Buffalo challenges federal land status for 5 Miami Street

Buffalo has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Interior Department’s 2023 decision to place 5 Miami Street in restricted-fee status, opening a separate legal fight over the Seneca Nation parcel.

The suit, City of Buffalo v. Burgum et al., No. 1:26-cv-02275, was filed Oct. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Reports say Buffalo seeks review under the Administrative Procedure Act. The city argues Interior made legal errors and that the parcel did not meet the requirements for restricted-fee status; those are Buffalo’s allegations, not court findings.

Corporation Counsel Rosa Alina Pizzi said Buffalo wants clarity about the decision’s implications for municipal zoning, planning and permitting. The reported defendants include Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, federal officials and the United States; the Seneca Nation is not listed among them. The federal case is separate from a construction-related lawsuit the city announced the previous day over development at the same address. No ruling changing the parcel’s status has been reported.