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Dunkirk resident Gary Frederickson renewed his call for a community recreation center, and criticized some of the suggestions for Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) money, at the recent Common Council meeting.
"I think it was about three months ago I brought up an idea at this council of building a rec center, that would benefit Dunkirk, Fredonia, Brocton, Silver Creek, all the communities around us," he said. "They would bring in probably thousands of people, at least, on a daily basis if not more than that one day -- and it would benefit people."
Frederickson said he was told the city's $10 million DRI award from the state couldn't be used for a recreational center.
"I don't understand how that doesn't help to revitalize downtown," he said, going on to criticize some of the projects that made a local steering committee's suggestion list.
"Some of the projects that I saw in there didn't make any sense," Frederickson said. "We're gonna reopen Aida's Cafe, which I don't see how that benefits anybody downtown or brings any people into town that aren't already here. We have dozens of restaurants here already, do we really need another one?"
He added, "Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm misreading that, but it seemed like all that money was going to private businesses." In fact, many of the proposals would benefit privately owned businesses -- but several, such as the Memorial Park amphitheater proposal and the Jamestown Community College workforce training center, would help public entities.
Frederickson said private businesses should use their own money to remodel, reorganize and upgrade. Meanwhile, the DRI funding "could be used for projects that actually would benefit downtown. I think the Adams Art Gallery for youth program is a great idea."
Councilman James Stoyle asked Vince DeJoy, city planning and development director and a member of the local DRI committee, if any sponsors were brought forward for a rec center in the DRI program. DeJoy said no.
"My concept of it was … a full service rec center. Have a daycare area for people that have kids, who wanna do a workout," Frederickson said.
Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak said, "I actually totally agree. We do need that. We do need an area where the poorer kids can walk to, and safe enough for everyone to park." She said the YMCA built a rec center in Olean and she invited the organization to do something similar in Dunkirk.
"The YMCA, we did have one here and it went belly up, by the plaza area," Councilperson Nancy Nichols said. "It was not utilized. So we tried that venture at one point."
"But I think things are different a little bit now than it was in the '70s around here," Frederickson replied.
"Maybe," said Nichols.