Judge puts Busti Avenue work on hold

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A property battle happening in the shadow of the Peace Bridge is reaching new heights Tuesday night.

The fight is over a Peace Bridge construction project and an effort to save eight nearby homes from demolition. On Tuesday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order to pause plans to tear down the homes along Busti Avenue.

The Peace Bridge Authority owns the homes and many have been vacant for a decade. Tim Tielman of Campaign for Greater Buffalo says the homes are historic and should be preserved.

A judge gave Tielman some time, which is all the preservationist says he needs to gather public support for his plight. He says it can be beneficial for all parties involved.

"We are very hopeful that number one: they won't come down and they will be restored. And there's ample precedent for that. Another bridge authority, the Thousand Island Bridge Authority, has spent $28 million over the past restoring historic structures in the Thousand Islands explicitly to increase traffic on the bridge and increase tourism and build the economy of the Thousand Islands. You have one bridge authority doing that and another, the bridge authority in Buffalo, tossing heritage into the garbage. So we think they can be saved," Tielman argued.

The judge said the sewer work and asbestos abatement at the site can continue. Tielman says he will continue to increase public pressure on the project.

The fight is due back in court next month.