Falls mayor plans crackdown on blight

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - How do you turn around a city that's lost half its population in 50 years?

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster knows it's a tall task, but in his State of the City Address Thursday night, he laid out an aggressive plan to tackle blight in the Cataract City with the help of the code enforcement director.

"Starting next week, Dennis Virtuoso and his team will begin a new crackdown on vacant, blighted buildings," Mayor Dyster warned. "These blatant violations of building and clean neighborhood codes are unacceptable. They create potential threats to public health and safety and kill economic development before it can even start."

The mayor says work is also moving ahead behind-the-scenes to create a scenic boulevard that will connect downtown with the city's north end.