Plans to move on from the Orange City Hall building in Lackawanna all started with a master's degree project at Buffalo State University.

"My college paper is actually based on the history, the current conditions and the potential opportunities to exit out of city hall," said Mayor Geoffrey Szymansky.

Talks about the "orange milk crate on stilts" have never been complimentary, according to the mayor who says he's been working for years to find an alternative location.

“Structurally its not great, environmentally it's terrible — everything about that building is not worth keeping anymore," Szymansky said.

On Wednesdat, the city agreed to purchase the Knights of Columbus building on South Park Avenue for $315,000 as a potential site for a new city hall.

"It's one of the properties that the city is considering moving all or part of their operations to," said city attorney Richard Juda.

The Lackawanna Catholic Club owns the building. President John Sowinsky explained why they agreed on the sale.

"Our population is aging and we do not have the monetary resources to keep the building alive," Sowinsky said.

The big orange building on Ridge Road has been around for decades and residents in Lackawanna had strong opinions about the building's next chapter.

"Who puts a building on stilts if you're not living by the river or something like that?" said Pete Rice.

According to resident Devon Pukajl, the the building has always appeared unfinished

"Where the orange comes into play, they stopped painting the black beams and they're like 'alright I'm done,'" added Pukajlo.

"It's like when you go into the Basilica, you're in Italy, and then you come outside your in Lackawanna!" added Rice.

The consensus across the board about the building is clear — it has seen its time.

Council members say it could take years before they finally move their offices from Ridge Road. Currently there are not set plans on what will be done with the old city hall building.