Niagara Falls council approves settlement for data center
The Niagara Falls City Council has approved a settlement in a long-standing land dispute with Niagara Falls Redevelopment, LLC. This agreement paves the way for the city to develop an event center on one parcel, while also facilitating a planned unit development for a nearby 'Niagara Digital Campus' data center. Residents raised environmental and noise concerns regarding the potential data center during a council meeting.
The Niagara Falls City Council has approved a settlement with Niagara Falls Redevelopment, LLC, resolving long-standing land disputes. The agreement, passed with one dissenting vote, involves the city paying $4 million for a 10-acre parcel at the corner of 10th and Falls Street, which Mayor Robert Restaino plans to develop into a $210 million event center as part of a larger Centennial Park project.
Simultaneously, the city will amend zoning to establish a Planned Unit Development (PUD) in a nearby area, specifically for the "Niagara Digital Campus." This PUD is tied to the land owner's ability to develop, suggesting Niagara Falls Redevelopment, LLC is involved in this aspect of the project. During the city council meeting, residents voiced concerns about the potential data center, citing environmental health and noise impacts, and questioning the speed of the decision-making process. Mayor Restaino clarified that the vote was for the land dispute settlement, not a direct approval of the data center itself, but the settlement grants the other party the ability to pursue the PUD.