Buffalo waterfront, whereas many other proposals are not exactly "family-friendly" (golf courses, casinos, etc).
Sadly, the proposal's developers faced a deadline yesterday to have their plans ready to go so they could move on to the next step, and they missed the deadline. So the project is dead, and now Buffalo's right where it started, with a miles-long swath of undeveloped waterfront land.
At the same time, Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello unveiled the latest installment of his repair of Buffalo's finances. We're talking "scorched earth" here, folks: job cuts totaling more than 700 positions in such departments as fire departments, police stations, and - - every politician's first choice for job cuts - - teachers. Oy. Gee, since Gray Davis seems likely to be out of a job in a week or so, maybe he'd like to come take the reins in Buffalo. He certainly can't do any worse.
The personal blog of author Kelly Sedinger, chronicling the adventures of one overalls-clad wanderer.
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