Mayor Brown Announces Aggressive 5 In 5 Demolition Plan

Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the launch of his new “5 in 5” Demolition Plan. The plan targets demolishing over 5,000 structures in 5 years.

The estimated cost of this initiative, over five years, is $100 million, with an anticipated contribution of $60 million from New York State, $20 million from the City of Buffalo, $15 million from the federal government and $5 million from a City-Community matching fund program (City will match goal of $2.5 million raised from community funding sources).

“The ‘5 in 5’ Demolition Plan will be an accelerated, comprehensive, citywide attack on the dangers and blight of vacant structures,” said Mayor Brown. “Buffalo’s high vacancy rate is a serious problem that must be treated aggressively and the new ‘5 in 5’ Plan will do just that.”

Mayor Brown discussed the need for continued and heightened funding from New York State and from the Federal Government, as well as the need for support from the local community. The City has pledged to match any business and philanthropic funding received.

The “5 in 5” Demolition Plan also highlights the need for State regulatory reform, in order to give local authorities greater decision-making power, as well as the need to streamline New York State funding access processes.

To help oversee the implementation of this plan, as well as focus on all permit and inspection issues, Mayor Brown announced the appointment of James Comerford as Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development, Permit and Inspection Services.

“Jim Comerford brings a wealth of public and private sector experience to this new position,” said Mayor Brown. “With the level of development occurring in Buffalo – currently over $3.5 billion dollars of activity, along with this new “5 in 5” Demolition agenda, Jim Comerford is the right man at the right time to oversee this department’s permit and inspection operations, including all demolition activities.”

Comerford started in the Building Inspections Department in 1979 and served as a building inspector until 1983 when he was promoted to Supervisor of Inspectors.

In 1985, he was promoted to Director of Building Inspections and was then approved as Commissioner of Inspections and Community Revitalization in 1985.

He served in that capacity until August of 1987 when he left his Commissioner's post
and became Vice-President for Construction for BEDC [now BERC] and became the City's Project Representative for the Pilot Field [now Dunn Tire Park] construction.

Comerford left BEDC in 1994 and formed his own construction management company, which he owned and operated until earlier this year.