By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – A published report Thursday says the Seneca Nation of Indians has put in an offer to buy the old DL&W rail terminal for its Buffalo casino. The site is one of several the Senecas were considering. They may vote as early as Thursday night on the final selection.
But already, neighboring businesses near the waterfront terminal say they have been approached about selling their properties. Buffalo Mayoral candidate Kevin Helfer says that concerns him. He says any site selected for the casino must be contained.
"They shouldn't do in Buffalo what they did in Niagara Falls, where through eminent domain, they have 50 acres of land to develop restaurants and hotels, taking them off the tax base," Helfer said. "We can't allow that to happen in the City of Buffalo."
Helfer says he'd prefer to see the casino in the Convention Center downtown. He says that would build on a critical mass already there, rather than watering down efforts by spreading to the waterfront.