Niagara Falls Tourism Advisory Board member Randy Ubriaco didn’t mince words following a tour Monday of the city-operated parking ramp downtown.
“Would you want your tourist friends to come here?” he asked.
Attached to the old Rainbow Centre Mall, the five-level ramp has a long list of needed repairs and is at the center of debate whether it should be managed by a private company and not the city or torn down completely.
“In my opinion, the priority should be to dump this place,” Tourism Advisory Board Chairman Jerry Genova said. “The condition of this ramp is a representation of ourselves.”
Wanting to “see through the eyes of a tourist,” a handful of board members took a tour of the ramp following their meeting. Led by Ubriaco, who served on the ramp’s security team over the summer, the tour started in front of the vehicle entrance ramp on Rainbow Boulevard. A large sign hangs overhead advertising the mall’s OTB, which hasn’t operated in more than five years. Another sign warning of the entrance’s clearance height is bent and supported by a rusted chain.
The next stop was a dingy stairwell that visitors use to access the first two levels of the ramp. Elevator access is available nearby, but a lack of proper signage keeps it concealed. The stairwell is dirty and plagued by poor lighting; outlets are covered in cobwebs and flicker on and off. Shards of glass from a shattered beer bottle greet walkers on one landing and blacked-out graffiti is mixed into the walls.
The elevator areas also suffer from a lack of maintenance and cleaning. At the top level, the entrance’s window is shattered and covered with a large piece of plywood.
“Let’s take an idea of what tourists are seeing when they park here,” Genova said as the tour came to an end. “It looks scary if you ask me.”
The ramp’s condition is noted in a lawsuit filed against the city by the Cordish Company, which leases the mall. According to the lawsuit, the city has been lax on maintaining the ramp and mall’s structure, which has prevented the company from securing vendors and business. As an example of the ramp’s lack of security, the lawsuit cites when a dead body was left there inside a parked van and wasn’t noticed by anyone for more than a week in 1998.
While he acknowledged the ramp is in poor condition, Ubriaco pointed out staff and the city have been trying to make improvements in recent months. He said ramp manager Jenny Lee Packer pressed to get graffiti painted over, and the city seems open to other repairs.
“I have hope that the city has the knowledge and manpower, in house, to repair the ramp to an acceptable, safe level,” he said. “We must mitigate the upcoming damage to the roof this winter season. I just hope someone listens to us.”
Genova said the city has an obligation to maintain the ramp not only for tourists wanting to park, but for local businesses and agencies that lease out spots for their employees.
Tourism Board member Pam Smith, who also went on the tour, said she didn’t think the ramp’s condition was much different than what is in other cities.
“Any parking ramp is scary,” she said, adding the city must prioritize how it spends its available funds. “Fix the ramp completely or hire police officers? There’s only so much money to go around.”
Local News
Related Photos
-
Scott Schild
-
The Niagara Falls parking garage at the corner of Niagara Street and Rainbow Boulevard stands neglected and in need of general maintenance to make it more attractive and safe to tourists. A handful of Tourism Advisory Board members toured the five-level structure Monday to see the condition “through the eyes of a tourist.” Scott Schild
NIAGARA FALLS: Ramping up criticism of downtown structure
City-operated ramp in dire need of repairs
- Local News
-
-
Child run over be car on Niagara Avenue
Falls Traffic Division investigators said an 11-year-old boy was struck after he darted into the street, in front of a car as it pulled away from a stop sign.
-
Militello paid $50K to leave Niagara-Wheatfield
Former Niagara-Wheatfield Superintendent Carl Militello is receiving a $50,000 from the district, according to a separation settlement agreed to on Feb. 1.
-
Autopsy unable to determine cause or time of Judith Burr’s death
An autopsy by an Erie County Medical Examiner has failed to determine either the time of death or the cause of death of Judith Burr.
-
Gerber resigns from SPCA board; calls for adding veterinarian to staff
A Town of Niagara veterinarian and long-time member of the SPCA of Niagara Board of Directors has stepped down.
Dr. William Gerber submitted his resignation on Tuesday. It was effective immediately. -
Has NYPA relicensing agreement led to a revival?
A state senator is calling for an audit of the low-cost power and cash used in the last seven years by Niagara County entities that have shared in the benefits of the 50-year relicensing agreement with the New York Power Authority.
-
Joseph Davis State Park gets some green
Officials in the Town of Lewiston received approval Thursday to spend a significant portion of the community’s incoming greenway funds on the redevelopment of Joseph Davis State Park.
-
Search continues for Falls jumper
State Park Police were still searching Thursday for a Falls man who jumped from the rapids bridge at Goat Island on Wednesday morning.
-
NU gets helping hand for campus projects
A new county entity formed to help organizations secure bond financing agreed on Wednesday to assist Niagara University in the development of its new science center, a proposed refurbishment at Meade Hall and other campus improvements totaling $48 million.
-
One Niagara tax break denied
It’s a no-go for a proposed tax break at One Niagara.
At least for now. -
County IDA adds local hiring clause
From now on, applicants seeking assistance through the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency will be expected to demonstrate their “best efforts” in hiring local workers for subsidized projects.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
