Naval Park is key to development

Everyone I speak with agrees that there is no silver bullet to restore the Buffalo Waterfront. We keep hearing about the Erie Canal Terminus, Bass Pro (right), the proposed $750 million project and on and on. Not very much time or money is given to an attraction that already exists - the Buffalo Naval & Military Park. This park can and will begin to make a difference in 2007. Yet funding to assist in the proper packaging of the history of Western New Yorkers is being ignored by the organizations that have been given the responsibility to develop the waterfront.

I work in the hospitality industry and have clients all over North America and in 51 other countries. During the last five years I have conducted "unscientific surveys" of approximately 500 of my clients and asked:

1) What do you know about the Erie Canal? The answer from everyone was nothing.

2) What do you know about the military and veterans? Everyone provided some type of answer on the past or current status of their military.

Now I am not Zogby, but my survey confirms what I have been preaching for years, we ignore the one viable attraction that exists.

We veterans are also preservationists. Our goals are to preserve the history of the men and women from this area that have served and died for this great country of ours.

I am making a plea to all business, political and veteran leaders to work together to:

1) Utilize the "attraction" on the waterfront.

2) Work on the creation of a "destination" that people will come to and spend a night or two and generate economic multiples for all the businesses.

3) Actions one and two will begin to create an environment that businesses will want to be a part of.

History properly packaged and promoted sells, and we have a great story to tell. Let all of us preservationists work together to benefit this community.

Patrick W. Welch

chief operating officer Adaco Services, LLC. and

president Chapter 77, Vietnam Veterans of America