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Governor's proposal may help Rainbow Mall redevelopment
State Sen. George Maziarz, R-C-Newfane, lauded Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Tax-Free NY proposal - a plan announced yesterday that would stimulate economic development by leveraging higher education assets in the SUNY system. Thinking of the potential impact on his own Senate district, Maziarz has suggested to the governor that Niagara Falls be used as a prime example for how the plan can be successful.
In a letter sent to Cuomo today, Maziarz wrote, "As you are well aware, the recently-opened Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, which is part of Niagara County Community College (NCCC), currently owns about 90,000 square feet of the former (Rainbow) mall. That leaves about 200,000 square feet of space available for development right in the heart of Niagara Falls."
Maziarz went on to suggest that, though there are many details that need to be worked out, this vacant space could qualify as a tax-free zone under the Tax-Free NY plan. This could be a "signature project" that would "afford us a tremendous opportunity to attract national business ventures to Niagara Falls," he said.
Maziarz said he hopes to discuss the plan further with Cuomo and Empire State Development Regional President Sam Hoyt.