BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The vacant Shoreline Apartments now have a set demolition date, January 23.
Mayor Byron Brown announced the plans Wednesday afternoon. It's been a long time coming for this project. 7 Eyewitness News checked in on the development over the summer, learning that the hold up was a result of an ongoing lawsuit.
In December, things looked optimistic for the project moving forward.
Early January, owners at Norstar Development told 7 Eyewitness News the buildings were set to be torn down in January of 2020. Members of the community complained about the eyesore that leads you to Downtown Buffalo.
"We know we're a gateway and we want to do our part, have this really welcoming and very nice aesthetic to the housing that's going to be here and the people that are going to live here so they can be really proud of their homes," said Norstar's Senior Vice President Linda Goodman.
There is now construction tape and heavy machinery in what's left of the Shoreline Apartments as they're finally being torn down this week. The $34 million-dollar plan is to replace them with new, subsidized housing, to match the apartments further down Niagara Street, per developers.
"It's going to work very nicely for affordable and middle income right in the downtown core when we're losing a lot of affordable housing," said Goodman.
Those who were evicted from the apartments in three years ago will now have the opportunity to apply to move back in when the project is finished.
THREAD: Construction crews have put up signage outside the old shoreline apartments. They’re set to be torn down this month. @MayorByronBrown will provide an update in a few minutes, i’ll keep you updated here. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/ujh2p3tCdD
— Taylor Epps (@taylor_epps_) January 22, 2020
Buffalo Police have gone in to make sure no one is living in the apartments, as there had been reports of squatters. There's red tape lining the apartments warning of asbestos, but city officials say that is nothing to worry about.
Developers expect the project to take a few months, the goal is to be done by Memorial Day of 2020. The entire re-development project could take up to two years to complete.
