BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — City officials are taking the owners of the former St. Ann's Church campus on Buffalo's East Side to housing court following three recent fires at the property.
The city brought Buffalo Crescent Holdings before a housing court judge over safety concerns at the site, located along Broadway and Emslie on the city's East Side. The owners had planned to convert the property into a Bengali community center.
Buffalo's Deputy Mayor Thomas Baines said the city's priority is protecting the surrounding neighborhood.
"Our objective here is to make sure that the site remains safe for the residents," Baines explained.
The attorney for Buffalo Crescent Holdings, Jack Danziger, blamed squatters and fires for the damage and said the owners had repeatedly attempted to secure the building before the fires broke out.
"Even before the fires — they tried to secure the building," Danziger said. "They spent a lot of money trying to secure the building. No matter how they tried to secure the building, individuals have gone in there, squatters and the like."
Danziger also told the judge the owners do not have money to secure the buildings and that there is no insurance on the property — a detail that alarmed city officials.
"These organizations have acquired these buildings with no insurance, and now the expectation is that the city then swoops in and tries to save them, which is not something that we can do," Baines replied.
Baines said the lack of insurance, combined with the risk, makes the situation serious.
"Most paramount of all this — fires, and that's exactly what happened to this building today. So, absolutely, it is incredibly alarming," Baines remarked.
The judge ordered a trial. The owners could face fines of up to $20,000.
Rosa Pizzi, the city's corporation counsel, said the city will press its case.
"The judge made it very clear about what his expectations were before the trial date, and we will see what progress is made and continue to assert, you know, our rights in this case to make sure these properties are secure for the neighborhood," Pizzi responded.
City crews have already cleaned debris and boarded up windows at the site. The city said it is also in talks with a buyer who wants to redevelop the property.
Attorneys from both sides will present their cases before the judge at a trial set for September 24.
WATCH: City of Buffalo takes owners of St. Ann's to housing court
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