Members of the Clarence Bulldogs take the ice this evening at 6 p.m. The team is the first to use the new arena for its intended purpose. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP PHOTOGRAPHER)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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The scoreboard is up and the ice is ready.

After a thin layer of ice and white paint were put on the northernmost hockey rink at Cornerstone CFCU Arena over the weekend, the sponsor's logos were added. Then several more layers of ice.

It looked great, but it was still missing something — until tonight. Tonight the first local hockey teams got a chance to try don skates and try out the ice in the newest ice rink in Western New York.

First up: The Clarence Bulldogs. The team hit the ice at 6 p.m., breaking in the new ice, which has visible cracks in it. Bob Filighera, manager of the rink said the cracks are normal for new ice and as the ice gets used, they'll disappear.

The Lockport Express took the ice at 10 p.m., something head coach Frank Vecchio said he's been excited to do. The team has been practicing and playing home games at other area rinks. But now, Lockport is home. For real. The team's first game in Lockport is Oct. 18.

The southern rink, currently known as NHL Rink #2, is not yet completed but is coming along quickly. When it is finished, it will be the primary rink for the Bulldogs, while NHL Rink #1, known currently as the "Heinrich Rink" will be the primary home for the Express.

There's more photos of the ice at the arena here.

Sponsors' logos were laid down over the weekend.

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Lockport's Corporation Counsel, John Ottaviano also serves as the chairman of Lockport Ice Arena & Sports Center, Inc.

The Ice Arena board served the city with a notice of claim on Sept. 16, over cost overruns — reportedly more than $200,000 — and continued delays to the arena, caused by a leak in city water pipes near the arena. The leak has reportedly slowed, but has not yet ceased.

This afternoon, Ottaviano sent a letter to Lockport's Democratic Party Chairman Ed Tracey over the matter. The letter states that the city's new Ethics Committee had received a letter from Tracey suggesting a conflict of interest on Ottaviano's part for serving on a group that is suing the city, for which he serves as primary attorney.

Ottaviano's letter to Tracey states the he abstained from any and all decisions by the Ice Arena Board on whether to sue the city, and has recused himself from any involvement in the claim, instead letting the city's insurance carrier handle it.

Ottaviano's letter in full is below:

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The scoreboards might not be up yet, but the Cornerstone CFCU Arena is in overtime. Originally the arena was slated for a Sept. 19 opening date. Now officials are eyeing Oct. 7. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP PHOTOGRAPHER)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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Lockport Ice Arena Board VP Chuck Bell surveys the area from the roof of the arena earlier this week.

Lockport Ice Arena board members had hoped — and planned — that the arena would be open in time for the Lockport Express' first home game on Sept. 19.

Sept. 19 has come and gone and work on the arena continues. Seventy people working two shifts are putting up drywall, foamboard, and layers of dryfall. They're hanging hockey glass, putting up scoreboards and laying mats in the locker rooms. They show up en masse in the morning and some stay until late evening. They're inching closer to completion of the $14 million arena.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed that we couldn't get it skateable for the Express in time," said Lockport Ice Arena Board VP Chuck Bell.

The new Jr. A hockey team was to open the season with a three-game home stand last weekend. Instead, they played the games in Batavia, where they went 2-1 at "home." Tonight, the Express plays another "home" game at Niagara University's Dwyer Arena. And next Saturday's home game has been moved to the other side of the county, as well.

The arena was designed with views in mind. Surrounded by glass, visitors will be able to see Lockport's historic buildings.

Still, Express Head Coach and GM Frank Vecchio understands that delays happen.

"I speak with (arena general manager) Bob Filighera and (arena operator) Jim Cain almost daily regarding the rink," Vecchio said. "Although the process has been very frustrating at times, we feel the facility will be top notch and are trying to focus on the positive aspects of this process as much as possible."

Assuming next Saturday's game is the last one played at Dwyer — the Cornerstone Arena website now calls for an Oct. 7 opening — the Express will have played five home games outside of Lockport.

Still, there's plenty of hockey to play. In fact there would still be 11 home games played at Cornerstone, not counting post-season play. And the Express has three scheduled practices a week at their home ice through the month of February.

Hurry up and wait

Bell said arena construction has been hurried — and subsequently more expensive — in order to try to get it open this fall. Without weekend work and overtime shifts, the arena wouldn't have been ready at all for this hockey season.

Workers have been busy installing foam board, drywall and more at the arena, 34 Chestnut St.

Construction has also been delayed by forces outside the arena's and the contractor's control. Earlier this year, the project was delayed while the City of Lockport attempted to find a major water leak near the site. The water in the ground below the site has added costs — reportedly more than $200,000 — and continued delays to the arena. The leak has reportedly slowed, but has not yet ceased.

That leak is the source of a notice of claim filed against the city on Sept. 16. The notice, a warning that a lawsuit could be coming, was forwarded to the city's attorney, John Ottaviano — who also serves as president of the Lockport Ice Arena board.

Bell, who also serves as the city's economic development director, brushed off the delay, though. "The only thing that matters on timing is keeping the user groups happy."

Vecchio, while not saying he was unhappy, will surely be happier once the Express get to play hockey in the Lockport arena.

"We have several fun promotions planned for our fans once we get in the new arena in Lockport," Vecchio said. "But it's difficult to run them at different rinks so we look forward to bringing entertainment to our fan base in the new arena soon."

He said he's had his spirits bouyed by how helpful the hockey community has been with their situation.

"I will say that Larry Brzeczkowski, the rink manager and ACHA D1 coach at Niagara has been extremely helpful and accommodating for our program as we have had to scramble a bit for ice with the delays," he said. "John Nichols, president of Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles Hockey has also been very helpful and we sincerely appreciate their efforts to accommodate us with ice. It has not been easy but those guys have been great."

Wait ... user groups? 

Rink 1 looks like it's nearly ready for hockey but arena amenities are still coming together.

The Express is not the only organization set to use the new arena on the regular.

The Clarence Mustangs, a youth hockey organization with hockey teams for nine age/ability groups, will call Cornerstone Arena home when it it completed.

The arena also has adult and youth leagues scheduled, as well as a weekly slot available for pick-up games on Friday nights. Additionally, there's learn-to-skate programs and open skating planned for the arena, not to mention tournaments.

RELATED:

• More photos taken this week of the arena
• Smooth skating ahead?: Officials optimistic about economic development
• Arena photos from July
• Ice arena looks for fundraising assist
• Lockport arena to be "Cornerstone CFCU Arena"

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Jim Sullivan of Lockport was named executive director of the Cornerstone CFCU arena today. The arena is expected to be ready for use in a month. (HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP FILE PHOTO)

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Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center, Inc. appointed Jim Sullivan to serve as executive director of Cornerstone CFCU Arena today.

“We are very pleased that Jim has agreed to accept this key position,” said John Ottaviano, president of the LIASC Board. “Jim’s long and successful track record in the community makes him the ideal candidate to ensure that Cornerstone CFCU Arena realizes its full potential in the greater Lockport region.” The Executive Director is currently a part-time position.

Sullivan, a Lockport High School Class of 1966 graduate and LHS Athletic Hall of Famer, has been involved in the community in a number of different roles since the 1970s. Prior to his retirement in 2011, he served as Assistant Director of Community Development for the City of Lockport, Project Manager for the Erie County IDA, and most recently as Director of Community Development in the City of North Tonawanda and Executive Director of Lumber City Development Corporation. His most notable projects were the rehabilitation of the Washington Hunt Law Office in Lockport and the development of Pilot Field in downtown Buffalo.

Sullivan has served as a member of the LIASC Board for the past three years and has now accepted his new role as executive director.

Reflecting upon his new role, Sullivan said, “It has surprised me as much as just about everyone else that I have found myself out of retirement and back in the game. This project is going to be a game changer for downtown Lockport. I am very proud to be a part of it.”

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Lockport Ice Arena Vice Chairman Chuck Bell discusses the construction progress on the arena — and the development progress it could mean to Lockport. The arena is expected to be ready for hockey by mid-September. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP PHOTOGRAPHER)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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Workers toil away on Rink 1, while in the background the F&M building can be seen. Economic development from the arena is expected to pour over into the area surrounding it.

When it was announced nearly a decade ago that Lockport's former Twin Fair/Sears/Jubilee was to become a world-class ice arena, skeptics had their doubts — and reasonably so. After all, it wasn't the first pie-in-the-sky idea to be floated around the city.

Tales of soon-to-be built hotels, supermarkets, chain restaurants — even a downtown Walmart — had been heard before. Officials had quietly championed a "guaranteed" project that promised to turn Building 3 of what was then called Commerce Square (now Harrison Place) into a Christmas-themed tourist destination. That never panned out either.

Nearly a decade later, though, downtown Lockport is a very different scene. There's life on Canal Street — called Richmond Avenue back then — in the form of Lake Effect Ice Cream, Sweet Rides, and the weekly Community Market. What was then a vacant piece of land snidely referred to as "the South Block" was re-branded as "80 Main Street," and is now home to the Ulrich City Center. And that ice arena no one ever thought was going to materialize, is inching closer to completion each day.

The ice arena, re-branded itself recently as Cornerstone Arena, may have a more fitting name than even the credit union board of directors had intended. It could truly serve as a cornerstone for future economic development in Lockport, city and town alike.

Steel beams will eventually hold a flooring where spectators can watch hockey, figure skating, or  any number of other events.

While hesitant to give details, Director of Community Development Chuck Bell said developers haven't been shy about their interest in downtown Lockport.

"I don't think that there's a question that there's a renewed interest in the immediate area," Bell said.

The new arena is expected to bring as many as 150,000 people to Lockport annually.

"All of those people are going to need places to stay, places to eat, places to shop, and things to do when their kids aren't on the ice," said Heather Peck, program manager for Lockport Main Street, Inc.

The economic development numbers, including the 150,000 spectators figure, is largely based on a similar ice arena that was built in Jamestown in 2002. Since it was opened, three new hotels have been built in the area surrounding it, Bell said.

"We actually have better demographics (than Jamestown) in terms of population center," Bell said.

Hotels and chain restaurants don't sound so pie-in-the-sky anymore. In fact, Bell says he has talked to developers who have inquired about hotels and restaurants in the vicinity of 34 Chestnut St., where the arena is located.

And more than that, he says, "A lot of property owners are recalculating what their properties are worth." Long vacant storefronts and buildings could see new life — in large part due to the arena.

The building is mostly enclosed now, meaning workers can move forward  even in inclement weather.

"I think people are really hopeful," Peck said. "The word I hear (from downtown business owners) is 'transformational.' "

Doug Zimmerman, owner of Zimmie's Tires, 1 Niagara St., said he's hopeful that private industry will begin to invest in the downtown area.

"There's no one more than me that would like to see the city do well," he said.

Zimmerman is so firm in his commitment to the city that he recently bought 51 Canal St., home of Sweet Ride Rentals, to build his new home. The second and third story of the building, with a beautiful view of the locks, should be completed in a couple months, he said.

"It's gorgeous down here," he said.

His new home will move him from the Town of Lockport to the city, but that's not an indication of the city pilfering residents or businesses from the town. In fact, Town of Lockport Supervisor Marc Smith says the city and town have developed a great working relationship.

Brian Smith, GLDC vice president of business development, and Lockport Ice enthusiast, looks over plans for the soon-to-be-completed arena.

Bell and David Kinyon, director of the town Industrial Development Agency, work closely together, Smith said, often passing tips on to one another concerning interested businesses.

Additionally, Smith said, the town had looked into whether hotels were needed on South Transit Road, and decided not to pursue any hoteliers when their research indicated that any new hotels would be a drain on city hotels.

Now, however, the town might want to look into hotels on Transit Road. Just as the city is doing downtown. And just as the city is anticipating increased economic development due to the arena, so is the town.

"It all works together," Smith said. "One of the things we're learning from property owners on Transit Road is that all of the entertainment venues are important."

Entertainment venues like the arena, which is expected to have "skatable ice" in September, although project officials admit that work will continue on the project even after the building is opened.

While arena construction suffered a couple delays, it has mostly been on course. And contingencies are built in to allow for second-shift construction if it becomes necessary for completion of the $14 million project by the mid-September deadline.

Funding for the project has come in the form of large chunks and small bits. It started with a $4 million grant from the Grigg-Lewis Foundation — Lockport's go-to source for charitable and community funding. Another $1 million came from the state's Regional Economic Development Council. The announcement on July 9 that Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union had signed a 12-year deal for naming rights largely nearly completed the funding, although the sum of the deal was not disclosed.

Still, Lockport Ice is looking for about $2 million in funding, which will be secured through other deals and a community outreach program asking for donations online, according to John Ottaviano, who serves as both the City of Lockport's corporation counsel and chairman of the ice arena board. Bell serves as vice chairman. Other board members include Tate Pitrello, Patrick Kilcullen, Jim Sullivan, Hank Schmidt, Mike White, Todd Sukdolak, and Patricia Barry. Greater Lockport Development Vice President of Business Development Brian Smith is expected to join the board soon.

Notwithstanding the funding gap, the project progresses. Just a few short months ago, excavators were digging out what would become the foundation. Today, workers inside the partly enclosed building are working on the pipework that will keep the ice chilled on the twin rinks.

When it's completed, the arena will house a pair of NHL-sized ice rinks and seating for 630. Both rinks have been built to allow for sled hockey, something organizers are proud of. Rink 1 is expected to be ice all-year long, while Rink 2 may be used for other purposes. Either rink is capable of being covered, however, in order to house non-ice-related events. The arena will also house 7,000 square feet of retail space, including food service, a performance training center and a community room.

In January, the arena is slated to host its first tournament. The Lockport that those people arrive at may very well be a different Lockport than many local residents have ever known.

Work is being done on what will be the ice arena's skating surfaces. Many think that the arena is an indication that there's smooth skating ahead for the area's economy.

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There's more East Niagara Post photos of the arena available here.

John Ottaviano, chairman of the Lockport Ice Arena & Sports Center Inc., announces this morning that Cornerstone CFCU has signed a 12-year-deal for naming rights of Lockport's new ice arena. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / CONTRIBUTOR)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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Public officials, Cornerstone board members and youth hockey players pose for a photo after this morning's announcement.

Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union has secured a 12-year-deal for the naming rights to the Lockport ice arena, it was announced this morning at a press conference in front of the arena.

The agreement includes exclusive exterior facility naming rights, interior and exterior signage, on-site ATM presence, and use of the facility for select Cornerstone member nights. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Lockport Mayor Anne McCaffrey said the city is "on the cusp of a renaissance" and that the arena will be a big part of it, having an impact on local business development and bed tax revenues.

"The impact of the arena will be significant for years to come," she said this morning.

Dave Nemi, chairman of the Cornerstone board of directors, said "The Cornerstone CFCU Arena will be a lasting community resource that will anchor the ongoing birth of the Erie Canal corridor in downtown Lockport and improve the lives of the residents throughout Niagara County for decades to come."

Cornerstone CFCU Arena is expected to open in September.

The 93,500 square-foot facility on the corner of Chestnut and Market streets is expected to be completed in September. It will feature two NHL regulatation-size rinks, a pro shop, a performance training center, and seating for 630 spectators. In addition to competitive hockey, the facility will be used for training, figure skating, open skate, and opportunities for those with physical or developmental disabilities and special needs. The rinks will be equipped to accomodate sled hockey.

"The Cornerstone CFCU Arena is not solely a sports facility," said John Ottaviano, chairman of Lockport Ice Arena & Sports Center, Inc. "It is a community resource that will combat juvenile delinquency and the deterioration of our neighborhoods, promote social welfare and physical fitness, lessen the burdens of government, and help foster good sportsmanship."

A tournament planned for February is expected to draw people from not only Western New York, but neighboring states and Canada.

 "We anticipate that Cornerstone Arena will draw 150,000 visitors to Lockport in a year," said A. Angelo DiMillo, vice-chairman of the board for Cornerstone CFCU.

Chuck Bell, the city's director of economic development, echoed McCaffrey's statement that the arena will have a positive impact on the city, particularly the areas closest to the arena itself.

An artists rendering now includes the logo for the newly named Cornerstone CFCU Arena.  (CONTRIBUTED ART)

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The Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center is going full throttle towards a fall opening.

With $11 million raised of the total $13 million needed to complete the project, project organizers have turned to the community at large to "make an assist" to finish the funding on the project.

Organizers ask that people visit lockportice.org/get-involved to contribute. Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center is a not-for-profit 501 ( c) (3), meaning contributions could be tax deductible.

Ice Arena Board Chairman John Ottaviano said Wednesday that a large portion of that $2 million will be contributed by corporations and other benefactors. Part of it will also come as part of a major naming rights agreement that will be announced on Wednesday.

However, Ottaviano said, the board wants community involvement, saying the donate button on the website is "for community spirit and to let the public get involved."

Once completed, the facility will have two NHL-sized ice rinks, spectator seating for 630 people, a performance training center, community room, and 7,000 square feet of retail space, including food service.

Organizers expect that the arena will bring 150,000 people to downtown Lockport annually and require 4,000 hotel room stays annually.

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The US sled hockey team poses for a photo with President Barack Obama after returning home from the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Two of the team's members will serve as honorary co-chairs for the Lockport Ice Arena fundraising campaign. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

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The Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center, has named two honorary co-chairs to its capital campaign effort in the form of gold-medal-winning Olympians.

Adam Page

Adam Page and Paul Schaus recently returned home to Western New York from the Olympic winter games in Sochi, Russia. Page and Schaus, along with their team mates, each earned a gold medal in a fiercely fought sled hockey series. For their outstanding achievement, the entire team was recently recognized by President Barack Obama and the First Lady at a special White House ceremony.

Lockport Ice Arena board chair, John J. Ottaviano, is campaign chair for a $2 million capital drive to support construction of a $13 million not-for-profit ice arena and sports center in downtown Lockport.

“Adam and Paul are outstanding young men who have honored the entire nation, and now bring honor to Lockport and all of Western New York as they return home” said Ottaviano. “Through enormous dedication and hard work, they have each overcome significant physical challenges to become paralympic gold medalists. They are an inspiration to all of us as we continue work to bring a new ice arena to the Greater Lockport area.”

Page, 22, was born with spina bifida. Beginning at the age of 6, he spent many years perfecting the skills of a sled hockey competitor. He has been a member of the Buffalo Sabres sled hockey club team since 1999. In addition to his most recent accomplishment, Page brought home a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver paralympic winter games, and is a four-time medalist in both the Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship and the IPC World Sledge Hockey Challenge. He plays forward position. He is a senior majoring in sports management at Medaille.

Paul Schaus

Schaus, 25, is a bilateral, above-the-knee amputee after being injured in 2009 by an improvised explosive device while serving in the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan. He helped Team USA win two of three games vs. Canada in January. He contributed to Team USA’s second-place finish at the December 2013 World Sledge Hockey Challenge in Toronto, Ontario. He has been a member of the Buffalo Sabres sled hockey team since fall 2011. He also plays forward position.

Chuck Bell, vice chairman of the Lockport Ice Arena board, said, “We welcome the participation of all ages and abilities at the new ice arena. In fact, Adam and Paul are working with our achitects to fine-tune specifications that are most suitable for persons with disabilities.”

The Lockport Ice Arena and Sports Center is currently under construction on Chestnut Street. A September opening is targeted.

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East Niagara Post now publishes garage and yard sales.
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I can start to understand this feeling that we will never escape the winter we have had. First of all, we are waiting for yet another snowstorm to hit at some point this week. While I really hope this is the last snowstorm of the season, it is going to feel odd to have to shovel out my driveway so close to April 1st.

Secondly, the potholes. The potholes started dotting our roads in December and have gotten worse over time. This winter in Lockport has become the “winter of the potholes” and it is a horror story that is going to cost the city and its residents money before it is over.

Willow Street is completely gone. It took my wife and I over five minutes to drive two blocks on Willow Street and there was no traffic. That is going to need considerably more than a little patching work. I have driven around Western New York and I have seen what other people in other places are complaining about. No city or town I have seen has it nearly as bad as we have it here.

The city announced that there would be no concerts this summer. That announcement did not surprise me. What surprised me was the outrage that came with the announcement. Have you people driven around the city? Do you really want hordes of out-of-towners coming to Lockport with our roads the way they are? Not only are we inviting lawsuits that could bankrupt the city, but the Lockport reputation will take yet another series of hits that it may not recover from.

The best approach is to fix the roads and focus on a big grand opening for the ice rink. But I fear that the ice rink will be built before the roads can be fixed. There isn’t a road in Lockport that is without a pothole problem, and I am not exaggerating. My wife and I used to really like driving around Lockport on her days off just to see what was going on. During the spring and summer, we like to drive around to check out the yard and estate sales. Ain’t happening this year. I am not paying to have my car repaired because the roads are impassable.

I don’t think Widewaters will be able to open this spring either. This would be the first spring in a while where Lockport did not mark the arrival of better weather with the annual opening of the best burger joint in New York State. Maybe it will open, I don’t know. But it just seems like the one casualty from last year’s flood may never rise again, and that would be sad.

Snow, in and of itself, is fine. We all expect it anywhere from October to early March. But snow in late March and April starts to make the people around here antsy. I cannot remember the last time winter went this long. Thank God for global warming or winter may be going on indefinitely.

I would ask everyone to just relax and let spring show up, but I cannot be a hypocrite. I am just as anxious as you about this weather. I see snowflakes now and I get this tick in my neck that makes me look like I am suffering from an incurable disease. I can write the word snow, but I just cannot bring myself to say it anymore.

I love snow. I really do. But even snow starts to wear out its welcome at some point and that point has been reached. But even when the snow is gone, the potholes will be there to remind us of this winter. If all we do is patch the potholes this spring and summer, then we will have bigger road problems next year. These things tend to steamroll when not taken care of properly.

So, Happy Spring . . . I guess. The drive-in claims it will be open in the first part of April. I hope so. I would like to see at least one thing remind us all that winter does end. But, in this case, the nightmares will live on for a very long time.

Nick Oliver is a Niagara County resident who is pretty sick of winter. His column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at nickoliver@writeme.com.  Long live our pothole overlords.

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Construction continues on the Lockport Ice Arena despite the freezing cold temperatures.

Mulvey Construction of Lockport handled the tear-down of the old supermarket to make way for the Lockport Ice Arena, expected to be completed and open for business by mid-September.

The facility will have two NHL-sized ice rinks, spectator seating for 630 people, a performance training center, community room, and 7,000 square feet of retail space, including food service, once completed.

Organizers expect that the arena will bring 150,000 people to downtown Lockport annually and require 4,000 hotel room stays annually.

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PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER - Mulvey Construction works to tear down the former Jubilee to make way for the upcoming ice arena, which is scheduled to open in September.

The demolition of the former Jubilee (which had also prior been a Twin Fair and a Sears) at Chestnut and Market streets has picked up the pace.

Mulvey Construction of Lockport is handing the tear-down of the old supermarket to make way for the Lockport Ice Arena, expected to be completed and open for business by mid-September.

The facility will have two NHL-sized ice rinks, spectator seating for 630 people, a performance training center, community room, and 7,000 square feet of retail space, including food service, once completed.

The $13 million project has already secured $11 million in funding, including a recent $1 million grant from the the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, announced in December.

Organizers expect that the arena will bring 150,000 people to downtown Lockport annually and require 4,000 hotel room stays annually.

With a $2 million gap in funding, organizers are actively looking for donors, sponsors and those interesting in various naming rights.

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