It has been a month of announcements for Niagara Falls, which Mayor Jim Diodati says caps off a 10-year business plan he campaigned on nine years ago.

"These last couple announcements were the last big boxes that I needed to check," he said, referring to this week's news the Niagara Falls hospital project is in pre-procurement.

That came on the heels of confirmation earlier this month of federal support for a partnership with Ryerson University.

"That doesn't mean we stop setting goals, but it means all those initial ones are all accomplished and we continue to move the ball forward," Diodati said.

While the municipality is dealing with "emerging" issues such as homelessness and efforts to relocate Canadian National freight trains around the city core, Diodati paused Wednesday to look back at the past decade.

The new Niagara Falls hospital passed another hurdle in the planning process Monday when Infrastructure Ontario said it will seek potential builders in spring 2021 and award the contract in 2022.

Niagara Health officials expect the hospital to open in 2026.

On Sept. 3, it was announced about $3 million in FedDev Ontario funding will help develop the Niagara Falls-Ryerson Innovation Hub, which over four years will be matched by the city.

That same day, the federal government also earmarked up to $3 million toward the future Niagara Falls culture hub and farmers market behind the Niagara Falls History Museum, on Ferry Street.

In August, Metrolinx announced weekend GO train service between Niagara Falls and Toronto will run all year. For years, the service had been seasonal between Niagara Falls and Union Station.

The extension of weekend service complements regular weekday train service, which was launched in January, four years earlier than expected.

Although there is only one train out and one train in Monday to Friday, elected officials are hopeful additional weekday service will be added.

Meanwhile, the $130-million, 200,000-square-foot Niagara Falls Entertainment Centre is under construction. Adjacent to Niagara Fallsview Casino, it will include a 5,000-seat theatre that will be connected to the casino by an enclosed walkway.

Diodati said he was "motivated" by critics who believed some of those projects were beyond reach.

"I'm motivated when someone tells me that I can't do something, or it can't happen, or it's never happened, or it won't happen," he said.

"That, I find, to be a very big motivator. It's like putting fuel on top of the fire."

Diodati recalled a discussion he had with a former provincial transportation minister when daily GO train service between Niagara Falls and Toronto was not part of Metrolinx's 10-year vision.

"I said to him, 'well, minister, you need to understand that I'm just too stupid to stop and I won't stop until you make the announcement.' And I said, 'and we will make that announcement.'"

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Diodati pointed to several recent developments in Niagara Falls as more good news for the city.

In June, it was announced Costco Wholesale will open a 150,000-square-foot location at Niagara Square, part of the Montrose Road property's ongoing revitalization.

Work is also underway to redevelop the former Target building on Morrison Street into what Diodati said will be one of the largest Canadian Tire locations in Ontario. The store is expected to open next spring.

Diodati said the city has more initiatives in the pipeline he's "excited" about.

"A lot of reasons to be optimistic, a lot of reasons to be bullish on Niagara Falls, and a lot of reasons for the residents to be really excited about what's coming," he said.

Raymond.Spiteri@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1645 | @RaySpiteri

- Niagara weekend GO train service extended to year-round

- Falls innovation hub to help 'drive small business'

- 2026 opening eyed for new south Niagara hospital