Buffalo News Reports on the Ice Arena Proposal!

Our recreation Advisory Board letter sent to the Buffalo News has finally hit the print. It was short but sweet and said we need more info! I think I have beaten that horse to death. Without specific financial info on this proposal that was requested more than a year ago, I can’t support the project. We asked for three very big things that were never given to us.

We asked for a risk – benefit analysis over the feasibility that this project will generate enough revenue to keep Leaping Sports in business for the life of the contract, it was never done.

Second we asked for the terms of the personal guarantee that Leaping Sports has said they are giving on the project. They claim that they will cover the cost of everything for seven years, however, to date we haven’t seen a single thing in writing as a guarantee.

Third we asked for the town to explain to us how this project fits into the towns Master Plan for growth of our community. Some would say that is a no-brainer but in reality it has very specific consequences when dealing with the public on other ventures. If we allow the town to pick up the pieces of a failed Leaping Sports, then who is to say the town isn’t legally responsible to do the same for other businesses. It’s a slippery slope and we just want to be sure we are safe with our towns Master Plan before we go ahead.

We also wanted detailed, specific, itemized financial data of what the town would be on the hook for is this project fails. What would be the tax increase to our residents be at any specific point in the contract? Once again, silence.

As of today, all three of these have never been addressed.

Without this information, I can’t support the project at this time. I think we are risking a 10%+ tax increase if this fails or at the very least, we are risking this project turning into another Pepsi Center. Are you willing to take that risk?

 

Privatization of Hamburg ice rink goes to voters

By Barbara O’Brien

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

 

Hamburg voters get their say Tuesday on the proposed privatization of the town ice rink.

Registered voters from the town and the villages of Blasdell and Hamburg can cast their ballots for or against the town’s entering into a long-term lease management agreement to construct a second rink and field house and to operate the Nike Base ice arena.

Reaction to the $10 million to $12 million proposal from Leaping Sports Mangement has been mixed and has generated letters and political advertisements — pro and con — in the local paper.

While the Town Board voted unanimously to have a referendum, the Recreation Advisory Board is against putting the issue to a vote at this time.

“We are unanimously against it in its current state,” advisory board Chairman Patrick Sullivan said.

The board would like feasibility studies and market research, details about financing and the cost to taxpayers if the project fails, as well as data on the current cost of the rink at the Nike Base, Sullivan said in a letter to Supervisor Steven J. Walters.

“None of our members is opposed to the concept of new and/or improved recreational facilities. We are, however, unanimously opposed to moving forward to a referendum without badly needed, previously requested information,” Sullivan wrote.

Some say the rink does not lose money, as a town information sheet maintains. The current ice rink on Lake View Road loses money, Walters said, when the cost of operation is included. If just the costs to the Recreation Department are included, the rink makes money, he said.

Walters said much of the information requested by the advisory board was given out at Wednesday’s meeting, and the town is waiting for reports from two consultants reviewing the proposed operations and plans.

Voting is from 7 a. m. to 9 p. m. at: Woodlawn Fire Hall, 3281 Lake Shore Road; Lake Shore Fire Hall, 4591 Lake Shore Road; Lake View Fire Station No. 1, 2005 Lake View Road; and Town Hall, 6100 South Park Ave.

bobrien@buffnews.com