David R. Roefaro, Mayor

City of Utica, New York

       Mayor Roefaro: "This is a blitz"

August 13, 2008 – (Utica, NY) – During the month of July, Mayor Roefaro orchestrated the demolition of 8 abandoned structures in the City of Utica. These include:

July

1206 West St- Demolished

1214 Parker St- Demolished

302 Leah St- Demolished

307 Leah St- Demolished

1213 Nielson St- Demolished

1417 West St- Demolished

1403-1405 West St- Demolished

1101 Elm St- Demolished

During the next few weeks, and into the month of September, Mayor Roefaro is increasing the demolition list to include 15 more properties. Two of those slated for demolition in August have already been demolished, and the rest will be down before the end of September. These include:

August

948-950 Fay St- Demolished

1400 Catherine St- Demolished

Starting Soon

911 Lock St – Demolition begins tomorrow morning, August 14 at 7:30am 

These are the structures scheduled to be demolished in the coming weeks

Mayor David Roefaro created this demolition list in May in an effort to put real results behind his promise to tackle urban blight in the city. Roefaro made this promise during a press conference on May 15^th when he gave a speech at the corner of Spring and Fay Streets in Utica to announce this initiative.

Roefaro said, about this recent demolition schedule, "This is a blitz. This is putting action to our words. Since July 1, 2008 we've demolished 10 structures in the city, 13 are to follow before the end of September." The Mayor added, "We're not only doing this because we're trying to make the city more aesthetically pleasing, we're doing this to compliment the efforts of the Arson Task Force, and eliminate nuisances in the city. This demo blitz has been calculated, tactful, and a real example of strict codes enforcement, and preventative public safety."

Fire Chief Russell Brooks also noted that, "Vacant buildings have no remaining value. They are a cancer in some areas of this city, and they impact the value of the housing stock in the immediate areas they occupy. Above this, they are a public safety hazard, a magnet for criminal activity, including arson."

This blitz by the city is also being looked at as a positive message for potential developers, proving that the city is taking action to address crime, arson, and other factors that can make investors hesitant to invest within the city. Commissioner of Economic Development Robert Sullivan said, "This demo blitz isn't just to get rid of some eye sores in the city, it's much more than that." He added, "At the least, it will send a clear message to developers that the city is moving in the right direction. In the past, even smaller demo projects made way for Hope VI redevelopment."