The deterioration of underground utility vaults at the AM&A’s building in downtown Buffalo caused the closure of sidewalks on two different streets. But that’s not the only example of a faulty vault in Western New York.
A utility vault in the City of Tonawanda on the north side of Niagara Street is also causing concerns, with an outside engineering firm recommending to the city that it restrict the sidewalk in front of 6 Main St. to pedestrian or bicycle use until the vault ceiling can be shored up.
The firm, DiDonato Associates, also recommended in its report last June that the city fill in the vault because it’s not being used and the cost of keeping it would be higher. Filling it and sealing all the entrances and exits would cost $352,000, less than half the $790,000 cost to repair it and the sidewalk, the report said.
In the meantime, “the vault structure should be continually monitored for additional deterioration and signs of structural failure” every three years, DiDonato structural engineer Julianne Josa concluded in her report. The only reason it hasn’t failed yet is because the deteriorated beams underneath can still handle much more load than they were designed for, she wrote.
“You can see some deterioration,” said City Engineer Jason LaMonaco, but “it’s still adequate for its current use.”
However, he said, officials plan to reinspect the vault in 2026, in accordance with DiDonato’s recommendation. “This isn’t just a leave-and-forget-it type of issue,” he said.
City officials hired DiDonato to inspect what it calls the Young Street vault along Main and Niagara streets in response to concerns. The vault is part of a building owned by Timothy Weibel’s Two Main Tonawanda, which acquired it in 2021 from Canal Side Development, and then raised the issue about the vault with the city. The building houses Weibel’s TPW Websites business.
According to the report, the corner vault is only partially below ground at the street…
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