GOWANDA - A former print shop in Gowanda could be torn down within the next year to make way for new development.
Nicholas King, the current owner of the property on Water Street, addressed the Gowanda Village Board recently to answer questions about vandalism at the property.
King came to the meeting to indicate he is willing to cooperate with the village and is trying to demolish the building. Quotes he had received for demolition are $30,000, including $14,000 for asbestos removal in the exterior of the building.
"I'm working with funding. I'd love to take (the building) down tomorrow but financial restrictions (prevent me)," King said. "There's no way to remove it altogether."
King said when he purchased the building, it was in rough shape structurally with a "poor foundation." He said to tear it down would be more economical than trying to fix the building. The building has been reinforced with a steel plate on the door to keep out vandals.
King hopes to rebuild on the site with a retail space on the bottom floor and apartments on the second floor. He hopes to have the building demolished within the next 12 months.
Brecker said this is the first owner of the building who has worked with him and the village.
In other business, the village re-ranked the Community Development Block Grant programs. Previously the Hollywood Theater was ranked as the top project with an early warning system as second. The village has reranked the projects putting the early warning system first and the Hollywood Theater second. The rural transit van program will stay in the third spot. The early warning system will be a siren for the village which would alert residents if the water levels of the creeks were to reach flood potential levels.