The Olean Urban Renewal Agency will receive demolition bids today for the Siegel's building on North Union Street and will look them over during a March 19 agency meeting.
Agency board members, who met last week, agreed to decide whether to move forward with the project, which has been a topic of discussion since it was determined more than a year ago that the building was an eyesore.
Community Development Director Mary George told agency board members that, besides demolishing or restoring the building, another option is to stabilize it with some repairs or put it in mothballs.
The Siegel's building was purchased by the city in a tax foreclosure auction and turned over to the URA. The agency intended to package it with development deals for renovation of the former Manufacturers Hanover Trust bank building at North Union and West State streets.
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Last year, it was discovered that Siegel's skylight had been broken and water damage had occurred as a result of vandalism in the bank building, which is now owned by a nonprofit entity. Several buildings on the block, including Siegel's, were later affected by flooding, which originated with broken pipes in the bank building. The agency began to research the possibilities for demolition and sought the advice of engineers.
The discovery of asbestos postponed demolition plans and drove the cost estimates up to almost $100,000. Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce Director John Sayegh, who has worked with engineers on the Siegel's project, told agency board members last week that Siegel's walls are joined with the bank building and a retailer on its north side. He said he also learned that Siegel's basement is flanked by basements for the neighboring commercial buildings on either side and for structural reasons Siegel's could never be converted to a driveway or a drive-through.
Sayegh received the board's approval for a $1,500 structural engineering analysis, which was already under way. A report will be available soon to tell how the demolition might affect the other structures.
"Property owned by a public entity should be restored," Sayegh said.
Several agency board members expressed support for renovating Siegel's, and Mayor David Carucci said he is opposed to mothballing the structure because it will prevent future development.
