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Buffalo has sued the Seneca Nation in an effort to stop construction of a gas station and convenience store near Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino.
The city is seeking an injunction and says the project should go through the normal city review process. The Seneca Nation, however, maintains that the Miami Street property is sovereign land and is therefore exempt from local regulation.
The proposed Seneca One Stop development is a $10 million project on a 3.4-acre lot at 5 Miami St., near the casino.
City cites local review and environmental concerns
According to the source report, Buffalo argues the project would affect the surrounding neighborhood, the Buffalo River, and prior public and private investment along the Ohio Street corridor.
Mayor Sean Ryan had said he would take legal action if the Senecas did not stop work, and the city has now followed through with a court filing seeking to halt construction.
Ryan said at a news conference: “This project would have a major impact on the surrounding neighborhood, the Buffalo River, and the public investments we have made in this part of Buffalo.”
The city also alleges that construction has disturbed potentially contaminated soil near the Buffalo River.
Seneca Nation says the site is sovereign land
Seneca Nation President J.C. Seneca said the Miami Street property is sovereign land that is not subject to local regulation, according to the source fact pack.
Tribal officials have also said the new Seneca One Stop location is needed because the current One Stop is often gridlocked.
For readers following Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino and nearby development, the dispute is less about casino gaming itself than about who has authority over a casino-adjacent commercial project and what review process, if any, applies.
What to watch next
Several key details remain unresolved, including which court received the injunction request and how a judge will handle the competing claims over sovereignty and city oversight.
It is also unclear whether Buffalo will present additional environmental evidence related to the soil concerns, or whether the Seneca Nation will provide a broader response beyond its claim that the land is exempt from local control.
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Source: As reported by news.google.com.
