Lackawanna, N.Y. (AP) - Demolition is set to begin for a former Bethlehem Steel building near Buffalo that was at the center of a months-long effort by preservationists to save the site.
The 112-year-old building in Lackawanna was originally scheduled for demolition in May, when the city obtained a court order for the owners, Gateway Trade Center, to tear it down.
The company was granted a stay of demolition that expired last month, and crews are expected to start tearing down the building this week.
Preservationists were fighting to save the building, saying it's part of the Buffalo area's industrial heritage. But local officials argued the building was too far gone for rehabilitation.
The crumbling, overgrown structure is located on the former Bethlehem Steel's Lake Erie waterfront complex. The building has been vacant for 30 years.
Copyright Associated Press 2013
