Another Push Being Made to Save Bethlehem Steel Administration Building

Preservationists would do themselves a favor in moving the discussion forward, towards a deal getting done that transfers ownership.

Specifically, show the history of the sale of the building, this is how much it was most recently acquired for, will the current owner give it up for 'x', 'x' being a fair amount on their investment.

Next, what do the first few floors look like, inside. Will the city pay to demo that 'back' portion, which isn't historical in nature (there was some money available for asbestos abatement, right?).

Appealing to emotion get's a building saved in the short run, it's long term viability is linked to it creating a revenue stream for someone, or some business. Begin to connect the dots that show a new owner this is what you'll get, this is what the city is willing to do, and this is what it will cost. Obviously an investor will have to pick up the ball at some point, but move it as far down the field as you can. It's easier to score from the other teams 20, than from your own five.

Considering the size of the Bethlehem property is this structure really "in the way" of something? Is there development lined up? Who and/ or what is it? This really could be a gateway and/ or signature structure to a redeveloped Bethlehem Steel site, hopefully sooner than later. A highly visible site at the edge of a potentially monster size economic development engine considering the location and size of land out there sitting idle for development, it seems this building would be a good fit for Lackawanna City Hall!

Rumor has it they were offered the building for 1.00 and declined.

i herd there was an old out house near by, get on it preservation people.

This is wonderful news and I applaud those that care about this building and its historical significance.

The future citizens will look at this building and be thankful they have it...just as we today look at buildings we have today with gratitude that others in the past saw as worthy of demolition.

Dont pay attention to the naysayers...they dont contribute anything except well worn indentations to their sofa.

The VP of Facility Planning for the Catholic Health System should instruct the CEO’s to direct Uniland Development to adaptively reuse this building as their “new” administration building instead of the proposed “suburbia” design being considered for the Oak Street location.

Guess what the building is going to be knocked down. I love how everyone has ideas but no one can come up with where the money is coming from to keep it. So stupid

Didn't someone say it would be a good sight for a Trader Joes ?

Have the City of Buffalo, ECHDC, Empire State Development, City of Lackawanna, NYSDOT, NFTA all gotten into a room and aggressively engaged in a proactive planning effort stretching from downtown to the Bethlehem Steel site? Is there a major comprehensive plan and a timeline to implement? This whole corridor ought to be WNY's Technology corridor complemented with high density residential with light rail stops (making transit oriented developments) all along the outer harbor extending into downtown and up the Main Street line, connecting the area and reducing auto dependent transit. With all the new parks along the outer harbor and proximity to downtown, etc it seems a very logical spot for large scale employers and residential projects. Maybe the Bethlehem Bldg should be adjacent to the southern most termination point for an extended light rail. Be aggressive and make no small plans in such important areas.

'Places such as this become part of the community and culture, deeper than just things people own.'
well said, it's intangibles like this that a dollar value really can't be placed on but are valuable in so many other non dollar based ways.

just heard on the radio that the demolition will be allowed to proceed.

It is a shame to demolish this one, none of the usual excuses apply. The building is isolated and has no impact on the neighbors or area. The building does not occupy prime real estate nor does it prevent development as the area has acres of vacant land available.
That said this would be a heavy lift, this building is unlikely to attract the dollars needed to restore at this time. Buffalo has many more desirable buildings with a better ROI. The best option would be to secure and mothball until demand starts to catch up to supply.

As a product of South Buffalo, and travelling the waterfront as well as the Route 5 complex for years, I have always been a fan of this building. That said, I have seen NO creative or level headed idea for adaptive reuse. A supermarket?

Seriously? Where do you people come up with this nonsense. This building was built for and still sits in an INDUSTRIAL area. Such as the case with the Cargills Mill on the waterfront or Cargills or Concrete Central along the Buffalo River. Love these structures, but what true adapative reuse is there other than what some hipster sipping his/her PBR typing away with no sense of reality.

The cries of people stating Lackawanna should move it's City Hall there are also laughable. This is the same city mind you that almost took 4 years, 4 YEARS to complete the new bridge on Ridge Road. It's a city in all truth that has outlived it's usefulness (it was formed for the Lackwanna Steel Company) and should be dismantled.

I believe, and it's one of the most simple industries to look into for this entire plot of land(ie: former Steel complex)and going back to our roots...ship building, maintenance and intermodal rail operations. Why? If no one knows by now, we are in the shadow of one of the world's busiest canal corridors as well as shipping routes. We have headquartered in Buffalo (albeit on Essjay in Williamsville), the American Steamship Company that operates a fleet of over 10 large lake freighters.

Many times, large lake freighters as well as Salties (ocean going cargo ships), are within 15-30 miles of our shores...anchored awaiting the transit through the Welland Canal. Buffalo was once a hub of shipbuilding and ship maintenance operations,as well as varying port operations and we still have vessels coming into our overall port. To faciliate transfer of cargo from points North in Buffalo, thereby transfering to rail for transit to NYC ports is cost effective. The transit of a vessel in the Welland Canal takes 7-9 hours. That's real money to these shipping companies.

The problem vessels face utilizing our Port is it's shallow. The Gateway Metroport can only handle the larger vessels (such as the Salties), due to there draft. This was the case during Navy Week when the USS DeWert and HMCS Ville De Quebec had to dock here rather than downtown. This is where this idea hit me as I was looking out at the former coke ovens of the steel plant rotting away. The slip infrastructure would need simple upkeep, new rail lines installed, overhead crane gantries, etc;

This is an industry that still is a major player along the waterfront. There is still an office in Lackawanna on Ridge Road where you can obtain your documentation to be a Merchant Marine (able seaman). People have placed too much focus on the St.Lawrence Seaway downgrading our importance. Yes it killed our grain industry and steel industry, but our politicans and unions were as equal to blame for not being proactive with changing times.We have a great potential, if we can find the right investment and political will to support this.

Our benefits? We have a huge Intermodal rail industry here, as well as a significant rail infrastructure still. Canadian National's yard at the old steel complex, Norfolk Southern's in Sloan and CSX operations in the area. We have many intermodal trains going through our area daily onward to the Port of Newark/New York.

It's a realistic idea, not just one building but the entire complex surrounding it. Only then, may you find parties willing to invest.

Thankfully economic reality and private property rights win out! The argument that these buildings have value that cant be measured or is underlined is the flimsiest, most desparate, sad argument I've heard. I you can't better explain this so called value, you've lost. Beauty and value as you suggest are social construction, in his case by urban, white, and likely reasonably well off EV types who have self-anointed themselves as the ones to tell the test of us what as this undefined value and why it should be saved. Anyone then with a counter argument is minimized because we refuse to accept your value, mainly becuse we better understand economics and reality.

No back to your regularly scheduled discussion of how you think you should have a say in private property rights without ownership or capital.

It looks as if the Bethlehem Steel Administration Building has found its end... the judge has ordered demolition to begin within 10 days, otherwise contempt of court charges will be issued. Article here.

you had 30 years to deal with this, and now that its time to come down, the preservationist are crying. use your own money to fix it up if you love it sooo much.

I just heard about this eminent demolition and destruction of yet another beautiful building on the Buffalo Lake Erie water front.

I traveled there to the site today to see it for myself because someone commented to me on Facebook that it was an "eyesore."

I beg to differ..... this building was the ONLY beautiful sight in the whole dump-like waterfront area that I saw for miles around.

Lackawanna Mayor - Judge involved in removing the stay of destruction - - WAKE UP, drive there, open your eyes and see for yourself the ONLY building or redeeming beauty in the entire area! STOP ITS DESTRUCTION!!!!

its odd how these things work. Money showed up to Lackawanna but is it more than just money? Some hidden force behind the scenes is saying "tear this building down." Money showed up to Lackawanna, I guess this is how it makes itself look pretty. I predict in ten years you'll only see nothing by rubble at the site. Nothing but rubble.