By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Construction of a luxurious, 600 room spa hotel in Niagara Falls is the latest addition to the Seneca Nation's growing casino empire in Western New York.
In just 17 months, the Senecas have shown they do everything big. The ground breaking Tuesday for the soaring, 26 story spa hotel was marked with a giant backhoe rather than the more traditional, ceremonial shovel.
The Senecas are also making a big impression on the region wit their expanding casino empire. Niagara Falls and Salamanca both have casinos. And President Ricky Armstrong says Cheektowaga is definitely next. Armstrong says Buffalo could have been, but he says the city tried to scale back the Nation's plans.
"Well, I think they wanted it real bad, and I think they still do. But based on, I guess political advice, all I can think of is they were trying to rope us into certain agreement we didn't feel necessary, as well as certain restrictions on our development there that we didn't feel necessary," said Armstrong.
According to Armstrong, the city wanted the Senecas to hand over more money to help pay for increased costs for police and other services. He says the city also wanted limits on the Seneca's casino related businesses, such as hotels. Armstrong says the Senecas actually preferred a Buffalo location. But he says Cheektowaga, like Niagara Falls and Salamanca, was more welcoming. Seneca Gaming Corporation Chairman Cyrus Schindler says the Niagara Falls Gaming complex shows that the Senecas have no plans to bury other businesses.
"We're just building this facility but we have to have a lot of things around it," said Schindler. "If you look at most Indian casinos, they are on their territories, out in the middle of no where. Foxwood, for example, has to be all self-contained because there is nothing else around it. Here we're kind of looking to have other people around us for things for people to do."
Seneca leaders say Niagara Falls will become its destination casino location. In addition to the Vegas style hotel, the Nation plans a mix of family and adult entertainment, possibly including an indoor water park.
Leaders deny plans to create a similar entertainment mecca in Cheektowaga. And they say the disputed Uniland site there is still the only one being considered.