Resolution Still Sought For Allen Street Property | News, Sports, Jobs

Pictured is the former Crawford Furniture factory building at 1061 Allen St. in Jamestown.
P-J file photo

It’s been nearly six months, but the future of a former Crawford Furniture factory building at 1061 Allen St. is still very much up in the air.

In February, the city Department of Development, Jamestown Police Department, Jamestown Fire Department, Jamestown Department of Public Works, and the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, along with investigators from both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Conservation inspected the building to assess the condition of the main building of the massive complex and to inventory and test suspected hazardous materials that have been found on site.

Crystal Surdyk, city development director, told The Post-Journal via email this week that the EPA is still overseeing the property while code enforcement actions continue. Issues include part of the building being on the verge of collapse, parts of the building needing to be stabilized and the storage of hazardous materials and chemicals scattered throughout the site.

“The owners were in court last Friday and were granted an additional two weeks to meet with Larry (Scalise, city building and zoning code officer) and I onsite with an environmental abatement firm to come up with an agreeable solution to the collapsing portion of the building,” Surdyk said. “The costs of asbestos abatement are significant so the owner is looking for ways to save himself some money. We are seeking a full demolition order of the back portion of the building with stabilization of the front brick portion of the building.”

The complex is owned by Allen Street Development LLC, which has reportedly been cited several times by Scalise for violations including for junk and debris and for failure to renovate or demolish. Much of the junk and debris has been removed from the property while the structural issues are dealt with.

The site is listed on the federal EPA website as a Superfund site. It is also currently listed as available the county tax auction.

“We are working with the county to remove the property from the tax auction so that a prospective buyer doesn’t impede our enforcement efforts or unwittingly buy something that they then have to remediate,” Surdyk said.