Real Estate February 11, 2012 12:15 AM

Construction Watch: Bellesara/Former Allentown Athletix

Construction Watch: Bellesara/Former Allentown Athletix
Mike Puma
Mike Puma 9

Allentown will soon have an additional eight residential units when Ellicott Development completes their conversion of the former Allentown Athletix building on Allen, near Delaware Avenue. The project will likely be wrapping up within the next two weeks with four loft style, one-bedroom units and four, two-bedroom units. Several of the units have already been leased.

Each of the units vary in their layouts and orientation making for some interesting space. The four loft style units are situated in the former squash courts which feature incredibly high ceilings and refurnished original hardwood flooring. The apartments range between 800 to 1,350 square feet. There is first floor commercial space in the former pool house, with space available from 900 to 1,800 square feet.

Several original windows are being restored, while the replacements will be new aluminum windows which are historically accurate, rather than flat, vinyl, and characterless. Even the simple dentil cornice facing Allen Street is being repaired and restored.

A two-story portion of the complex that had been modified over the years was demolished. It originally housed a bowling alley for the adjacent University Club which Ellicott Development converted to residential space and renamed The Bellesara in 2001.

The brick corners of the building have been retained and will remain to serve as a visual reminder to the scale and location of the demolished building. A series of brick pavers from the demolished building will be inlaid in the ground linking the two corners to further solidify the visual. The space will serve as parking for the residential and commercial space, enclosed by a decorative fence and landscaping.

Get Connected: Ellicott Development, 716.854.0060

For additional pictures of the project, check out my Flickr page, Views of Buffalo

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9 Comments Leave a comment
Crappie Tips
February 11, 2012 1:32 PM
Crappie Tips

It originally house, I don't think the people of Buffalo could, in general, be better stewards of Buffalo's architecture.

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Lego1981
February 12, 2012 2:18 AM
Lego1981

Yay, another parking lot on what should be a vibrant street.

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brownteeth
February 13, 2012 11:19 AM
brownteeth

In this case I don't think demolishing that small addition detracts from the street scape. It was a bland cinder block wall that looked like a prison. If done properly, a small gated and landscaped parking lot can feel more welcoming than what was there.

I just came back from New Orleans last week and if there is another city more densely populated with historic homes in the US I haven't found it. One thing all those streets and neighborhoods share in common are small court yard parking spaces that are fenced in with decorative old wrought iron and heavily landscaped including brick pavers. Some are for one car and others hold 15. If you've never been there or seen it you'd be amazed at how those spaces blend in and even add to the curb appeal.

Parking lots do not all have to be evil and unattractive and that city has proven such. And much like Buffalo, they do have there seas of parking lots in their CBD, so we're not the only ones with that problem.

And face it, most people live in the city and drive to work elsewhere. Allen street has the least amount of parking available for its residents. I'd wager most people renting all these new lofts drive cars and wouldn't even consider living there if parking wasn't readily and securely available. That doesn't mean the lots have to detract from the urban spaces though. There are plenty of attractive solutions.

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replied to Lego1981
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john.straubinger@gmail.com
February 12, 2012 11:56 AM
john.straubinger@gmail.com

Although I'm not generally a fan of Carl's, I appreciate his restoration of the University Club which sat as a boarded up eyesore for over 25 years after a mid 1970's fire destroyed its interior. The Allentown Athletix building itself was covered with taggers' art work so I'm glad that its exterior has been scrubbed away. Yeah, I wish that parking lot wasn't facing Allen St but there is no such thing as a Palladino(SP?) project without parking.

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Lego1981
February 12, 2012 12:36 PM
Lego1981

When will someone school Carl on true 'city life'. Encourage people to walk. Most people who move into these new places work near by. Why do they need a car? This city is losing it's walk appeal each time a new development knocks down more buildings for surface lots. And we wonder why we don't see retailers flocking here....NO FOOT TRAFFIC equals NO RETAIL!!!!!

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jattea
February 12, 2012 11:49 PM
jattea

Be realistic. The majority of people need a car to go to work. To essentially limit the apartments to people within walking distance of their job would be poor business sense.

In reality, eliminating the parking lot would only result in worsening the already congested parking situation in this block.

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replied to Lego1981
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RaChaCha
February 13, 2012 12:42 AM
RaChaCha

Ellicott is restoring a cornice!!!

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joeyj80
February 15, 2012 4:29 PM
joeyj80

It's nice that people are restoring these buildings into residential housing, but what they need to do is allow for people to purchase units at a reasonable price instead of just having to rent them.

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RPreskop
February 19, 2012 2:07 PM
RPreskop

Allentown Athletix was dying out anyways so this redevelopment and reuse of that former health club property is welcome news. The last thing we need in Buffalo is another vacant, old building. As for whining about the small parking lot on the Allen Street side, get over it. It is a required necessity in order to fill residential space. Not everyone walks, bikes or depends on that horrendous, rinky dink public transit system known as the NFTA. Unfortunately, the automobile is still the preferred method of getting around both the city and the suburbs like it is in the rest of the US.

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