Mayor Byron Brown is cracking down on commercial property owners in Buffalo who are neglecting their properties.
His office has compiled a list of nearly 250 commercial properties that are in poor condition.
In response, Brown is proposing to create a new administrative hearing process to work with owners and reduce Housing Court caseloads. He'll also propose a bill that seeks higher fines and stiffer penalties for noncompliance.
"It is absolutely unacceptable that some commercial property owners are keeping their structures in substandard conditions in the City of Buffalo," Brown said. "Commercial properties are very important to our City, they are the places where many of us work, shop and gather. That is why we cannot allow negligent owners to let their commercial properties fall into a state of disrepair that endangers tenants and the patrons.
"These stronger measures will ensure public safety, protect older structures and hold problem property owners accountable.”
The administration deployed helicoptors to collect aerial footage as part of the inspection process, focusing on the condition of roofs.
On Saturday, inspectors conducted a blitz of 30 problem properties in the city, examining their exteriors for code violations.