Area groups are working to secure a New York Main Street Downtown Stabilization program grant that would be used to save the historic Arcade Building that was nearly gutted by fire on June 22. P-J file photo by Eric Tichy

Jamestown city officials are working to save the building that was engulfed in flames less than a month ago.

On June 22, a towering blaze lit up 24 Main St., which is located south of the Arcade Building and next to the railroad viaduct. Thanks to the quick work of the Jamestown Fire Department and neighboring departments who provided assistance, city officials and the building’s owner — Prideful Property Group LLC — are still trying to save the building from being completely demolished.

Vince DeJoy, city development director, said Prideful Property Group, the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, the Gebbie Foundation and city officials are working together to submit a Consolidated Funding Application with the state Office of Community Renewal for a New York Main Street Downtown Stabilization program grant.

“We’re working with the owner of the building to come up with a plan. (The building owner’s plan) currently isn’t to demolish the entire structure that he owns,” DeJoy said. “We’re working with the Gebbie Foundation and JRC, who will submit the application, to apply for a grant to basically stabilize the building. We’re looking for funding assistance to help demolish what needs to be demolished and to see if the rest of the building can be stabilized to keep it up. If that is in fact the case, we’re still going through the structural analysis, if a portion of it can be preserved, that is the direction we would like to proceed.”

DeJoy said the grant is designed for this type of project. On Monday, Jamestown City Council will vote on a resolution to support the grant application. According to the resolution, the New York State Downtown Stabilization program is designed to provide communities with grant funds to assist with environmental remediation and associated construction costs as well as innovative approaches to stabilizing and developing downtown mixed use buildings.

See tomorrow’s edition of The Post-Journal for complete coverage.