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Large East Side eyesore bought with hopes for redevelopment
The transformation of a South Buffalo brownfield into a hub for clean energy manufacturing began when the city took a risk to purchase the land six years ago.
Mayor Byron
W. Brown is hoping a similar transition will happen at a large site on the East
Side.
An 11-acre
former industrial property on East Delavan Avenue near Fillmore Avenue that has
been underused and an eyesore for decades moved closer to being redeveloped
Tuesday when the board of a city-affiliated development agency agreed to buy
it.
Unlike RiverBend,
the brownfield near the Buffalo River that was purchased by the state in order
to attract two clean-energy firms, 537 E. Delavan Ave., sits in a dense
neighborhood, and drew complaints for years.
"There are
rodents that have come out of there," Brown said. "People who have been
breaking into the place, stealing piping and other things out, there has been
graffiti painted on it, so it's been a real eyesore property for a long time."
The board of
the Buffalo Urban Development Corp., of which Brown is chairman, voted to
approve the purchase of 537 E. Delavan, the former site of Houdaille Industries
and Vibratech, for $250,000, so it can be cleaned up and sold to another
developer.
A closing is
expected in the next two months. The site includes a building larger than
300,000 square feet.
BUDC
officials hinted that there is an interested buyer, but did not elaborate.
Brown said
he expected a commercial or industrial use to resume at the property once the
corporation sells it. The news of other developments in the city have attracted
more interest from out-of-town companies, but the city needs large-scale sites
like East Delavan, he said.
The
RiverBend site is in a brownfield opportunity area, a state designation that
brings in economic benefits for clean up and development. The state cut the
funding for the program as the city is trying to get a similar designation for
East Side sites, including the former Houdaille Industries site. But other
brownfield clean-up tax credits are available, and there is hope the state will
restore the funding, said David A. Stebbins, vice president of BUDC.
The state purchased 184
acres in South Buffalo for
solar panel manufacturer Solar City, solar panel manufacturer Silevo, which was
acquired by Solar City, and LED-light manufacturer Soraa. Two separate
transactions are expected to bring in $5.3 million for the land. BUDC purchased
the land for $4.6 million in 2008.
The East
Delavan property will require environmental cleanup, though there has been some
cleanup under the guidance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Since
Vibratech ceased operations at the site in the early 1990s, it has been used
most recently for commercial truck repair, and is owned by Salvage Properties
Trust. Trustees are Danny G. Dunn and Jeremy G. Dunn.
The property
is currently in housing court, said Permits and Inspections Commissioner James
Comerford, who requested that until the property changes hands, the current
owners be responsible for code violations.
Brown said
he would seek funding from the state's Buffalo Billion initiative to help make
it attractive to developers.