Albany is kicking in more than $5 million for the rehab effort of the historic Statler building in downtown Buffalo. Statler owner Mark Croce has put millions of dollars into rehabbing and re-equipping the inside of the Niagara Square landmark. At the same time, the steel-reinforced roof over the Delaware Avenue sidewalk shows there is a lot of outside work still to be done, something the developer has talked about from the beginning.
Now, Empire State Development is putting up cash to be funneled through City Hall for the exterior work.
Croce says the outside of the structure is worn and poorly maintained.
"Forty or 50 years of neglect by prior owners have left it in such a state of disrepair there are a lot of issues that needed to be dealt with still on the outside as far as weatherization, sound testing of the terra cotta, [and] making sure all the life safety issues are taken care of so that we can remove the sidewalk barrier, the scaffolding, and the sidewalk protection so we can make sure the public is no longer at risk," says Croce.
Croce says specialized construction firms and workers will have to be brought in to do the work. The outside has a history of problems with some significant sections falling on to the sidewalk. There have been roof repairs because he says nothing was done for many years on maintenance. Croce says people constantly ask when the walkway will be removed.
The developer says details still have to be worked out with the city once the state process is completed, including a June 4 public hearing. He says the work on the building outside should start later this year and continue well into next year's construction season.
