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Bill

S 9677

Enacts the "city of Buffalo historic preservation receivership act"

2025 Regular Session Introduced by April Baskin

New York bill empowers state to appoint receivers managing neglected historic Buffalo properties to prevent demolition and enable preservation-focused rehabilitation or redevelopment.

REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
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Bill Summary · S 9677

Legislative bill overview

S 9677 establishes a receivership mechanism that allows the state to take control of historic properties in Buffalo that are deemed to be in severe disrepair or neglect. The bill enables appointed receivers to manage, rehabilitate, or dispose of these properties while bypassing some normal procedural requirements. This is intended to address the preservation crisis affecting Buffalo's significant stock of architecturally and historically important buildings.

Why is this important

Buffalo contains one of the nation's largest collections of 19th and early 20th-century architecture, but thousands of historic structures face demolition due to abandonment and deterioration. The receivership approach represents an aggressive intervention strategy that could prevent loss of irreplaceable cultural resources and encourage neighborhood revitalization, but it fundamentally shifts property rights from owners to state-appointed administrators.

Potential points of contention

  • Property rights concerns: Receivership transfers control of private properties without traditional foreclosure proceedings, raising constitutional questions about due process and takings
  • Owner liability and fairness: Property owners may dispute whether their buildings truly meet neglect thresholds, and the process for appeals or owner remediation pathways may be limited
  • Implementation costs and receiver accountability: Who funds receiver operations, management decisions, and property improvements is unclear, as is oversight of receiver conduct and financial management

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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