Buffalo Acquiring Empty Courthouse For Police, Fire Agencies

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The city of Buffalo plans to turn a vacant courthouse into a combined police and fire headquarters.

Mayor Byron Brown says the city will take ownership of the Michael J. Dillon Federal Courthouse on Wednesday. The city is purchasing the building from the federal government for $1.

The 80-year-old downtown building has been vacant since a larger new federal courthouse opened nearby in late 2011.

Brown says the city has been considering a new public safety campus for the past year because the police and fire departments are working out of older buildings that are filled to capacity.

He says repurposing the courthouse for a combined headquarters will reduce the footprint of city-owned buildings, making some available for private development.

[STORY BY: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]