Mistake at LaSalle Park Costs Taxpayers | News

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- An expansion project at LaSalle Waterfront Park in Niagara Falls has been on the drawing board for several years. Recently, one crucial mistake led to construction work at the park to be put on hold.

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster says the error totals $20k, and how much the taxpayer is on the hook for is still being figured out.

Construction at the park which sits on the Niagara River near the foot of the Grand Island Bridge began a few weeks ago. Dyster told 2 On Your Side that the pouring of building foundations for a picnic gazebo and storage building were already put down.

The main problem at LaSalle Park is according to the Mayor is the ground they started building on is actually unpacked landfill of stone and soil put there in the late 1950's, and early 60's.

Dyster said work had to stop on the first phase of the project because more soil testing for stability should have been done but was not. Now the fear is the ground could settle in the future possibly causing even more problems.

"The city's position is that there is a little bit of blame in a lot of quarters on this. So the city is willing, there's going to be some additional expense, not a great deal of additional expense in order to shore up these foundations so that work can go forward and the city is asking the construction management company that works for the city on the project, the contractor, and then the subcontractor that actually put in the pilings if they're willing to share the cost with us," said Dyster.

They expect the project at the park to be completed by next year, and it will cost about $1.5 million to finish up the entire project.