LACKAWANNA, N.Y> (WBEN)........As Lackawanna officials prep to officially showcase its new city hall, a development plan is in the works for its former municipal building.
Since it opened in 1909, the two-story brick building at 715 Ridge Road has housed Lackawanna's city offices, police headquarters and courts.
In 1968, Lackawanna added a two-story, orange addition facing Ridge Road and sits on a series of stilts. The orange building won few compliments and, architecturally, been derided from the beginning.
But, as part of a multi-phased, $16 million effort, Lackawanna moved its city hall almost around the corner to a former Knights of Columbus building at 2838 South Park Avenue, and hopefully, next summer seen the orange building demolished.
"Believe me, I'd love to get that building down as quickly as possible," said Lackawanna Mayor Annette Iafallo.
It will be a complicated demolition because the police and courts will still be using the original 1909 building.
Iafallo said a small portion of the "orange" building may have to remain because it houses the HVAC system for the 1909 building.
"We are going to try and get as much of the orange building down as we can," Iafallo said.
But, at the same time - following a detailed cost analysis, Iafallo said it may be less expensive to develop a new police and court building on a South Park Avenue parcel that adjoins the new city hall.
The decision to build new came from state officials who told Iafallo that Lackawanna needed a new courthouse or the city could risk losing some funding.
"I don't want to lose any state aid.," Iafallo said.
Iafallo said the new police/courts building would be around 23,000-square-feet and cost around $25 million to develop.
Once Iafallo gets a firm development cost, she will make a formal proposal to the Lackawanna City Council - and that could come later this year or by early 2027.
Iafallo's intent is to have the new police/courts building constructed and open by 2030.
So what would happen to the 1909 building.
Iafallo said the city would issue a development RFP.
"I'd like to get it on the tax rolls," Iafallo said.
A new police and courts building could neighbor Lackawanna's new city hall
A new police and courts building could neighbor Lackawanna's new city hall
