Latest news with #BridgetteMyles
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democratic council candidates sound off on 'two-project solution' for the Falls
The six candidates running in this year's Democratic primary for Niagara Falls City Council have mixed opinions on whether the city would benefit from the so-called 'two-project solution' involving Mayor Robert Restaino's proposed $200 million Centennial Park project and Niagara Falls Redevelopment's plans for a $1.5 billion data center. Niagara Falls Democratic City Council candidates' forum This event was brought to you by the Niagara Gazette and the Niagara Falls NAACP. During a candidates' forum on Tuesday at Bloneva Bond Elementary School, several candidates said they have a wait-and-see approach when it comes to both projects and that they would need more information before they could fully endorse either one. Their comments came a day before Restaino announced that he's holding a press conference today where he is expected to announce more details about the Centennial Park feasibility study, a document several council candidates said they like to see before deciding whether they could endorse the project. During Tuesday's forum, candidates were asked questions by representatives from the event's two sponsors, the Niagara Gazette and the Niagara Falls chapter of the NAACP. The candidates' positions on the events center and the data center are summarized below based on the order in which they were asked to respond. Former city employee Bridgette Myles said she's open to either project or both, mainly because she believes the Falls needs development and job creation. While noting that NFR has failed to deliver on many of its development promises over the years, she said it would be 'awesome' if they actually moved forward with the data center, which the company claims would create hundreds of jobs. Myles said she also believes Centennial Park would be a benefit to the community. 'Any type of development for Niagara Falls is going to be a win,' she said. Michia Lee, a first-time candidate for public office, said doesn't like the Centennial Park concept and believes the data center has more potential to create jobs city residents need. 'I think one would be an asset and one would be a liability,' she said. John Kinney, who worked for the city for 35 years, including most recently as a director of the Department of Public Works under Restaino, said in light of NFR's many empty promises over the years, he questions whether the data center will ever materialize. He referenced a years-old NFR plan to build a $200 million hotel on the site of the former Native American Center for the Living Arts on Rainbow Boulevard. The plan was presented to the city in 2017 but never happened. 'They have promised to build many things many times. Ask them about the hotel at the Turtle. It's not there,' Kinney said. Kinney argued that Restaino's events center has a much better chance to produce benefits for the city. 'The event center is going to keep us year-round in the tourism industry,' Kinney said. Without being able to see the city's feasibility study for the project, candidate Sylvana Rahman said her stance on Centennial Park is a 'no.' 'I really can't vote open something that I'm not getting the full picture of,' she said. She also questioned the cost of the project and who was going to pay for it. 'There would be $200 million coming out of whose pocket?' she said. 'Whose pocket would it be coming out of?' Rahman favors the data center because she believes the project would provide more of what the city desperately needs, and that's quality jobs for its residents. 'The data center will bring hundreds of jobs and opportunities to Niagara Falls,' she said. For the city to be successful, local realtor Noah Munoz said it must embrace reinvention on multiple fronts. He also declined to fully commit to supporting Centennial Park without seeing the results of the feasibility study first and questioned the legitimacy of the data center given NFR's track record in the Falls. 'NFR has made many promises and they have made many many deals with many mayors and they have not come true,' he said. Incumbent Councilman Donta Myles has opposed any city investment in Restaino's arena since the project was first announced in 2021. During Tuesday's forum, he said his stance has not changed because little has changed about one his main concerns — the source of funding for the $200 million project. 'I've been about 'show me the money',' he said. 'I've asked very detailed questions. I would ask $200 million, where's that coming from? Do you have any public or private sector investment? Who's going to pay that $200 million? That's us, pretty much.' Donta Myles said he's also worried that a city-built arena won't be able to compete with other entertainment venues across the region, citing KeyBank Center in Buffalo, Artpark in Lewiston and the Seneca Niagara Casino in the Falls as examples. 'How are we competing with them?' he said. The six candidates are vying for three open slots as the Democratic council candidates who will appear on the ballot for the November general election. The three top vote-getters in the primary will face three Republican candidates, including incumbent Councilman David Zajac, former Falls lawmaker Vincent Cauley and political newcomer Tanya Barone in the general election. Former Falls Councilman John Accardo has also qualified to appear on the general election ballot for city council as a Conservative Party candidate. Residents who are registered as Democrats in the City of Niagara Falls are eligible to vote in the Democratic primary. Early voting is now open. Primary election day is Tuesday.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democratic city council forum on June 17
In the lead-up to the June 24 primary election, the Niagara Gazette and Niagara Falls NAACP are hosting a forum for the Democratic candidates in the Niagara Falls City Council race. The forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17 at Bloneva Bond Primary School, 2513 Niagara St. The six Democratic candidates for council have been invited and include: • John Kinney Jr. • Michia Lee • Noah Munoz • Bridgette Myles • Donta Myles • Sylvana Rahman. Munoz, Kinney and Bridgette Myles have received backing from both the city and county Democrats. There are three open seats on the city council this election cycle. Candidates in attendance at June 17's forum will be questioned by representatives from the debate partners. There are currently no plans to take questions from the audience during the forum. City residents are urged to send in their questions prior to the event to Gazette managing editor Matt Winterhalter at The forum is expected to last from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crowded field for Falls City Council race this year
It's going to be a crowded field for open seats on the Niagara Falls City Council this year. The Niagara County Board of Elections confirmed this week that a total of nine candidates have qualified for ballot placement — six Democrats and three Republicans. On the Democratic side, the list includes the three candidates endorsed by the party's county committee, including local realtor Noah Munoz, former city employee Bridgette Myles and former city Department of Public Works director John Kinney Jr. The non-endorsed Democrats include incumbent Falls Councilman Donta Myles and residents Michia Lee and Sylvana Rahman. Munoz, Kinney and Bridgette Myles received backing from the county Democrats earlier this year after they passed on endorsing incumbent Donta Myles who has clashed, at times publicly, with Mayor Robert Restaino, who is a long-time member of the Democratic Party committee. The trio of Republican candidates have all been endorsed by the local GOP committee and include incumbent city lawmaker David Zajac, former Falls councilman Vincent Cauley and local realtor Tanya Barone. All nine candidates are vying to secure one of three open seats on the city council this year. The terms of Donta Myles and Zajac come to a close at the end of the year. The council seat currently held by incumbent Republican lawmaker Traci Bax Bax is also up this year. Unlike Donta Myles and Zajac, Bax decided not to seek reelection this year.
