Buffalo officials try to save oversized buildings

Local lawmakers are taking a step forward in their efforts to create pathways for Buffalo’s dilapidated buildings to be renovated and repaired — while holding the building owners responsible for footing the bill.

Introduced by Sen. Sean Ryan and Rep. Jonathan Rivera, the Buffalo Historic Preservation Receivership Act also has the support of Fillmore District Councilmember Mitchell Nowakowski and various community groups. If the bills pass, the city-appointed agency would enter into a receivership to pay for repairs up front, then retroactively bill the property owner to reimburse them.

Buffalo’s Housing Court can issue receiverships, but there are currently no methods or procedures to address code violations that make buildings more dangerous to the neighborhoods they’re in — for example, the Cobblestone apartment building that caught fire last month. If this bill passes, such protocols would be created to allow the city to take more and faster action to issue receiverships, and should allow repairs to be made before further damage is done.

The Cobblestone building, located at 110/118 South Park Avenue, has been the subject of a long-running dispute between the city and the building’s owner, after the city won permission to demolish the buildings on the grounds of expropriation. The owner said he plans to appeal the decision.

At the very least, the fire, which was deemed suspicious and is currently under investigation, could have been a tipping point for local officials to redouble their efforts to prevent similar fires from happening in the future.

“Neglected properties are a significant problem in our city, contributing to unsafe living conditions and diminishing the quality of our neighborhoods,” Councilman Nokawoski said earlier this week. “By passing the Historic Property Receivership Act, we can take a proactive approach to rehabilitating these properties, ensuring safer and healthier homes for our residents.”

“We have many more historic buildings that can be assets to the city’s future, but only if we take steps to ensure their preservation and restoration,” added Senator Ryan. “It’s time to stop letting neglectful owners attack our historic neighborhoods piece by piece through their inaction. Buffalo’s receivership program already provides the framework we need to end decades of neglectful demolition.”

Preservation Buffalo Niagara, a leading force for the restoration and upgrading of historic and older buildings throughout the region, stands ready to work with city and state officials to continue the restoration. “This resolution is being made so we can unlock the hundreds of vacant buildings that are sitting vacant and unoccupied in the city,” the group says. “Our team is ready. We have trained staff, an established steering committee, critical funding earmarked specifically for this effort, and the real estate and construction experience to do more in 2024 and beyond.”