By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

Calling it a major step toward being a good neighbor and corporate citizen, Seneca Gaming Corp. pledged $1 million to a fund that will focus on infrastructure, landscaping, lighting and more in the area around its Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino.

The fund will be administered by a yet-to-be-formed committee of Seneca and community representatives.

The fund came about after a series of goodwill and informational meetings conducted by Seneca officials with elected leaders, community groups such as the Valley Community Association and more.

"We know we are not an island," said Robert Odawi Porter, president, Seneca Nation of Indians.

Peg Overdorf, executive director of Valley Community Association, said she is pleased with the fund and its intentions.

"I think it's a great plus to the community," she said.

The Senecas have a nine-acre stretch of land around South Park and Fulton streets that is sovereign territory. Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino opened in July 2007 but is subject to federal litigation that has yet to be resolved.

The 457-slot machine casino, which was expanded last year, attracted 755,000 people in 2010 for an average of 63,000 visits per month.

While the Senecas do want to move ahead with plans for a permanent casino, Porter said, it not be as elaborate as the $330 million complex initially envisioned. A steel frame for part of the casino has been up since 2008, but work stopped in August of that year because of economic conditions and the complex litigation.

Plans for the revamped casino were a factor in working with the surrounding neighborhood, according to Porter.

"We want to be better integrated into the neighborhood," he said.

Cathy Walker, Seneca Gaming president and CEO, said it became clear in meetings with local representatives that they wanted to work with Seneca Gaming.

"We want this to be a more user-friendly area," she said.

The casino sits in a hodge-podge neighborhood that includes heavy industrial space, upscale townhouses, subsidized residences and taverns. HSBC Arena is a few blocks away, as is Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.'s 20-acre Canalside project.

"I'm impressed with what they are doing," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. "They are clearly understanding the needs and concerns of the neighborhood."