BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN)......An Aug. 31 eminent domain petition filed by the City of Buffalo could lead the way for the city to acquire a pair of heavily-damaged, pre-Civil War Cobblestone District buildings.
The petition, some four years in the making, may lead to a State Supreme Court judge allowing Buffalo to gain control of the South Park Avenue buildings - pending a negotiated settlement with property owner Darryl Carr.
"These buildings have been neglected for far too long and we have litigating, also, for far too long," said Fillmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski.
Vacant for nearly a decade, Carr wants to raze the two buildings - at 110 South Park Avenue. and 118 South Park Avenue - and replace them with his proposed 55-story Unity Tower, anchored by 500 apartments. The two buildings sit across from the DLW Terminal and KeyBank Center.
"Who is pumping all this money into this project? Me," Carr said. "I'm here and I'm ready to develop."
Unity Tower has been in Buffalo's economic development pipeline for more than a decade, but has yet to see one city agency back the project.
"It's as phony as a three dollar bill," Nowakowski said.
Not so, Carr counters.
Because of the two buildings were heavily damaged in a June 2024 fire, Carr says they have little value - despite the fact that they date to 1852.
"The true value is the location," Carr said. "Those buildings serve no purpose."
Deputy Mayor Thomas Baines, in an email, said the Ryan administration will be "aggressive, strategic and deliberate" in pushing forward with the building's future.
Post fire reports said the buildings can be salvaged.
Nowakowski said their age and their brick facades add to the historic feel of the Cobblestone District.
Within City Hall and the local preservation community that if the buildings can' be saved, the property may be turned into a surface parking lot, although Carr denies that is the case.
"Surface parking lots make me want to puke," Nowakowski said.
This much is certain - Carr owes Buffalo more than $370,000 in post-fire stabilization costs for the building.
Carr may also owe Buffalo fines and penalties related to the buildings.
The city, as part of the eminent domain proceedings, may assess the value of the buildings at as much as $900,000 - meaning if the petition backs Buffalo, the $900,000 figure may be the starting point between Buffalo and Carr.
If Buffalo gains control of the buildings, it will issue and RFP to the development community to gauge if there is any interest in saving the structures.
"What's the economic gain to all that," Carr said. "I'm here and ready to develop."
Buffalo files eminent domain proceedings to gain control of two, pre-Civil War South Park Avenue buildings.
Buffalo files eminent domain proceedings to gain control of two, pre-Civil War South Park Avenue buildings.
