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red and white text reading OPPOSE RESCISSION PACKAGE CONTACT SENATE NOW 202-224-3121 against a blue background

City Official, Residents Hope for New Development on Fire-Ravaged Street

By Eileen Buckley

Buffalo, NY – Buffalo fire investigators say they need the publics help in tracking down more suspects responsible for a huge arson blaze in Black Rock. The former Buffalo Fargo Warehouse on Chandler Street was the scene of a four alarm fire back in April.

So far, three people have been arrested on arson charges. But investigators says they believe the public may have information that could lead to more arrests. The abandoned warehouse has been the scene of a numerous fires through the years, but it is finally coming down. Demolition is underway.

Heavy equipment operators were hard at work Thursday cleaning up debris from the former warehouse. It once stretched more than a block-and-a-half in the Black Rock neighborhood. But the four alarm arson fire in late April finally led to its demise. Long time Chandler Street resident Charlene Olchasewski says she never saw anyone near the building, but through the years noticed plenty of vandalism.

"What I would see every day when I would come was more damage, gang writing on the building and windows broken," Olchawski said. "You knew people were going in there, but what they were doing, I don't want to know."

Olchawski says she wasn't surprised by the recent arson fire. But she is now very happy to see the warehouse removed and hopes residents will have a say in future re-development of the site. North District Council member Joseph Golombek says unfortunately the cash-strapped city has been forced to pay for the demolition through its block grant dollars.

"Right now Fargo says they don't own it. The city says they do," Golombek said. "So we are trying to recoup the $750,000 that we are using taxpayers dollars for to tear down the property from a scum bag company that just walked away."

Golombek says he too is hoping the site will be re-developed to enhance Chandler Street. But the lawmaker says the land should probably continue as a commercial site.

"Perhaps it could be an incubator park or a business park," Golombek said. "But I don't think it could be for housing because it has been commercial property for so long. Who knows what is there, and I certainly would not want to live on that. I'm sure it is not necessarily harmful to people that live across the street. But it is probably ideally for commercial development."

Past EPA studies deemed the site safe. Golombek says the city might be able to put the property up for sale under foreclosure by this Fall.