So much for mediation.
One day after a State Supreme Court justice encouraged a settlement over the fate of the historic – but damaged – Great Northern grain elevator, neither of the opposing sides budged from their positions.
The talks began Monday and were over by Tuesday, with neither the Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture, which is trying to save the structure, nor owner Archer Daniels Midland and the Brown administration, seeking to tear it down, reaching an agreement.
The preservation group sent a press release saying the sides "are heading back to court after a court-directed mediation was concluded yesterday and referred back to State Supreme Court Justice Emilio Colaiacovo."
That means Colaiacovo will render a decision on the future on the 1897 structure, which was damaged by a windstorm on Dec. 11.
Colaiacovo, who continued the stay to the city's emergency demolition order, said on Monday that he wanted a mediated settlement within the next week.
The Campaign for Greater Buffalo on Dec. 17 challenged an emergency demolition order the city granted to ADM earlier that day, asserting Jim Comerford, the city's commissioner of permit and inspection services, should have explored other alternatives before calling for the wrecking ball on the last brick-box-style grain elevator left in North America.
ADM and the city contend the structure poses an immediate risk to public safety and needs to come down. It's not the first time ADM has sought an emergency demolition. It did so three times: in 1996, 2003 and 2020, according to Comerford.
Colaiacovo said in court Monday, after the conclusion of arguments, that the restraining order would remain in effect until a mediated settlement or, if that failed to happen, his ruling.
The Campaign for Greater Buffalo on Wednesday released renderings on what the Great Northern could look like if it were repaired and restored.
"The Great Northern has a huge ground floor – almost an acre – on the City Ship Canal that could conceivably house dozens of small enterprises and offices," Paul McDonnell, an architect and Campaign for Greater Buffalo's president, said in a statement.
"Not only is there a 400-foot wharf on the canal, there is also a filled-in canal boat slip that we'd like to see re-watered," he said. "Add that to the 4-story workhouse at the top, and you can begin to imagine the potential.
"We'd definitely like to see the word "BUFFALO" on it in letters three stories high," McDonnell said. "That would be the city's calling card."
