Bethlehem Steel North Office Demolition - Part II
1 Comments Published by fixBuffalo on 5/18/2012 at 8:42 AM.
On Wednesday evening I met George Richert from WIVB and Steve Bremer, the City of Lackawanna's Code Enforcement Officer on site. Here's that story and video clip. Steve handed me a press packet containing numerous items including this email he'd received earlier in the day from Elizabeth Martin, NYS Division of Historic Preservation.
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from Steve Bremer's press packet
Money was clearly available in 2009 to make the Bethlehem Steel North Office Building "preservation ready". The former Mayor of Lackawanna was thought to be cooperating in using RESTORE NY funds for this purpose. Why wasn't this pursued? Why was the building really condemned and court ordered to be demolished? The photographic and eye-witness evidence is completely different from the official line - "it's too far gone to save". Photographers who've been visiting the historic Bethlehem Steel headquarters building for years have formed this FaceBook group. The photographic evidence suggests a structurally sound building and not one of impending implosion or collapse.
from Steve Bremer's press packet
On Sunday afternoon all the floors were safe - a few holes on the first floor, second and third that corresponded with a roof leak. The central staircase had collapsed. There are two other stair cases that provide access to the entire building. There was no roof collapse. Why would a City Code Enforcement Officer and a demolition company misrepresent the actual conditions?
See: Bethlehem Steel North Office Demolition - Part I __________________________________________________________________________________
The state funds were designated for this building yet never used. Gateway owns a construction and development company R&P Oakhill that is using lots of state money on their housing projects like the new Riverside Apartments for DePaul. http://depaulstaff.org/newsletters/InsightsImages.pdf
This state money could be in Jeopardy too if they smack down a building that is not in the condition told to the state. DHCR does talk to OPRHP.