Niagara Falls ‘natural’ fit for Titanic museum, mayor Diodati says
Tourism officials are excited about plans to build a Titanic museum in Niagara Falls.
“This is what Niagara Falls is all about. Niagara Falls is all about building on the experience for people coming here,” said Niagara Falls Tourism chair Wayne Thomson.
Backed by a $3-million commitment from a group of local venture capitalists called Niagara Angel Network, proponents of the attraction hope to welcome aboard their first passengers by the middle of next year.
DV3 Imagineering Inc. director David van Velzen, who spearheaded the project first announced in January 2017, said the $21-million facility will give visitors the chance to experience what it might have been like to be on the doomed ship that sank April 14, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg.
The developers have identified two potential three- to four-acre sites in Niagara Falls’ tourist district for the roughly 4,950-square-metre (55,000-square-foot) facility.
Van Velzen said the former Niagara Falls Memorial Arena property remains one of those potential sites.
In January 2017, the city’s committee of adjustment approved an application from van Velzen for minor variances to a bylaw that would allow for a new facility to be built on the property in the shape of the historic British passenger liner.
The Centre Street building, which most recently housed a sand sculpture attraction, was put up for sale in November 2014.
Russian-based consortium V2 Niagara, which had bought the property from the City of Niagara Falls in January 2012, opened the International Sand Sculptures Exhibition there in August 2013.
The exhibit, however, wasn’t making enough money and the offshore owner put the building and its contents up for sale.
Last year, van Velzen said he had an agreement of purchase and sale in place for the property, but there were several conditions that needed to be met before the deal could be finalized.
“I’m not going to comment on the trials and tribulations,” he said Thursday.
“We tried to buy it and we couldn’t reach an agreement at the end, but we’re still talking. But we have another property.”
Thomson said whatever location is chosen, he expects “100 per cent support” from city and tourism officials.
“I think this is a great idea, another exciting attraction.”
Mayor Jim Diodati said Niagara Falls keeps adding new attractions every year, pointing to the zip line and adventure course, as well as the soon-to-open go-kart coaster.
“It’s one more offering on the buffet, one more reason to come to Niagara Falls.”
He said there’s a lot of diehard Titanic enthusiasts and Niagara Falls has a connection as James Cameron, who grew up in Niagara Falls, directed a film about its story that went on to become one of the top grossing movies of all time.
“(Niagara Falls is) where he fostered a lot of his creative ideas in high school,” said Diodati.
He said Niagara Falls is a “natural” location to open such an attraction.
“When you have 14-million people (visiting each year), if you can grab a certain portion of that group — and the benefit for the city is that it will bring in some new people that maybe were not considering Niagara Falls previously.”
During an announcement Wednesday, Niagara Angel Network executive director Terry Kadwell announced plans to pitch in for the Experience Titanic interactive museum.
While the developers are working with other lenders to finance the rest of the project, Kadwell said funding provided by the Angels will be earmarked for the attractions within the facility.
He said the local organization will reach out to more than a dozen other Angel investment groups in Ontario to contribute to the project.
Van Velzen said additional investors are pitching in on other costs associated with the project.
He said the goal is to open within 12 to 14 months.
Raymond.Spiteri@niagaradailies.com 905-225-1645 | @RaySpiteri