BUFFALO, N.Y. — One month since a fire destroyed two Civil War era buildings in the Cobblestone District, the city of Buffalo and building owner Darryl Carr are still at an impasse.
"We're going back and forth," Carr said. "They want us to stabilize it and we're adamant about getting the demo contractors in here and taking the buildings down."
But stabilization could be expensive .
Multiple sources tell 2 On Your Side that the cost of a first-phase stabilization could cost at least $350,000. A preliminary plan for stabilizing the two buildings was submitted to the city of Buffalo.
Carr tells WGRZ that his engineers believe a multi-phase stabilization project could cost more than a million.
The city has given Carr until early August to stabilize the building himself, otherwise the city will do it.
"They gave us a time frame to submit a stabilization plan, but we have no intention of stabilizing the buildings," Carr said.
The latest impasse comes after the 4th Appellate Division of NYS Supreme Court denied a motion of appeal by Carr to reverse a previous ruling in the city's eminent domain case against him.
Carr says he is planning on filing a new motion to appeal with the Court of Appeals, the states highest appellate court.
"I have to keep fighting, otherwise they're going to do this to anybody," Carr said. "I'm trying to set a precedent that you can't just come in tell somebody what to do with their buildings."
The two buildings Carr owns, 110 and 118 South Park Ave, were built in the mid-1800's and have been the focus of numerous housing court cases over the last 15 years.
If Carr does not stabilize the building and the city decides to move forward, the project would be bid out to local contractors and architecture firms.
The city previously said that it would seek various state or federal grants or tax credits to offset the costs any building stabilization.
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