Show us the money and we’ll get out of your way, the Downtown
Bradford Revitalization Corp. has said to Bradford businessman
Roger Feura regarding the Main Street building Feura wants to
demolish for a parking lot.
The building at 45 Main St., which was formerly Angells
Entertainment Center until a fire in 2004 caused about $50,000 in
damage, is currently owned by Roger Feura, who also owns Bradford
Pharmacy, which is located a few storefronts away.
Feura had purchased the building in March for one dollar from
owners Chris and Michelle Angell after it had stood vacant for
several months.
The understanding had been that a clause in the Angells’
original sales agreement with the Downtown Bradford Revitalization
Corp. allows that organization the option to buy back the building
until September of 2006.
However, Feura explained Monday evening that a real estate
attorney he consulted said that is not the case.
“If I were to sell my property, they would have the option to
buy it,” Feura said. “Their option (to buy the building) was never
put into effect when Angells had it.
“In June, (the DBRC) decided to borrow money to buy it back,” he
said. They cannot do that retroactively, he explained. “I’m holding
on to (the building).”
Feura has spoken publicly about his desire to demolish the
building and put in a free parking lot to serve patrons of Main
Street businesses. He has met with opposition from the DBRC, who
want to save the historic building and would rather see it
remodeled.
In a letter appearing on page four of today’s Era, the board of
directors of the DBRC speak out about their side of the story.
“The Bradford Era and radio station WESB have not reported the
DBRC’s position on this matter,” the letter reads. “They have not
asked. What has been reported is only one side of the story.”
The letter is signed by Chairman Chris Hauser, Diane DeWalt,
Peggy Comilla, Sara Andrews, Jim Guelfi and Bill Leven.
However, contrary to the letter from the organization, Hauser
has previously spoken to The Era regarding the DBRC’s position on
the Angell’s building. In an article appearing in the June 30
edition of The Era, Hauser said the DBRC planned to purchase back
the building at 45 Main St.
“The purpose is to preserve the building,” he said then.
When asked Monday if that was still the purpose of the DBRC,
Hauser said, “most definitely. That’s the intention of the DBRC
that the building be preserved.”
He also explained in June that the DBRC had considered either
expanding the Main Street Mercantile into the former Angells
building or opening another mercantile in that location.
“The board’s letter states our current position,” Hauser said
Monday. The letter describes Feura’s plans for the site since he
first acquired it.
According to the DBRC, Feura had first planned to tear down the
building to build a new drug store similar to the Eckerd drug in
Olean, N.Y. The DBRC was in opposition, wanting the building
restored rather than torn down. They offered financial assistance,
which Feura declined, according to the letter.
The DBRC then decided that if Feura were to build a new building
“architecturally compatible with Main Street’s other buildings,”
the agency would not oppose Feura’s plans.
“The DBRC does oppose the use of this site solely for a parking
lot,” the letter reads.
After that, Feura decided to tear down the building to use the
space as a parking lot.
However, the application for this project was denied by the
Historic Architectural Review Board because it was incomplete, the
DBRC letter explains.
“Among other things, it contained no cost estimates nor did it
contain a site plan for his proposed parking lot as is required by
the HARB ordinance,” according to the letter. The DBRC suggests
getting a copy of Feura’s application to see what information is
lacking.
“Mr. Feura did not provide any estimates when he provided his
demolition permit,” Hauser reiterated. To do the job of demolition
and construction of a parking lot correctly would cost in the range
of about $300,000, according to Hauser.
The DBRC estimates the cost to demolish the building would be
between $100- and $125,000.
“We’re using comparable figures from recent projects,” Hauser
explained. The letter states that the recent demolition of the
Pennzoil building cost $143,000. The cost to properly construct a
parking lot at the site, according to the DBRC, is between $150- to
$175,000.
“The parking lot recently constructed between the Bradford Club
and Dr. Sosic’s renovated historic office building cost $158,700 to
construct,” the letter from the DBRC reads.
And that would be the type of lot necessary for the plan to be
accepted by the DBRC.
“We don’t want a dirt or gravel lot there,” Hauser explained.
“We would want to see it paved. We would want to see curbing and
proper drainage.
“If Mr. Feura has the funds to properly do as he proposes, if he
can get HARB approval” for a parking lot, then the organization
will not stand in his way, Hauser said.
The DBRC estimates Feura would need about $300,000 to construct
a parking lot that would meet requirements, and that annually
maintaining the lot would cost around $12- to $15,000.
The letter from the organization questions Feura’s intentions,
saying he would not pay that much money for a lot and then not
charge people to use it.
“Do you think Mr. Feura is so rich and generous that he would do
this for the betterment of Bradford?” the board of directors asks,
and then answers “no.”
“What is Mr. Feura’s real intention?” the letter reads.
Hauser referred further questions to the agency’s attorney, Greg
Henry. Henry did not return a call seeking comment.
