COMMUNITY OBJECTIVE to MAGNIFY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YEAH!

Adobe PDF version of petition  |   Postcard handout

Once again the Buffalo-Niagara community has a chance to possess the National Comedy Hall of Fame (NCHOF) to help in turning this area’s economy around through tourism. The COMMUNITY OBJECTIVE to MAGNIFY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, Yeah! (COMEDY) Niagara Falls grassroots effort will focus on convincing our policy-makers to move forward with this project and to use this project as a springboard to attract and build on its momentum.

Ten years ago, the NCHOF project was proposed to Erie County but was turned down due to lack of funding. Today, New York State has been allocated approximately $1 billion to fund economic development projects based on the regional needs identified by local economic drivers. Business plans, applications and job creation projections have been created and presented to the Empire State Development’s (ESD) Western Region principals for review and ultimately, a decision. The NCHOF owner has spent tens of thousands of dollars to provide these cost projections and artist’s renderings for the ESD’s consideration. 

This project began one year ago when the City of Niagara Falls approached the NCHOF. Five months ago a meeting was held in May 2011 with New York State Senators George Maziarz and Mark Grisanti along with New York State Assemblyman, John Ceretto and Niagara Falls Mayor, Paul Dyster to present the project to these gentlemen. Since that time, the following actions have been taken:

  • July 25, 2011 – a letter from Senators Maziarz and Grisanti along with Assmeblymen Ceretto and Robin Schmminger was sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo supporting the National Comedy Hall of Fame project for Niagara Falls, NY.
  • August 8, 2011 – a letter from Gov. Cuomo to Sen. Maziarz stating he is turning the project over to Ken Adams, the head of the NYS Empire State Development.
  • August 17, 2011 – an email was received from Jim Seymour, the Project Manager at the Empire State Development Corporation to COMEDY Niagara Falls stating that they have requested additional information from the principals at the NCHOF. This request was fulfilled for the requested information.
  • September 20, 2011 – Sam Hoyt, the regional president for the Empire State Development Corp. introduces himself to COMEDY Niagara Falls as the point person at the ESD for the NCHOF project.
  • October 3, 2011 – COMEDY Niagara Falls reps attended the WNY Regional Council’s workshop on the New York State Consolidated Funding Application. The application for the NCHOF project was filed weeks before the October 31 deadline.

All this activity and one might expect some decision to be made however, the silence has been deafening.

Ten years ago, a similar community grassroots effort called Buffalo Laffs, championed a campaign to bring the NCHOF to Buffalo. As a result of that effort, the merry band of volunteers were able to obtain close to 5,500 signatures on petitions. These were gathered at the Taste of Buffalo, National Wing Festival, Thursday at the Square, Niagara Falls Air Show and other community events. The opportunity to present the petitions to The County Executive never happened.

It looks like another grassroots effort is in order! Or do people need to “Occupy Niagara Falls” to convince the decision makers who hold the “purse strings” to quit stalling and do the right thing to make Niagara Falls, NY the home of The National Comedy Hall of Fame. Why do we want it? Because we deserve it!

  • This is an attraction that will appeal to a universal audience. Everyone loves to laugh and laughter transcends all boundaries; race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age and political views.
  • 8 million visitors come to Niagara Falls annually. An attraction like the NCHOF will give tourists pause to stay and spend their dollars at a national attraction.
  • Niagara Falls is in the center of major population demographics: 3 hours from Cleveland and Pittsburgh and 90 minutes from Toronto with a population of approximately 2.5 million people and that’s just within the Greater Toronto area. Hamilton, Burlington, Ottawa….all within a day’s car ride.
  • Comedy has been around since the day of court jesters and it will continue long into the future. Memorabilia, audio, video, movies, will always be available as long as “Comedy is King.”
  • The Buffalo-Niagara area has long been the brunt of jokes, why not turn the “lemons into lemonade” and let us have the last laugh on the rest of the country?


Please sign the online petition to encourage/cajole our political and economic decision makers to begin an economic revival in Niagara Falls by approving The National Comedy Hall of Fame project.