Agreement saves Maid of the Mist

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - Governor Andrew Cuomo moved from Buffalo to Niagara Falls Tuesday afternoon, to continue his regional economic development council progress tour in western New York.

In Niagara Falls, the governor announced an agreement will save the Maid of the Mist from shutting down. The former Schoellkopf Power Station site will be used for winter storage and maintenance of tour boats.

"It's going to be smart for Maid of the Mist. It's going to be smart for the city, smart for tourism. It's actually going to generate more dollars," Governor Cuomo said.

The family-run Maid of the Mist company plans to invest $32 million in the site. The Glynn family was on hand for the announcement.

"State officials and Governor Cuomo contacted us and it became apparent after some discussions that we were going to make some progress. They got it right away," said Maid of the Mist President Christopher Glynn.

The governor signed a Memorandum of Understanding Tuesday, which means the Maid of the Mist will increase its license payments to State Parks, projected to total $105 million over the  30 years remaining on the amended contract.

"This is just smart," said Cuomo. "Smart for tourism. A win, win, win."

In Buffalo Tuesday, the governor announced a $50 million investment in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.