BUFFALO, N.Y. — If you've driven through Buffalo's Old First Ward along Republic Street, you have seen the abandoned tracks, weeds, and litter.
That land is owned by CSX, a railway company.
State Senator Tim Kennedy was in town Friday to put pressure on them to do something about the eyesore that physically divides the neighborhood.
"It's only blighted, and it's only a safety hazard because CSX has not come to the table to be a good community partner," said Kennedy, a Democrat who represents the 63rd District. "So today, we're calling CSX out. We're asking them simply, come work with us."
Old First Ward business owner Sara Heidinger agreed.
"This isn't new for us," she said. "This is something that we've been working on for over a decade. The Old First Ward Community Center has paired with different community partners. The University of Buffalo had architect students design a beautiful park, with ideas of farmer markets and some bike paths. This is something that the community that exists here now, and has always existed, deserves to be fixed."
Senator Kennedy has written a letter to CSX, saying the stretch of property is a liability, and he's demanding they take action.
"We're looking for CSX to do one of two things: Either clean it up and make it presentable, and make it into a park or something that's usable, or be willing to sell it to a developer such as us or someone else," local developer Scott Cassidy said Friday.
"We tried to negotiate with them. For this stretch of land, they wanted $7 million, and it's not buildable, it's not useable."