Buffalo Rising Online

Aside from some basic exterior maintenance, a building owner only has to keep the property secure (boarded up). There are several different reasons why buildings sit vacant - preservation laws, high tax assessments, bankrupt/insolvent owners, litigation, greed, etc.

We're in the process of purchasing a property on Grant St. It should be interesting to see how it turns out.

The problem with citistat is it is reactive, not proactive. It takes a citizen to complain about the properties for the city to write the owners up. Once the problem gets into the system, the city will follow up on it.

I turned in a property on Grant for graffiti today. I urge everyone to pick a property on Grant and report it. It can be done online at www.city-buffalo.com under City Services > Mayor's Call and Resolution Center. Quick, easy and anonymous if you want it to be. You get a 6-digit tracking number and can follow the progress of the case online.

The state of Grant Street is truly pathetic.

And Sal, there is a city law against graffiti. It is the building owner's responsibility to remove graffiti within 24 hours of the graffiti showing up, boarded up or not. It is only enforced if somebody complains about it. And there are plenty of occupied buildings on Grant with graffiti on them.

RhodeIslandBoy - I agree with you. Thanks for letting people know about the Mayor's Complaint Line. You can also call in at 716-851-4890 and just say you'd like to remain anonymous.

WTF.... put one of those police cameras in front of some of these buildings to at least catch the graffiti a**holes.

I remember in 1995 when I graduated from Buff State, being able and feeling safe walking to frontier beverage and there was a bar at the time called The Pastime lounge near the Buzz n Bee (across from Wilson Farms) on Grant. Honestly if I were to walk that stretch today (why I would I do not know) but I assume nothing would happen to me, but why take the chance. So I stay away in my comfortable Hertel neighborhood and the scum wins.... Too bad - it always felt like a very edgy neighborhood with much potential.

Buffalo has many of those neighborhoods. Seems like we do not have much of a middle class left in the city, which I feel is one of many of the city issues and leads to neighborhoods deteriorating, and these buildings become what they are in the above pictures.

...i was extremely scrutinized for recent (very) minor renovations to the front of my home. 4-5 visits from bldg inspectors who gave me attitude. and, nothing happens to these owners? what gives?

What exactly is the complaint in the following?

One thing I could never understand is how property owners on streets like Grant get away with owning boarded up buildings.

When vacant buildings are left open and unboarded, bloggers such as FixBuffalo heavily criticize the owners about that. And now for buildings that are boarded up, here we see complaints about that too. Damned if they don't, damned if they do.

As several comments have pointed out, the issue seems to be lack of demand. How about Buffalo Rising lead by example and move their offices from the in-demand Cobblestone district into one of those vacant Grant Street properties? I'm kidding of course - BR should locate their privately owned business where ever they want to locate it. Free country and all that.

But seriously, what's the complaint here? Is it against the law to board up a building? Actually it's against the law to leave them open and unsecured, right?

And what does this mean exactly about 'to no avail'?

Bob Franke from the Grant-Ferry Association going to get the help he needs? He's been fighting to see these boarded up properties get into the right hands... to no avail.

What specific actions has Mr. Franke asked the city to do 'to no avail'? I've no reason to doubt that claim, but the article makes serious complaints without being specific enough to know if those requests would've likely resulted in those buildings being occupied. A few more details please?

Lot of heat, very little light.

Yes!.... this artical "hit the hanner on the head"! these building should be knocked down or fixed up! these owners suck!

... so I should accept badgering from city inspectors -- while numerous commercial/multi-residential buildings fall apart -- just because they haven't recently received a raise? by the by; neither have I. also, and as we all know, they supplement their salaries quite nicely on city time with their "side" businesses

jwherdle writes, "knocked down or fixed up." Why on earth should they be knocked down because they have graffiti on them? Apart from that hideous, suburban Eckert store, when was the last time a new build went up on Grant? It is FAR more likely that the vacant buildings will can be affordably fixed up than that they can be knocked down and something viable built in their place. Especially on a street like this one is much more likely to see very small, low start-up fund businesses that need the cheap rent an existing building can provide. Knock these buildings down and you'll really kill the street.

RhodeIslandBoy's got the right idea. Inspections is complaint driven, so complain away.

denizen, my friend, not suggesting that inspectors should repeatedly fine these owners, just pointing out that it seems that to me, a little old homeowner, I get hassled more than these owners do. why? it's comparable to the situation with meter maids/parking tickets. the city acknowledges that they do not ticket over in the "east side" b/c metermaids get harassed there. but, they ticket way too much (in my view) in the elmwood district b/c that's where the money is. why?

nonono, you're completely right. Declining neighborhoods are a symptom of a failing economy. Loss of jobs, population and flight to the suburbs can only lead to what is happening in so many, I'd say the majority of neighborhoods in the city. It's only rational that a neighborhood with less jobs, less wealth and less people will sink. It's great that people are looking to fix their neighborhoods, and should continue, but until the macro problems are fixed the trends will continue. Until the powers that be change the business climate and make Buffalo an attractive place for investment, neighborhoods will continue to fail.

ChocolateShake - Glad to see somebody noticed my irony earlier. Maybe the concern is that if BR moved to Grant St then the Cobblestone district building might become boarded up. Kidding, kidding.

A lot of comments above express very good insights about the real issue on Grant and many other Buffalo secondary streets once filled with businesses but are now very empty - lack of demand. Sure, City Hall of course should try to cooperate with what Mr. Franke is asking for regarding enforcement. What is he asking the city to do, and how much difference does he think it will make if demand stays so low? What does the new council member Rivera say?

And what does this mean?

Bob Franke from the Grant-Ferry Association going to get the help he needs? He's been fighting to see these boarded up properties get into the right hands... to no avail.

Who are the 'right hands'? Are they real people he knows of, waiting, ready, and able to buy a particular property - or does that refer to hypothetical owners who might not exist? The article was not at all clear about that.

True, it was a joke and nobody expects it. But the idea's absurdity illustrates why the street has so many empty buildings now. Why those being boarded up is considered so much worse than being left wide open for de-coppering, etc. seems reasonable to ask. Not that questions are often answered.