Report: First phase of stabilizing Cobblestone to cost $350,000

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A broadcast report says it will cost $350,000 to complete the first phase of stabilizing the Cobblestone buildings damaged by fire back on June 18. The owner says the City of Buffalo is better off tearing the property down.

Building owner Darryl Carr says he doesn't believe the report is accurate. He says he's only been shown a diagram of what needs to be taken down and stabilized.

"When I talked to my engineers about it, they said the cost would be in the millions," said Carr in an interview with WBEN.

Carr says the first phase would be coming up with a way to stabilize without endangering anyone, as well as dealing with contamination factors. He adds he hasn't seen anything from the city.

"The city asked me for a stabilization plan, and we gave them a demolition plan," Carr said.

Carr adds that's because the fire left the building a total loss, which is under the city code.

Carr believes it's not worth it for the city to spend millions of dollars on stabilizing when the building has to be torn down to be rebuilt.