Workers finish installing safety scaffolding on the west side of the F&M Building late this afternoon. Early this evening, Locust Street's sidewalk was reopened to pedestrian traffic. Vehicular traffic will follow soon. (SCOTT LEFFLER / ENP STAFF)

By +Scott Leffler 
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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With the safety scaffolding put in place this afternoon, Locust Street is re-opened for pedestrians — and will be for vehicular traffic soon.

The street has been closed since late in the evening on June 7 when large pieces of stone fell from the third story of the F&M Building onto the sidewalk below and into the street, damaging the awning to the 21st Amendment bar, which is in the basement of the building.

The scaffolding will remain in place — to catch any stone that may fall — until permanent repairs are done. The city's Building Inspection Department says Granchelli Development is considering multiple fixes for the issue, one of which could take months.

The bar — the building's only tenant — has also been closed for more that two weeks since the incident happened. It re-opened tonight around 8 p.m.

Jon George, owner of the bar said, they're celebrating the re-opening with $9.99 pizzas all week and "letting people pet Matt Devines beard tonight for the opening." The second part may have been facetious. Or not.

It's unknown at this time when the barricades will be removed and the street re-opened to vehicular traffic.

NOTE: Story corrected at 10:10 p.m. to state that the street is still barricaded and not open to vehicular traffic. We regret the error.

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