Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Celebrates Opening of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center and Announces Additional Investments in Niagara Falls

What a great day this is. And I’m not just talking about the game. Yes, I’ll take it. Buffalo Bills blue, I’ll wear that every day. On the way over, I just realize all the excitement that is being captured here today. And to walk in, this is jaw droppingly beautiful, especially for those – who’s been here before to the Visitor Center? You know what I’m talking about. The facility we had here before may have served people back 35 years ago when it was built, but for those who had the vision 100 years ago to say this is a park that should be showcased to the world, I would have recommended that they use glass so you guys can actually see what we’re talking about here.

This is the place you showcase to the rest of the world what is out these doors. And so, I’m really excited to be here. And I think about crossing the Grand Island Bridge. You get a little nervous when you’re a kid. I have memories of crossing over and you always think to yourself, okay, if something happened and the car went off into the water at this very point, at this highest point, would we end up going over the Falls?

These are things, I thought about it just now, like reacting back when I was a kid. Okay, at what point can I make it over the Falls? So, growing up around here, it’s just part of our identity. And so, you go over the falls and you think about, you go over the bridge, you start seeing the mist in the distance and the water looks calm and looks peaceful and tranquil and then the mist gets a little closer and then the water starts churning and the rapids start, and you get right up near the edge and it’s so exhilarating. And there’s nothing like it on the entire planet and it’s a sign that there’s nothing on earth at all like this and we have something that is a treasure.

And as someone who grew up here, I knew the historic significance. I knew that there’s a story of the Indigenous peoples. In fact, today’s showcase on the first floor of the Governor’s Residence is a large painting of Niagara Falls with the Indigenous peoples looking at it with the same awe that we look at it today. So, I’m really proud of that. But it’s also just the landscapes that have been captured in so many photos and paintings and of course the waterfalls.

I just wanted to say as we welcome the world here and roll out our version of a welcome mat. How about this for a welcome mat? This is for the rest of the world. That’s our welcome mat. That’s what this is. This is to say welcome to the rest of the world.

And I want to, first of all, acknowledge Kim Hill, who’s the indigenous interpreter that we have from Tuscarora. I want to also thank Erik Kulleseid for your incredible vision. We’ve worked very closely together for a number of years here, and we always knew that this 100th anniversary was something we had to celebrate and to leave a legacy for the next 100 years. And I do believe this building does this. Hope Knight, Empire State Development CEO and President, I want to thank her for her leadership here. Welcome, you’re here so often, we’re starting to feel like you’re a local. Of course, no one’s more local than my two commissioners. DMV Commissioner, Mark Schroeder and Tim Hogues, our Civil Service Commissioner. Let’s give them a round of applause and welcome them.

Partners in Albany are always great to have. I want to thank Senator Robert Ortt and Angelo Morinellofrom the Assembly for representing this area with such passion as they do. And also, at the local level, we have Mayor Restaino, who you’ll be hearing from momentarily, and I know he’s enormously proud of the Cataract City and what we’re showcasing here today.

And, of course, to have our Chair of the Niagara Falls Parks Commission Cindy Letro here is something we’re very happy to welcome you, and the members of the Parks Commission as well. So, let’s talk about what we’re looking at this – and John Percy, too. Thank you, John, the President and CEO of Destination Niagara. We’ve been to so many events together.

And of course, the aquarium’s in the house too. I got to start going through everybody here. How are my penguins doing? Okay? Are they getting any taller? Okay, they’re really short. Little kids think of penguins like this, they’re like this, that’s alright, they’re adorable. They’ll grow up someday.

As I said, I do think this is one of the most spectacular places, not just our state, but truly in the world. And we talked about how important this is and how beautiful it is. And we’re just so fortunate to have it right here. And when people come here, we want them to not just explore the Maid of the Mist, I was on the Maid of the Mist, not this summer, but the previous summer on the electric Maid of the Mist. How about that? How extraordinary that is. It is, and I watched how they charged it, it’s amazing.

And also, the Cave of the Winds, kind of get that excitement when you’re heading down there and “am I going to make it or am I not going to make it?” The little kids love that. And the Top of the Falls Restaurant is extraordinary.

Just what Frederick Law Olmstead envisioned here. It’s so beautiful. It is so beautiful. But we know it so do 9.4 million visitors, which is amazing. That’s more than any other park in our state receives here. And last year, our state parks overall hit almost 80 million visitors. We are breaking records every day of the week because people know how incredible our parks are here in the state of New York.

So, we want to keep attracting people. Let them have a memorable world-class experience and make sure that they want to come back with their children and grandchildren for years to come. So, in ’19, I’m sorry, in 2021 – that seems like a long time, back to 1821 – when I first became Governor, I announced a $46 million center to welcome everyone from around the world and improve the experience overall, and I knew we could do better.

And we teamed up with so many attractions, what we’re doing here, we’re going to have incredible interpretive exhibits that’ll be displayed. We have – let me just mention some of the things we’re doing here – a 28,000 square foot new ticketing and information desk, interpretive museum space, immersive experience, incredible topics, a variety of topics including natural, industrial, indigenous, American people’s history, concession spaces, restrooms, support services, and just incredible. But something that we all might really enjoy is the local food. This is not some national chain coming in here and saying we’re going to take up your space. This is local. This is DiCamillo’s pizza. We’re talking next level pizza here.

And hopefully they can bring some cannolis over while they’re at it. Can I do a special request for—? Let’s sell their cannolis, they’re the best. Costanzo’s Bakery, Sahlen’s Hot Dogs – Lily had one yesterday, they’re so good. Perry’s Ice Cream, Oxford, Pennant, and New Era Hats will all be part of the retail here.

And also, cutting the ribbon on something named after Ralph Wilson. On a day after a game we rode the Cowboys out of town. That was fun. And I happen to be there in my box, to show how magnanimous the Crystal Peoples-Stokes are, we let Carl Heastie in, who’s the Speaker. Familiar with your Speaker?

Do you know this about him? Dallas fan. No, truly. I walk in, and the first few downs, he’s cheering like crazy. And all of a sudden, his side got really quiet. I’ve never seen him so quiet. I just want to reflect on that. But he was a good sport, I think. But it was a great day for all of us. So, to have the Ralph Wilson Center here, welcome center, his name will live on in so many different places. I’ve never seen him so quiet. I just want to reflect on that. But he was a good sport, I think. But it was a great day for all of us. So, to have the Ralph Wilson Welcome Center. His name will live on in so many different places. And I know there’s not a representative here today, but they couldn’t make it, but what Mary Wilson has done for this community also, is just given us a chance to believe in ourselves again.

It's not just a sports team and the legacy, but also just allowing us to have the extra resources, the extra $8 million dollars to really just put a special exclamation point on everything we’re doing here, the children’s center. I don’t know if there’s going to be a single building in Western New York that doesn’t have the name Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. on it. And that’s okay with me. I don’t need it all to say New York State. Let’s put his name on everything. So, it’s a, it’s an incredible gateway. And I’m so proud of everything we’re doing here. So, let’s continue on. Let’s continue the journey of showcasing what we have. Developing more resources and opportunities for people to understand, this is an important part of our history, the Underground Railroad, right around the corner here, it came through here. We’re showcasing that, we’re talking about so many other attractions.

But I also want to make sure that we’re investing in current projects as well. Not always as big as this, but today I’m proud to announce a $4 million dollar capital grant for the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center. So that’s a recognition for them. The center’s auditorium, we’re going to help them restore the 1,000 square feet, or 1,000 seat theater to its original historic grandeur. And that’s what you do. These were built at a time when people had such imagination, such vision they didn’t, hold anything back in making beautiful spaces like this facility has and then it declines over time, and it becomes too expensive to recapture the story and the grandeur and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. We’re going to really bring back a piece of history as well and also integrating modern technology and having contemporary production. So, I’m excited about that.

But also, we’re committed to announcing the $2.25 million dollars for Oakwood Cemetery as well because that was built before the Civil War and it’s an important part of our heritage. And they’re going to be able to restore some of their buildings and so people can visit this and just reflect back on an earlier time, and we’ll fix up the chapel and make sure that these buildings stand for generations to come.

So, we got to. Santa Claus came a little bit early, it wasn’t just about this, but I thought we’d sprinkle around a couple more gifts to this area because there’s so much to offer here and I hope that those of you who live here day in, and day out never lose that sense of awe that I have. When I come back to this area, it is unique, it is special, it is spectacular never forget that. And the rest of New York State is incredibly proud that we are home to one of the greatest wonders on this planet, and it's going to continue to be, because investments like this and products like this something we’re proud of for generations to come.

So, thank you, everybody. And with that, I also do want to recognize the men and women of labor who helped build this facility. And I want to thank Paul Brown for his work here and other, all the members of labor. Thank them for what they’ve done. Let me bring up the mayor at this point to talk about how proud he must be to have this right in his hometown. So, Mayor Restaino.