GENEVA, N.Y. -- A few months before the Western New York Welcome Center opened on Grand Island, leaders cut the ribbon for a similar facility in the Finger Lakes region.
While the building is beautiful and visitors have rave reviews, that certainly came at a cost to taxpayers.
Our NBC affiliate in Rochester, WHEC, was first to obtain contract documents for the company that designed, produced and installed many of the unique furnishings.
Those records show taxpayers spent $9,900 for a road map area, $12,225 for four small signs pointing visitors to restrooms and the community room and $13,153 for a 'selfie' wall that appears to be glorified wallpaper.
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-New York) jokingly took credit for some of the design during the building's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"The truth is it was all me," Governor Cuomo said. "Upside down canoe light fixtures, when I first said it, they mocked me. Look how well they work."
The governor was referring to 4 canoes that were donated by a local boat museum. They were turned into dazzling lights; however, the cost for the rigging and lighting cost almost $50,000.
A 10"x10" stainless steel frame to acknowledge that canoe donation cost $1,014, according to the documents obtained by WHEC.
The records released so far are for a contract with Jack Morton Worldwide, a "brand experience" company. These costs do not include construction for the actual building and other expenses, and are instead, focused on the interior furnishings.
The Jack Morton contract was for about $750,000, while the total cost for construction was closer to $5 million.
The Western New York Welcome Center, on the other hand, cost more than $20 million.
Some of the decorative items in the Finger Lakes Welcome Center appear quite similar to those just unveiled inside the local welcome center on Grand Island. 2 On Your Side has filed Freedom of Information Law requests to get line-by-line expenses for items inside the WNY facility.
In response to WHEC's story, Empire State Development said in a statement that the project was put out for competitive bid.
"Each Welcome Center has been designed with regional assets in mind, ensuring an engaging experience for the many visitors who have and will continue to enjoy the beautiful facilities across the state," the statement said.