It looks as if the City of Buffalo is finally starting to take senseless demolitions of significant at-risk structures seriously. For decades, we have watched as our beloved historic buildings and houses have been demolished without a second thought. The knee jerk reactions by the City have led to the destruction of neighborhoods, while lining the pockets of the demolition crews. The Executive Order in its entirety can be found below.
Tools and approaches to achieve this outcome include but are not limited to emergency stabilization, receivership, abandonment proceedings as well.
It’s time that historic building owners face harsher consequences when they let their structures rot. After all, they are the supposed caretakers of our built environment.
The problem with demolitions runs even deeper, according to Mayor Sean Ryan, who, at a press conference, noted, “Over the last five years, the City has demolished more than 300 residential structures. Those demolitions came at a cost of $25,000 each. During that time period, the CIty only built 100 homes. It’s not a sustainable way of operating.”…