BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A month after a massive four-alarm fire gutted the former Saint Ann's School building on Buffalo's East Side, Mayor Sean Ryan is promising taxpayers won't have to foot the bill for demolition, holding the owner responsible.
"You have a responsibility to secure your building," he said. "We're going to be out of the business of demolishing or repairing privately owned structures at the taxpayer expense."
The January 15 blaze completely gutted the building's historic interior.
"We've told the owners of their responsibility towards this building," Ryan said.
The Muna Center of Buffalo privately owns the St. Ann's property. The organization's website states that it aims to establish an Islamic education center. I tried to reach out but was unsuccessful.
The city says the owner must take responsibility for securing or repairing this property.
"We brought them into our offices with their attorney and explained to them their responsibility," Deputy Mayor Thomas Baines said.
Baines said the owners have indicated they will address the situation themselves.
"What they suggested to us is that they have a robust community, and they intend to raise the funds to try to either one, partially demo the building, and two, try to get it back in some decent repair, to do what they want to do," Baines said.
The city has worked to secure the area around the burned-out building.
"We met with and had a review of this site by a structural engineer to make sure that the site, as it's sectioned off, as you see with fencing and barriers, is safe so that it encompasses the collapse zone," "Another thing we did was we sent letters and delivered them by hand, delivered them to the community to let them know what's going on.”
If the owners fail, the city will pursue legal action in the city housing court.
"They seem willing to do the work, and I can take them at their word, but as far as I'm concerned," Baines said. "My objective is to make sure that the site is safe. My objective is to make sure that there's a future for the site."
WATCH: Mayor Sean Ryan vows Buffalo taxpayers won't pay for fire-damaged St. Ann's property
Preservation Buffalo Niagara Chair Gwen Howard said the building still qualifies for historic preservation tax credits despite the fire.
"From a financial perspective, it still qualifies, so we've confirmed that it still qualifies for those historic preservation tax credits," Gwen Howard said. "It's going to be between 40 or 50% of the renovation cost that is born through tax credits, which they can sell and get immediate capital as a nonprofit."
Howard said a "significant portion" of the exterior walls can be saved.
"We're committed to meeting with the property owner here as they develop plans to either salvage a portion of this building as much as possible, to incorporate into their development plans, and work with them as a realistic and feasible solution for the building," Howard said.
There's still no cause for the fire, but Buffalo Fire Commissioner Daniel Pizzaro says they've confirmed squatters were inside.
"There is confirmation that there were squatters in the building before that day, whether or not this was a result of some type of incendiary device, or a candle, we actually can't get in there to confirm," Commissioner Pizzaro said.
However, right now, investigators can't get in due to safety concerns until the building is stabilized.
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