Same Story, Different Day: Cobblestone Plan Approved

looks good. hope they add on the third floor, adds a lot to the building. i'm excited to see the cobblestone district as it continues to gain momentum. it has a great deal of inherent character and will be in a prime location as downtown and the harbor continue to take shape and grow.

just curious how they know what was originally on the 3rd floor.

Nice! Good to see what little is left of the cobblestone district really coming alive again! Also, what a good project that was way back when to preserve those cobblestone streets with a massive volunteer effort, it really gives the area alot of character and makes this district more appealing.

Way to go, J. Roger! I hope your investment here will either set an example for -- or shame -- a certain nearby property owner whose buildings are suffering severe damage by (intentional--?) neglect, a blemish on the progress of the Cobblestone District.

I love the glass top! BTW, the authentic industrial feel is a major and intentional Cobblestone District hallmark, so you might consider restoring some (or better yet, all!) of the painted signage on the building. For what it's worth, if you did that, I'd personally nominate you for a preservation award. If you have any doubts about how that would look, you could always have your architect throw it into the rendering and have WCP post both versions here for folks to comment on. BR has done similar things, for example with proposed designs for Zepto-Metrix and Rock Harbor, that got some valuable feedback for the developers.

BTW, speaking of the Buehl Block, just around the corner on Ellicott there was still a pocket of industrial/commercial use, perhaps a remnant of earlier days. One of those companies was Emulso, which sold (and manufactured?) industrial cleaning products. I noticed they moved about a month ago (to Tonawanda), and I'm wondering if anyone has their eye on mixed use conversion of that location yet. It's always a shame when the city loses longtime, stable businesses that have held out in their locations (I wonder if City Hall made any attempts to find another location for them in city limits--?) -- but at least when it's downtown, it more easily opens opportunities for conversion.

I think the third floor SHOULD be made for residential. A mix of live and work spaces create that 24/7 life that we need more of in this district. ...Side note: Looks great Trettle.

I'm uncertain who owns the adjacent suface lot but does anyone think a low brick wall or perhaps a row of nicely maintained hedges, perhaps planted in the low brick wall/ planter might at the edge of the parking lot where it meets the sidewalk might reduce the impact of parking and make the street more appealing? Just a thought.

that would be some wicked cool residential space on the 3rd floor.