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EAST SIDE
Activists spur demolition of run-down houses near school
By PHIL FAIRBANKS
News Staff Reporter
2/9/2005

Sometimes, you can fight City Hall.

East Side activists spent weeks trying to push and prod the city into tearing down two vacant, run-down houses next to one of Buffalo's newly renovated public schools.

They wondered why City Hall would spend $9 million on improvements to Emerson Middle School but ignore dilapidated housing directly across Koons Avenue.

City Hall finally responded.

"This is happening because of the good work of the activists in that neighborhood," said Timothy E. Wanamaker, Buffalo's executive director of strategic planning.

Wanamaker, with the blessing of Mayor Anthony M. Masiello, has ordered the houses torn down, hopefully within the week.

On top of that, the city plans to look for other slum housing that may be near schools being renovated as part the 10-year, $1 billion districtwide construction project.

"We have a commitment to take down or rehabilitate homes that are near our newly renovated city schools," Wanamaker said.

For activists, the Koons demolitions came as great news. "This neighborhood has been ignored for too long," said housing activist Jamie Rozek. "Both those houses have been vandalized, one of them has been burned three times and people are squatting inside. It's very unsafe."

Rozek credited Wanamaker with realizing the danger the vacant houses posed to pupils returning to school this month.

Emerson, previously a vocational high school, was gutted and transformed into a bright, modern middle school. The school reopens in a few weeks.

"I'm glad he's working with us," activist Michele Johnson said of Wanamaker. "That's the only way we're going to bring this city back."

News of the demolitions didn't stop Rozek and a handful of other activists from spending their free time Saturday painting over graffiti on the two houses. The ultimate goal is to build a community garden where the two houses now stand.

"We want them to look the best they can until they come down," Rozek said. "And once the houses come down, it'll be a slap in the face to the vandals who did this."

Johnson, who doubles as a neighborhood liaison to Buffalo's housing court, said activists also plan to go after the California couple who bought one of the houses and allowed it to decay.

As a result, the court has issued a warrant for their arrest.

e-mail: pfairbanks@buffnews.com