Post-Fire Clean-Up of Former Crawford Furniture Building Site Could Cost Over $1 Million

City Council Housing Committee (December 5, 2022)

The clean-up cost following the fire at the former Crawford Furniture building on Allen Street could cost over $1 million.

Director of Development Crystal Surdyk informed the City Council Housing Committee that Allen Street Development LLC, whose principal owners are Richard and Patricia Rusiniak of Cheektowaga, did not have insurance on the building. She said the city’s goal is to work to make sure taxpayers do not foot the clean-up bill and are pursuing accountability of the owners.

Surdyk said the city is continuing to coordinate with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department of Environmental Conservation. She said the city has requested the EPA consider the site for their “removable” program, “They’ve been involved, they’ve been engaged the last year and a half. There were several barrels of hazardous materials that were removed from the property over the course of the last year and a half. It could have been a much more disastrous event than it was.”

Surdyk said the EPA has also assisted already by installing a fence to secure the property. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.