December 1995....TABLE
of CONTENTS
Is there an angel in the house?
By Chris Renn
The struggle to save the commanding towers of the former Asbury United Methodist Church on Delaware Avenue has only begun, with the temporary stay from an emergency demolition order./ The order was sought by the city, and issued by City Court Judge David Manz, because blocks of sandstone veneer had fallen off the 120-year-old north steeple.
The church is a designated local landmark and the emergency demolition order sidesteps a public review process. Nonetheless, lawyers for the churchís insurer were able to get a hearing before County Court Judge Michael DíAmico, who, on November 22, gave the churchís insurer until December 12 to figure out the cause of the damage and how much it feels obliged to pay for repairs. The insurer claims to be liable only for wind-induced damage.
An engineerís report stated that, structurally, the towers seemed to be in no imminent danger of collapse. All parties seem to agree on that, but unless the demolition order is actually overturned, the city must begin demolition by mid-February at the latest.
The engineerís report recommended remedial action to fasten the veneer to the structure. After that, the fate of the towers would hinge on whether the church, and, if necessary, the city and some wished-for angel, can pay for a full restoration of the towers and west wall, estimated at $370,000 (facing Delaware Avenue. Demolition of the towers to the roofline may cost $300,000.
The cityís position on the matter seemed to moderate, with Commissioner of Housing and Inspections Anthony Marconi allowing that, ìwearing my preservationist hat, I would like to see the towers stay.î
This brought a ìWith all due respect, your honorÖî from the attorney representing the churchís insurer, to the effect that he had talked to Mr. Marconi for a long time, and didnít ìnotice any preservationist hat.î
It is the relatively narrow difference between estimates of demolition and restoration of the towers which gives hope. If, through a preservation covenant, the city and church can cooperate, as Judge DíAmico seemed to suggest, they can avoid costs of almost certain litigation over the portion of the demolition cost itself the churchís insurer actually ends up paying.
The Preservation Coalition is working to help find a resolution.
The church was built 1876 and is now occupied by the Cornerstone Life Church. It was the last building designed by John Selkirk, a prominent early Buffalo architect. Selkirk was also responsible for the local and National Register Landmark ëold gas worksë on Genesee Street.
Remedial action was recommended in four areas: Installation of temporary cables around buttresses on the SW tower, as has already been done on the NW tower; repoint wall and tower sections, removing and resetting bowing or loose areas; anchor the buttresses on both towers with stainless steel rods; reanchor stone veneer with steel rods and epoxy to west wall and towers, some of which may have been able to be put off until spring.
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