City officials are looking ahead to summer as they try to rebuild revenues from operations at the Erie Basin Marina in downtown Buffalo.
There are requests for proposals (RFP's) out for operation of the Marina and the boat dock store and a separate proposal for operation of The Hatch restaurant. Both were formerly operated by Brand-On Services but the vendor was fired amidst claims there was a lot of money owed to the city.
Comptroller Mark Schroeder pegs that number at $400,000.
"We actually stood up. This office stood up. We sent the invoice to Brand-On Services. That's never been done before. It's usually not the responsibility of the comptroller," Schroeder told WBFO News.
"We were not going to allow an inferior vendor who cheats the citizens of Buffalo to continue and so at the end of the day, we actually had our way."
Schroeder says he worked with city officials in the Brown Administration. to ensure more protections for the city in the RFPs. At the same time, he knows there is a rush to get the contracts awarded because The Hatch is slated to get a million-dollar renovation and expansion.
