
COMMERCIAL BUILDING
STABILIZATION FUND
Establishing a dedicated funding source to support stabilization of at-risk historic buildings in the target investment areas.

STABILIZING AT-RISK HISTORIC BUILDINGS
The Commercial Building Stabilization Fund is a dedicated funding source for inclusive preservation to support stabilization of at-risk historic buildings in the target investment areas.
Preservation Buffalo Niagara is partnering with the City of Buffalo to identify at-risk historic buildings and dedicate funds to “mothball” them (i.e. institute structural repairs and implement stabilization methods that prevent further deterioration due to weather, vandalism, etc.) in an effort to protect them from future demolition, while waiting for an uptick in the real estate market to attract private investors. This program ensures that historic assets are saved and neighborhood character is preserved—both essential to a thriving commercial district.
WHY IT MATTERS
Historic preservation is an important element of Western New York and the City of Buffalo’s economic development strategy—ensuring that the region’s unique history, beauty, and sense of place are retained through its architecture, landscapes, and urban design, and reversing the decades-long practice of demolishing historic building stock. More than any other area of the city, the East Side has historic buildings in danger of “demolition by neglect”— intentionally allowing a property to suffer severe deterioration, potentially beyond the point of repair. The community would like to see stabilization of historic buildings along the corridors, while supporting local workforce development in the preservation trades whenever possible.