Mayor Paul Dyster says Niagara Falls' years of effort in economic development is showing up across his city. That was the central theme of his State of the City message Thursday evening.
The mayor says conditions are improving, from fewer gun crimes to tourism so strong it's creating parking problems downtown, which he says is a good problem to deal with.
"We will continue to work with Council in hope a parking system can be deployed in the 2016 tourist season," Dyster said.
Dyster cites projects like Tulip Molded Plastics which is staying in town and moving into a new plant, flanked by new housing. The mayor says a major goal is to ensure the benefits of improvement are spread across all segments of the city population.
Dyster cites construction of new hotels and more restaurants as a spinoff of those rising tourist numbers.
"We may be a little bit behind Buffalo but the downtown revitalization, especially, is impossible to miss. That's why this is the right time for us to consider the measures that we need to take to make certain the benefits of this economic recovery reach every neighborhood," he said.
The mayor says a system of grants and low-interest loans has leveraged millions in development of small business as well as retaining jobs and adding more.
Dyster said one thing that everyone living and working in the city and those looking to visit the city will see is a new website.
