• CHEER: For those wondering about the Hotel Live! project set to transforma shuttered Howard Johnson on Main Street into a unique, rocking attraction, we received some good news this week. Construction on the attraction next to the Live on Air Fallsview Balloon Ride is expected to begin this summer. The developers appeared before the Niagara Falls Planning Board on Wednesday night to provide a preview of their plans, after formally filing a site plan proposal with the city last week. They said most of the existing hotel space will remain intact. A former two-story swimming pool area is being demolished and replaced with a 4,700-square-foot, five-story addition that will largely house a restaurant, bar, rooftop patio and live concert space. The developers have promised a hotel experience with each floor themed to a different music genre. It’ll be the first of its kind in the world. Sounds like quite the attraction.
• CHEER: The Niagara Falls City School District recently announced that the Garman Family Foundation is providing $50,000 to implement the Read to Succeed Program. It recruits people ages 50 and older to read and mentor 1st through 3rd grade students who are below their grade level in reading. “The basic reading and social skills that students learn from their one-on-one sessions with a trained adult set them on a path for continued academic growth and success,” Read to Succeed Executive Director Anne Ryan said. The district had sought volunteers for Bloneva Bond and Henry Kalfas elementary schools this past spring. The program is now expected to expand to the other elementary schools. They say it takes a village …
• CHEER: The State Thruway Authority is looking to make improvements along the 570-mile thruway system. Particularly when it comes to safety. A first-of-its-kind statewide safety action plan is now being developed that will examine crash patterns, identify high-risk locations, evaluate safety protocols and design practices, and recommend strategies that protect travelers, employees, commercial drivers and emergency responders alike. Do you have some thoughts on thruway safety? They’re looking for feedback to help shape the plan. A pop‑up outreach event is planned for the Thruway Welcome Center on Grand Island at a later date. For more information, visit: thruwaysafety.org.
• JEER: Here we go again. The region is losing another big retail outlet. This time it’s Macy’s, which remained open despite the fact that the Boulevard Mall in Amherst has pretty much closed all around it. The store is one of 14 locations across the country shutting its doors during the first quarter of this year. Clearance sales, when they start, will run for approximately 10 weeks. If you’re a big Macy’s fan, there’s still a location at the Walden Galleria Mall. The closing is also another sad reminder of how far the Boulevard Mall has fallen in the past few years. It’s still currently home to a JCPenney and Dick’s Sporting Goods, but with the Dick’s House of Sport opening later this year down the road (near the Target plaza in Amherst), it’s hard to imagine that will be sticking around for long.