NYS charges Wallenda $225,000 for walk

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - With just days before Nik Wallenda crosses Niagara Falls, the seventh generation daredevil finally has the permission needed from New York State.

His lawyer, Henry Wojtaszek, said the permits have officially been issued.

"We had to work along with the state attorneys. They were very responsive, but it does take some time to get the documents together and to get information together," the attorney explained.

Permit drafts were sent to Wallenda's team on three separate occasions in the month of May. News 4 has learned not one of those permits was ever returned to state parks, until the signing on Tuesday in Albany.

Now, everything is all set for the walk - including the payment to the state. The permit itself costs $50,000 and by Friday, Wallenda's team must fork over $150,000 for security and other management costs. The state also mandated they keep $25,000 in escrow to pay for any damage to the park.

Mayor Paul Dyster said, "Well, you know there's the pace of business and the pace of government. And when you get business and government working together, business has to run to try and keep up."

Despite the hold up in the permit department, Dyster says the city continued to prepare. Holiday market huts have been brought out for potential vendors and trees are being trimmed.

"I think it behooves all the rest of us to make certain that we're offering the best possible visitor experience, knowing that when you've got a huge crush of people trying to get the same place at the same time, there are always going to be some inconveniences," Dyster noted.

On one block of Olds Falls Street alone, more than 15,000 people are expected to gather to watch Wallenda walk the wire on June 15th.