BUFFALO (WBEN) - Back in early December, the roof of the building at 435 Ellicott Street in Downtown Buffalo collapsed, and the instability of the rest of the building required an emergency demolition.
Developer Rocco Termini, who owns property along that stretch of Ellicott Street, was furious over the building collapse because of its history.
"This building has been like this for 15 years and in poor condition," he said. "I've reported it to the city many times. I've been to housing court for various violations for the owner of this building. He owns six buildings in this neighborhood. They're all in the same condition. The city continuously does nothing as far as enforcing the building codes on this building."
Mayor Byron Brown held a press conference Friday to announce that Frank Chinnici, the president of Legacy Development, is acquiring eight parcels of run-down property, including 435 Ellicott Street, which is currently owned by Bruce Adler.
"As part of this agreement, Mr. Adler has agreed to pay $105,000 directly to the demolition company for the cost of the demolition at 435 Ellicott Street," he said.
Chinnici has already agreed to placing immediate attention on these run-down properties, particularly 324 N. Oak Street, where the building may not possess the structural integrity to last through this winter.
"Our company has been in negotiations with Mr. Adler for the better part of four months to acquire his portfolio - a portfolio of properties that is in a very prominent location in the City of Buffalo," said Chinnici. "Their condition is deplorable; they've been allowed to deteriorate for many years, and we hope to be able to correct that."
Brown says that he has directed the Department of Permits and Inspections to develop a plan over the next month with the goal of putting more pressure on problem property owners to make the necessary repairs to any structural issues that exist on their properties.
"I will make sure that there is a list, city-wide, of problem properties," said the mayor. "The plan that will be put together by the Department of Permits and Inspections will be a tough plan. I'm telling everyone right now that it will be a tough tough plan that will put all kinds of pressure on problem property owners. So, when these problem commercial property owners are screaming, and squealing, and whining and crying that the city is treating them badly, we want everybody to remember this day, and we want them to remember this structure that came down."
