BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The City of Buffalo is taking legal action to seize control of the Buffalo Grand Hotel, which has remained vacant for nearly four years following a fire in 2021.
Acting Mayor Scanlon announced that the city has filed a notice of intent to commence abandonment proceedings in the New York State Supreme Court, marking the latest step in regaining control of Buffalo's largest hotel.
"I think it's incumbent upon us as a municipality to make sure that we take that property and put it to good use," Scanlon said.
The city's filing states that the hotel is vacant and that owner Harry Stinson hasn't paid property taxes in over a year. The document also cites a "combination of the prolonged vacancy and public health risks, code violations, things like that," according to Scanlon.
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Stinson disputes the city's claims and maintains he's still working to secure the millions of dollars needed to reopen the hotel.
"There's no doubt there's ample evidence that it hasn't been abandoned," Stinson said. "We'll continue our work on refinancing, which is challenging in this new era but not impossible."
Stinson says news conferences surrounding his hotel's future have negatively impacted his ability to refinance the property. He also alleges poor communication with city officials.
"Despite endless attempts to communicate, discuss and work with them, there's never been a single response," Stinson said.
Scanlon counters that the city has given Stinson ample opportunity.
"We've been in communication with him and given him more than ample opportunity to take action with that property, and he hasn't, and I don't believe he has any intention to do so," Scanlon said.
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Stinson now has 30 days to respond to the legal filing, or the city intends to take the next steps needed to acquire the property.
"I have no intention of losing this property," Stinson said.
Mayor-elect Ryan shared his perspective on the longstanding issue in this statement:
"I'm glad the City is recognizing this as a priority, and I hope to see a resolution soon. We can't afford to leave downtown's largest hotel vacant for another five years. When I take office, we'll evaluate the situation and determine what steps are needed moving forward."
