x
Breaking News
More () »

Partial Reopening for West Seneca's Burchfield Center

A portion of West Seneca's Burchfield Nature and Art Center will reopen Wednesday, following a shut down amid structural and environmental safety concerns in January 2017.

WEST SENECA, NY - West Seneca is regaining partial use of its Burchfield Nature and Art Community Center, nearly a year and a half after it was shuttered due to structural and environmental concerns.

Meanwhile, a legal battle continues between the town and those involved in the facility’s construction in 2001.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring all our people back together," said Carol Yetter, a volunteer who helped manage the center and run a variety of community programs, until the building was suddenly closed in January 2017.

“The building was used when it was open for wood carvers, boy scouts, girl scouts…you name it,” said Yetter. “Everyone loved this place and there were a lot of people in there.”

Only the classroom area and a nearby bathroom will be available for community use beginning Wednesday, according to Yetter, who says the remaining two thirds of the building - including the once popular art gallery - will still be off limits.

“We won’t be going into the center of the building where I believe most of the damage is. The damage there still has to be repaired so that’s still blocked off,” Yetter said.

“It was poorly constructed,” said Town Councilman Eugene Hart, as he pointed out structural damage to the building to 2 On your Side.

“The building when it was brand new leaked through the roof, and of course, whenever you have water you have mold,” Hart said.

The town was able to gain clearance to use the portion of the building being re-opened, according to Hart, after taking steps to use a chemical sealant to contain existing mold and conduct air monitoring to make sure the classroom area and bathroom were safe for occupancy.

“We were concerned about that, but the air tests came back perfectly, so we’re confident that everything is okay," said Yetter.

With a portion of the Burchfield Center now re-opening, Hart also updated us on the legal battle concerning the facility.

“We are currently in settlement negotiations with the engineer and two architects that worked on the building 17 years ago," said Hart, who also noted that a forensic engineer hired by the town has concluded that repairs- though costly, can be effectively made.

“He believes the building can be saved for about $900,000. The other option would be to tear it down and replace it but that would probably cost $2.5 million. We won’t do anything with that portion of the building until it's litigated or settled," Hart said.

Before You Leave, Check This Out