HAMILTON: ‘Hot-dawg’ for new courthouse

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May 21, 2009

By Ken Hamilton The Niagara Gazette Thu May 21, 2009, 05:47 PM EDT

The city demolished a recently renovated apartment building and drove several successful businesses both off north Main Street and out of business in order to put in a nearly $50-million courthouse and police station in an effort to draw both new businesses and people from all areas of town to a “safer” street.

Now that it is finished and the courts and police are moving into their new Hall of Justice, the big question that begs to be asked is, “Well, how did it work out?”

By all optimistically sarcastic indications: so far so good!

Here is what I mean. On Monday’s moving day, Main Street’s city council chamber was partially packed with LaSalle’s Cayuga Islanders, a group that generally spends little time on Main Street. And the following day, I actually saw a new business spring up on the corner next to that new courthouse. It was out in front of Connie Hamilton’s and Chucky Peay’s hair studio, where Mike was busy slathering Sahleen’s sausages with mustard sauce at his boss’ hot dog cart — and several people had actually stopped to buy.

Well, the truth is that it is too early to definitely predict the impact of the courthouse. Further true is that the Cayuga Islanders were actually in council chambers to help guide the development of their island’s Jayne Park, an item of interest to the City Council. Nonetheless, the manager of the Burger King, Main Street’s longest surviving business, suspects that his parking lot will fill up as a result of the court’s move. Despite the added competition that he may have from the hot dog vendor, most of the cars, he says, will be people parking at his business to walk to the nearby courthouse for whatever business that they have to do there. Maybe they’ll buy a Whopper Junior in the two or three hours that they are parked there.

Soon after I arrived, Mike was packing up the wagon to move to a new location. I would have purchased a dog myself, except that I had just left lunch at Arby’s down the street. But, as I talked to Mike about the business, cart owner Winn Gilmore arrived and gave a brief interview.

Gilmore is high on her belief in Main Street. Returning from the West Coast, she says that she expects to open her own Southern cuisine restaurant next to the armory within a month’s time. That’s where Mary-O’s had an all-too-short run at the niche business. For you old-timers, that’s the old “Round-the-Clock” restaurant. I look forward to some good ribs and sweet corn bread at Gilmore’s counter.

But, as others will be munching her hotdogs and hot plates, Gilmore’s Main Street plans rise higher than hot dogs and spare ribs — many stories higher. Gilmore is still trudging along and putting her money where her own mouth is when it comes to her long announced plans to develop an energy-efficient professional office building for Cleveland Avenue, directly across the street from the courthouse. She admits, though, that those plans are still in development.

On the other hand, I have to admit, at least on looks, the courthouse is kind of impressive. Gilmore’s hot dog stand was even sight pleasing; giving Main Street that familiar Philadelphia feel. As I stood there chatting with her, I thought that it was both the courthouse and the hotdogs that had brought eye music to my ears; but that music turned out to be just the rattling of passing automobile undercarriages as they bounced along, right in front of its new justice halls, on the mean, potholed streets of Niagara Falls.

Well, I guess that that’s how it worked out.

Ken Hamilton is a Niagara Falls resident. His columns run Fridays in the Gazette. He welcomes feedback at Ken Hamilton930@aol.com.

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