Island Dispatch, 2000-07-28

              Island DISPATCH Living a Dream page 4 Canon Family Picnic pageS Bike Rodeo page 8 — Founded 1944 • Complete Community Coverage The Official Newspaper of the Town of Grand Island and the Grand Island School District 56 Years As the Voice of Grand Island Award Winning Newspapers V01.5G No. 13 (716)773-7676 65 c 20 pages JULY 28. 2000 Beaver Island Casino Deal a Bust by William O'Connor Last Friday, NYS Assembly Member Sam Hoyt announced that the public-private partnership deal proposed to rebuild -the Beaver Island Casnio fell through due to lack of funding. The building has been gone so long now that teenage residents and newer arrivals don't know of it. The Casino, built in the late 1930s, was a popular landmark in Beaver Island for more than 50 years. It was the site, for many Island events including antique shows, High School proms, dances etc. It burned on October 29, 1992. Efforts to extinguish the blaze were hampered by the lack of working fire hydrants, and modern fire suppression equipment. The alarm system was not connected to the Grand Island Fire Department, instead it sounded in an empty town Supervisors Office. As a result the fire got a three hour head start on the department, according to Fire Department information officer Ray Pauley. A week later, November 6, 1992, the damage .estimate had been reduced from $3 million to $2 million. New York Regional Parks Director (of that time) Mario Pirastru and Assembly Member Sam Hoyt announced that plans were underway to rebuild. 'Nothing" happened... until April 8 1998.- Governor Pataki's office, announced a public-privatepartnership that received a lukewarm reception. The plan included an 80 room hotel and conference center. It gave the developer, INNVest Lodging Services, rights to the golf course, marina, the casino (when built), and the concession rights to the golf course. In return for this INNvest was to pump $5 million into rebuilding the Casino. The deal was criticized by boaters who feared they would lose access to the marina; and some environmentalists who saw the 24 hour operation of a hotel as more damaging to the environment than the Casino was. But, most people (especially politicians) favored the deal. When the deal was announced, the developer and the State predicted that building would likely commence before the end of that year. Nothing happened...The public-private partnership "didn't work." INNVest will no longer be involved in rebuilding the Casino. They will continue to run.the golf course concessions and the marina until the end of the season.. The "finance package failed"..;."The people of Grand Island have been let down." They've been given "promise after promise" for the past "seven and a half years" said Hoyt at the news conference last week. The "people of Grand Island deserve something, something of substance." he said. "Adding that, the building was self-insured meaning the State has an obligation to rebuild. Hoyt said a new, modified plan to build something less substantial would be announced by the Department of Parks Recreation ~ and Historic Preservation in the next few weeks Beaver Island Casino before the 1992 fire. Will it ever be rebuilt? Seneca Claim - $90 Million Settlement Offer Refused by Christopher Marquis Residents are in the middle of a lengthy legal battle between the Seneca Nation and the State of New York concerning an Indian, land claim to Grand Island. The issue has caused months of legal, political, and economic strife for the area. "No matter what happens, it's going to take a long time,"said' Grand Island Councilwoman Mary Cooke. "No one is looking forward to a 5-10 year dispute/remarked Councilman Richard Crawford, "This has been called, a Odark cloud' that continues to hang over us." On Sunday, The' Buffalo News reported that the U.S. Justice ,Degjutm^ problem when it offered $90 million to the tribe in February. Both the Senecas and local and state officials objected to the settlement, believing that they could each benefit more from a court battle. While the tribe wants the option to make additional land purchases in the future, local officials want it to abandon all future claims. In addition, New York State believes that it could win in court on technicalities, and may not have to pay any money. County Legislature Chairman Charles Swanick told the Dispatch that he is confident of the opportunity to beat the Senecas in court. "We will win the court case. We looked at this issue long-term, and we have a strong case." Hydromania 2000 this Saturday and Sunday l!ii» n.-.-K-.'ii.l l':::i\! \\.i -l tl..-"I■ -iLtx. !i'v ,ii d N.i,' .'i,L lioiniii l!,U' !<,i.!:ii '\n»'h.i,;Imi1 pu-wi llMl!i'i<i.ir::.i .\'-i-h< I In.-i-.O'ii )■. : >■ "u,%. . t I'Miiij,"1!.'!!. ',.'.. 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