LACKAWANNA, N.Y. — From the roof of Lackawanna's City Hall, Mayor Geoffrey Szymanski told 2 Onn Your Side, you have a perfect view of Erie County's greatest contrast: one of the area's most beautiful buildings diagonal from, as he describes it, "the orange milk crate on stilts."
Now, that so-called milk crate, the current City Hall building, could be on its way out.
That's the part of the property built in the late 1960s, in front of the old City Hall.
Through the windows, you can still see the original sign.
Szymanski said the addition is Lackawanna's 50-year mistake.
"We've had needs assessment done. We've had specialization studies done and it's declared that this building is too large, unnecessary. Time to move on and time to move in," Szymanski said.
City Council approved a purchase of the Knights of Columbus building on South Park Avenue to replace City Hall.
The search for a new space took more than eight years.
The plan is to tear down the addition built in the 1960s and keep the old City Hall. That's where the police department and courts will continue to be housed.
Szymanski said, "Between purchasing and fixing up that building, fixing up the original City Hall and demolishing this building, it's about 1.6 million."
However, once everything is in place and operational, Szymanski estimates it could be between three and five million dollars.
He told 2 on Your Side the amount would be paid back over a 40-year period and Lackawanna administration will look for state and federal incentives to offset the cost.
The move itself is expected to take place in one to two years. The demolition is projected to take about two or three years.