Wrecking Buffalo: Bernstone's Cigar Store at 273 Main Street

Any word on any development that could replace this parking lot?

im sure this was once a great building but its a shadow of its former self. save the cast iron work if possible and lets hope something goes up to fill this site

A couple of thoughts..

Outside of the cast-iron façade there is nothing special about this 1 story building. Now I understand people want to save stuff but I really do not see the problem with a 1 story building that has been empty for 12 years.

This building is also in the NW corner of a pretty large parking lot. I know everyone here likes to talk about Buffalo 'turning the corner' so is it safe to assume that maybe there are plans for the full lot? After all, it would be kinda silly to build around a building like this don't ya think.

I understand Chris / WCP is not a professional journalist, although he does a better job of covering development compared to any of the paid guys in Buffalo...but did anyone try and reach out to Forty Fifth Street Holdings?

Again, if Buffalo has turned the corner as so many suggest, maybe Forty Fifth Street Holdings has big plans for the lot?

Maybe First Niagara wants to build a tower? Maybe M&T wants to build a 2nd / Newer tower to go with their newfound elite status? Maybe someone finally has the brass balls to develop a new residential tower of condos from the ground up downtown?

If any of these or something similar are possible...are you still going to suggest this is wrecking Buffalo?

There's no reason why the owners shouldn't adhere to city law. If they're planning a new development they would not need to rush an emergency demolition and shove aside anyone who questions it. Nothing should be demo'd for a parking lot until a redevelopment plan has actually been approved.

it's a one story building. Notice how the brick building in the background with the Backhoe doesnt have windows? Allows for another building to be built flush up against that wall and not block any windows

BRING ON THE WRECKING BALL!
#NewDevelopment

This is outrageous. I agree with WCP--not that this is particularly the most important building (architecturally), but it is in a preservation district and there are rules to follow.

Very curious that Comerford would not take calls and be willing to follow this process...hmmm...

"File legal action if he wants to talk." WTAF??!

That's epic! I wonder if "file legal action if you want to talk" could become a new meme for interactions -- or, more to the point, noninteractions -- in Buffalo. I bet it would go over especially well between spouses!

My problem with this is ... Granted this isn't that special of a structure but how many times does city hall have to see these "emergency demolitions" by wealthy individuals or corporations to wise up to what they are doing! The Jersey livery, what Pano did on Elmwood Ave. (whatever happened to that little park?), the Greystone is heading that way. Again and again these individuals let their properties go to hell and get what they want. Wise up city hall. Wait, I should wise up and realize this is how business is done.

I've been hoping that this building would come down. It's actually an embarrassment to the streetscape and, yes, when all the other buildings were around it probably looked OK. But it’s a very strategic parcel and I believe at one point I recall seeing a billboard for a rather slick looking high rise for this location. I think Key Towers was built instead. Not sure on that. Nevertheless, let’s get a glitzy high rise on that spot with three levels of underground parking.

It is unfortunate-

I have thought a few times that it this building would look really cool incorporated into a new building that could overhang this building. It would give the new build a bit of character. Perhaps serve as a small store or converted into a diner or various small service type offerings, i.e. cobbler, tailor, etc to support what I would think could be a residential complex on that block.

It certainly has more to offer than a parking spots or lot.

Gotta be honest. Im very much content with this. A one story downtown on the corner...ehh. Always thought the buiilding would be better replaced with something else, something more substantiial. All for preservation and all that but not in this case. Looking for something more substantial down here hopefully sooner than later. I liken this to the 50 High Street implosion in the medical campus area.

I'm not going to lose weeks of sleep over this one in particular, but it does bring up a disturbing trend.

If a building is in "eminent danger" of collapse, then rather than turning to the wrecking ball, there should be an "eminent requirement" to repair, a hefty fine imposed on property owners who neglect a building until it gets to this point, and a removal of the incentive that allows properties to die by neglect.

THIS PLACE IS FLATTER

I agree with the consensus. the only thing redeeming of the building is the cornice and the cast iron window framing.

I say salvage what is worthwhile to use in reconstructing a historic feature of Buffalo's urban fabric elsewhere.

Id rather put the energy into endangered buildings that need our full support of the community to save, have architectural merit and are part of the fabric of downtown or the surrounding neighborhoods...or reconstructing such buildings if they are already lost.

In general people do not understand that zoning enforcement tends to be complaint driven. Often, localities have far too few enforcement officers to make a serious dent in every structure in a city, especially a city half its size. The resources just arent there. If you see a building with code issues, you need report it! A few zoning enforcement officers arent going to see the day to day things on your specific street that you see because they have whole districts or the city to cover.

The building is not as important as the memory of the happy days when tobacco was a happy hobby. They used to have the greatest Cuban seconds cigars at the greatest prices in America. You could buy pipe tobacco of any flavor or mix your pocket could afford.
The shop had a fragrance that drew me in even after I quit smoking.
Don't focus on old buildings as much as preserving the memories of what they contained

Meh... downtown is too dense anyway.....

I still think Buffalo should create the National Parking Lot Museum. As a joke, but seriously.

First they came for the vacant factory,
and I didn't speak out because it wasn't in my neighborhood.

Then they came for the old shoe store in Polonia,
and I didn't speak out because it was a funny name I couldn't pronounce.

Then they came for the closed church,
and I didn't speak out because I didn't know anyone from that parish.

Then they came for the old cigar bar,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a smoker.

Then they came for the great old building in my neighborhood that I hoped would get rehabbed...
.
.
It doesn't make a wit of difference whether it's the loveliest or most significant building in the city. What makes this an outrage is that if they can do this in a historic district, in the most visible part of the city, in an illegal manner, and even tell a member of the preservation board to just eff off -- they can do this anywhere, to any building, at any time.

And this: there is no law except what can be enforced with a lawsuit.

That's not something that allows the luxury of being casual about.

I've walked past this building before, and many similar buildings, and I always think "This would be a great live music venue." This building, the other on Delaware mentioned above, "INGS" on Jefferson, etc.
There are a lot more shows in the City than those that are advertised, and many take place in 800-1,000 square foot basements. The City needs more dedicated venues for small acts to get their chops and support some lesser-known touring acts.
This would also be a very bare bones rehab design, so interior costs would be minimal. I'd even suggest continuing to call the place Bernstone's/Ings/whatever.
Just one idea of many.

This Toronto developer just successfully reduced their buffalo tax bill through years of neglect. That is all that happened here.

When are we going to revamp the ass backwards assessment methods of our city so that we encourage development and density, rather than making demolition the best option?

Here's a question for all you municipal policy wonks. If the lot where the building sat is added to the parking lot that surrounds it, will the new, larger lot, trigger any sort of SEQR review? Will the old lot, which may not have met current zoning requirements for screening, drainage, lighting, etc. have to brought into full compliance with current requirements?

Ugly building, one floor of concrete - glad it's gone........ There is another across from the New Era building on the corner ...... Please knock that down when everyone is sleeping

I think that Longgone unfortunately has it correct. As long as a parking spot provides the highest value for the owner on the land, buildings like this are going to be torn down. From the owner's perspective, they have rid themselves of building they apparently had no use for and gained a number of valuable parking spots. That must sound like a pretty good deal to them.
As for the way they went about getting the permit to tear it down, I think it's a complex situation. They may have taken notice of the tactics that have been used in the past to prevent demolitions on preservation grounds and figured out a way around them. They managed to evidently get their permit, so they must have made their case that the building was in danger of collapse. If I'm not mistaken, Comerford was within his rights to issue a permit for emergency demolition, which he has done. If you have an issue with that authority, or Comerford himself, why not petition to get him removed or the office overhauled.
It sounds like Comerford wants nothing to do with Tielman. I don't know why, but I can speculate perhaps he remembers Tielman's behavior during previous demolition issues, and wanted to spare himself the headache of dealing with him.

--Here's yesterday evening's press release from C4GB--

Subject: City Defying law on ONGOING DEMO OF 1850's building

• • • For Immediate Release • • •

Contact:
Tim Tielman
Campaign for Greater Buffalo

URGENT: City Greasing Skids for Demo of 1850's Downtown Landmark;
Demo Equipment and Night Lights on Site at 273 Main;
Commissioner Defies Law, Refuses to Meet with Preservation Board Member

The building popularly know as Bernstone's Cigar Store, part of the Joseph Ellicott Historic District, is threatened with imminent demolition. It was designed by eminent architect Calvin Otis and erected in the 1850's. It was the long-time home of the Third National Bank (Joseph Schoellkopf was president) until its merger with M&T Bank in 1962. Sometime after that, the upper four stories were demolished, leaving the original tin cornice and a Classical cast-iron storefront, possibly the oldest in the city.

Commissioner James Commerford of the City of Buffalo Department of Permit and Inspection Services apparently is flouting the law on public notice once again (He has failed to notify the City Landmark and Preservation Board several times of "Emergency" demolition orders, as required by the City Charter, most recently in the case of the Riverside Men's Shop and Wheeleer grain elevator demolitions). Campaign for Greater Buffalo Executive Director and Preservation Board member Tim Tielman, acting on calls from concerned citizens, went to the department this afternoon. No demolition permit application in the city is supposed to be issued without being reviewed by the Preservation Board. Tielman found out Comerford had issued a demolition order on Friday afternoon, August 31. Comerford was overheard raising his voice, saying he would not meet with Tielman, who was waiting in the next room. Assistant Director Lou Petrucci relayed the message that the commissioner said "to file an Article 78" if a couple days' leave of demolition was sought. Article 78 refers to a legal proceeding brought against a government agency to force it to comply with its own laws.

On July 19, Comerford sent a letter asking for a waiver of noticication of demolition of an asbestos-containing structure to the State Labor Department; he claimed there was imminent danger to the public. It took six weeks for fencing to be erected around the site. Still, the Preservation Board was not notified and no public notice has been given.

"It is clear the commissioner has nothing but contempt for the public process and for the public body charged with protecting the city's historic assets," said Tielman.

###

Timothy Tielman
Executive Director
The Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture

In answer to Charger - Noe that the demo is a fait accompli the lot should be landscaped / grass planted. Legally, if the owner wants to make it more oarking a plan would have to be submitted to the Planning Board and meet Code requirements. It's a separate parcel from the adjoining lot.
Will this happen???
This is another instance where people question how effective the Green Code will be. Is the Mayor committed?

Bye cigar store, hello, TD Canada Trust building.

I walk by this building every day, a few times each day. If the roof was caving in, the walls would likely have not been plumb. It appeared structurally sound. (Whatever). The fact it was torn down in the evening and there was NO previous public notice of any sort, all signs point to a process that is broken and PUBLIC employees who don't give a crap about process. That being said, I think it would have been wise to re-purpose the iron corners, offer the Bernstone sign for sale prior to bulldozing the thing. I don't understand how we let owners sit on buildings for 10+ years and not force them to fix it. Everything that sits, decays. The owners did not make the dwelling marketable. The public and city loses again.

Tim Tielman is nothing but lethal poison in this city's future. That ignorant man stands in the way of needed progress and still cannot "get it" that you cannot save everything from the past. This ugly, one story building at Main and Swan was nothing but decrepit, worthless piece of junk that should have been demolished right after the cigar store went out of business in March 2000. So what if it was originally built in the 1850s, that doesn't mean it must be saved. Most of the original building was already destroyed a long time ago. I see no legitimate reason for all the complaints and debates over this long overdue demolition. The preservationists need to grow up and go get a life.