BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — While Braymiller Market sits vacant in Downtown Buffalo, officials are looking at temporarily moving the Buffalo B-district Police station into that space.
At a Buffalo Common Council Committee meeting, Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the current station on Main Street is in desperate need of repair.
"This work needs to be done," he said. "The sewer lines are broken underneath the station house and it's been a problem for quite some time. This work has to be done. There are people that are working inside there in B district."
The lease agreement between Braymiller and the City of Buffalo would allow B-district to temporarily occupy the Braymiller building for one year during the 9 to 12 months of construction at the Main Street station with the city paying only $1 in rent.
The lease also said that the owner is in default with its mortgage lender and in the event there's a foreclosure, the police station would have to move out.
But not all council members are on board with this agreement.
"I'm not happy with this and I understand the commissioner's dilemma," said University District Council member Rasheed Wyatt.
"I have no problem with needing a space for police at all. I do have a problem with people not having access to fresh food," said Ellicott District Council member Leah Halton-Pope.
"We'll continue to look to activate that building for another use hopefully and preferably as a food spot for people in the neighborhood," Scanlon said.
Some members questioned Gramaglia as to why the police department couldn't find any other building to temporarily move into.
"We've been looking for quite some time. We work with Buffalo schools. We've been looking at abandoned or vacant school buildings. There's nothing to accommodate. We've been looking at other spacing locations and there's nothing to accommodate as well," Gramaglia responded.
"Our hope is that you're there for a short time and that we have a new grocer to come downtown to offer the amenities that the residents need down there," said Niagara District Council member David Rivera.
Meantime, with no decision yet on the future of the Braymiller building, members are requesting more information about all of this before voting on this lease.
