By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – A top city official says Buffalo needs state and federal help to carry out the demolition of dilapidated properties in the city.
Common Council President David Franczyk says the presence of so many blighted properties in the city is an embarrassment. But he said the city just doesn't have the cash on hand to demolish them.
"It's not like the City hasn't been tearing these properties down. We've demolished over 4,400 properties in the last ten years," said Franczyk. "But, there are so many of them that we don't have the money and the resources to do it. And, in the meantime, it just festers and sits our there and drags everybody down."
Franczyk said he has introduced a bill for consideration at tomorrow's Council meeting that asks the state and federal governments for special funding.
"In fact, on our current demolition list there are about a thousand properties and we only have money to tear down about half of these properties," said Franczyk. "So, we need at least ten million dollars to tear these properties down and redevelop the land."
As an example of just how serious the problem is, Franczyk said he inspected one block of Lombard Street, near the Broadway Market in his district.
He said fully half the houses on that block - 12 out of 24 - are in need of demolition.