Fight to save buildings in steel town

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A fight to save two buildings from Buffalo's boom days took center stage in steel town.

The Lackawanna Mayor tells News 4 Monday night, that two buildings are beyond repair, and are a liability, but others don't see it that way.

"I am done, because you don't like what I say,' said Al David, Lackawanna resident.

They came to the Lackawanna Council meeting questioning a grant to tear down some Lackawanna buildings.

David added, "We don't know what the plan is for this."

The plan is apply for a $2.5 million Restore New York Grant, most of which would be spent to tear down the 100-year-old Bethlehem Steel Main office building.

"It could be a tourist attraction, what better for the City of Lackawanna, not only the windmills and all these buildings," said Joseph DiCenzo, a Lackawanna resident.

"That thing is shot. There's no roof on its shot to tear that down and put up a new building so people can go to work," said Lackwanna Council President, Chuck Jaworski.

It's owned by a private company Gateway Industries.

"And it would cost the taxpayers money to tear it down," said Romaine Lillis, of the Steel Plant Museum.

The members of the Lackawanna Steel Plant Museum want it saved.

A few years ago, the owners actually offered it to the Steel Plant Museum for a dollar.

"However, they wanted it back in 49 years," said Lillis.

It would've cost a million dollars just to clean up, and then more to maintain it.

"But the building is so large, it could be offices, and I feel that its an anchor to the waterfront renovation," said Lillis.

Some are also urging the Council not to use some of the same grant money to tear down the abandoned Friendship House on Ridge Road.

"Asking you guys to do whats right, and the right thing is to keep the Friendship House," said a Lackawanna Resident.

"I want to see something developed over there, a recreation center for the youth of Lackawanna," said Abdul Noman, a Lackawanna resident.

Council members delayed action Monday night until they hear back from an engineer about the condition of the Friendship House.

The deadline to apply for these Restore New York Grants is in two weeks.