Plans
to put a $500 million hotel and casino at MidtownPlaza and the SibleyBuilding are barreling
ahead, with many local leaders unsure of their role in the proceedings. But
word that nobody locally can have a say in the development may be inaccurate.
Officials of Wilmorite (owner of the
SibleyBuilding and several
Rochester-area suburban malls) have been negotiating with Governor George
Pataki and the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma on a deal that would rebuild MidtownPlaza as a casino
and create a hotel across Main Street in the SibleyBuilding, removing
both properties from the tax rolls.
The State Legislature may act on the
deal sometime this summer, and some local officials had been afraid there would
be no chance for public input. But early this week, State Assemblymember Joe
Morelle and Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson said they believe there’ll be two
opportunities for Rochester’s voice to be
heard:
• Pataki’s deal with the tribe will
have to be approved by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. As part of that
process, says Morelle, Pataki will have to prove that the development would not
be harmful to the city, which will require input from the mayor.
• Whatever compact is drawn between
the state and the tribe will have to be approved by both the state Assembly and
Senate.
If the plan passes those hurdles,
the tribe could embark on a private real-estate transaction with the owners of
Midtown and Sibley. And, despite the project’s huge impact on downtown, “these
talks are going on without much involvement by the city,” says Rochester Mayor
Bill Johnson.
City officials are trying to
determine what role they might play. Johnson says the city’s Albany lobbyist has
been asking the Pataki administration for information about the negotiations.
“He’s not getting anywhere,” Johnson said early this week.
“Putting the issue of gambling
aside,” said Johnson, “everybody ought to be outraged that this is taking place
in absolute secrecy. This is not about casino gambling. It’s about local
rights.”
Johnson says he is convinced that “a
casino is not appropriate for downtown Rochester.” And his
displeasure extends to Wilmorite Chairman Tom Wilmot, whose company owes the
city more than $13 million in taxes, delinquent loans, and late fees on the SibleyBuilding. (See the City Newspaper story “Big Debt
Downtown,” at www.rochester-citynews.com; search for “Wilmorite.”)
“He indicated he committed $10
million [to the tribe],” Johnson says. “I would’ve viewed him in a
much different light if he had sent us some of that money instead of
bankrolling a casino.”
City officials are continuing to try
to get information on the project and to argue for public input, Johnson said,
and the city plans to hold public forums.
Public comment is crucial, Johnson
said, and it needs to come quickly. There’ll be little point in commenting
after the deal is approved, he said, and the legislature could be called back
into session at any time.
This article appears in Jun 23-29, 2004.
