On Wednesday night, the Niagara Falls City Council reached a decision regarding the proposal to designate landmark status to 'The Turtle', ultimately resulting in its rejection. Following a thorough city council meeting, three members voted against granting historic status to 'The Turtle', while one member voted in favor, and another abstained.
A majority of speakers expressed a desire to see 'The Turtle' repurposed into a cultural center or museum. However, during the meeting, the city attorney clarified that granting historic status wouldn't compel the current owner to convert it into such facilities. Instead, it would introduce additional layers of approval from the preservation board for any proposed alterations to the building. The building is owned by Niagara Falls Redevelopment. The company issued a statement on Monday expressing concerns about the potential consequences of landmarking the building.
The city attorney stated on Wednesday night that, in his opinion, granting historic status wouldn't eliminate the possibility of the building being demolished in the future. He also indicated that, according to his interpretation of the law, the vote is final and cannot be revisited.