Wrecking Buffalo: 375 Colvin Avenue

They forgot to mention asbestos - that's always a good one when you want to send some history to the dump.

That would make for an awesome parking lot of vacant lot!

So now we're adding 'neglect by vandalism' to the list of excuses that include demolition by neglect?

Let's ask a question here... Anyone who owns a car is required to have auto insurance. Why are property owners not required to have proper insurance or maintenance/upkeep to keep their properties up to code?

This may not be a building that sits on any list of historic structures, but it nonetheless serves as an anchor to the neighborhood. If it can be replaced by an equivalent community landmark, so be it. But to let it sit neglected and unrepaired after multiple incidents in unforgivable.

I suppose we can take some solace in the fact that the Preservation Board was notified this time, but only after the property's options were reduced to nil. If some action had been taken "After many years standing vacant, deteriorated and rife with mold, decay and structural failures, compounded by illicit occupation by territorial gangs & their related vandalism", this death blow by arson could have been negated.

Adaptive reuse--find a way to use some/as much of the current structure as possible. We need to move away from this "all or nothing" mentality--there are plenty of examples around the world of facades, portions of buildings which have been reused post fires, years of abuse, etc.

This building contributes to the fabric of the neighborhood. We KNOW that we will not see anything that compares to this building--so, let's do what we can to save as much as we can.

They forgot to mention that they already stripped the building of several architectural items or fixtures prior to the fire and they have been long neglecting the structure for some time. They removed a substantial amount of furnishings, details, the old pipe organ, etc. - all well before the fire or this more recent neglect. I'm thinking demo has been on the agenda a long time....

I'm also wondering where the insurance money went...... these guys are as bad as the Catholic Diocese when it comes to properties.

The building belonged to the Masonic Order (Scottish Right specifically) as I recall for most of its life - and was well maintained until sold. I forget what it had been built as originally pre-masonic days.

thats crap, this church can be a tremendous community/youth center for this part of north buffalo. other than the former school on sanders, and that is dated, there is nothing like this in north buffalo, look at who set this fire, kids with nothing better to do...sure they can hang around school 81, walk up and down hertel, maybe go skating, but then what, migrate to delaware and hertel and get in trouble?? what about for the seniors in our community, i wouldn't even know what they do socially...anyway, Locurto, are you reading this???

A Walgreens would be nice...because people shouldn't have to drive more than 3 blocks to huge drugstore

I think the spotlight should shine more on those who damage and vandalize the neighborhoods, contributing to neighborhood degradation and causing more and more costly repairs to the point where groups feel demo is the only best option. Call them out too! This is a city-wide issue.

Tear it down. It obviously has no significance to the community or the owner since they have let it sit there and deteriorate without proper action. It's a shame, but it's reality. Try and make use of any of the materials you can and move on.

Sorry, but not every church is worth saving. They can't ALL turn into breweries.

I love the "illicit occupation by territorial gangs & their related vandalism" bit. Who knew? I'll bet the members of that little church (not sure of the denomination) located across Colvin thought about making a move to more spacious digs, but were probably overwhelmed by the sad state of the structure. It's been a dangerous pile of shyte since the Scottish Rite took leave. The Korean Church did absolutely nothing to keep up the property when it was in use. I mean, would it absolutley have killed them to mow the lawn and do some weeding?

This is literally around the corner from my apt. They should try to convert it to apartments or something. The streets off Hertel are a pretty hot commodity for apts these days.

The gangs won. Next stop...

In Stratford Ontario there is was an old church that was refurbished and bought over at a low price by a restaurantuer and is one of the most popular places to eat there. In Buffalo, there needs to be more creative uses out of buildings. Yes a preservation board might find a way to keep it up. But then what, another church? Keep the building but put something unique to draw people to the area.

So many buildings are vacant on Elmwood and Hertel because so many of the same style of business keep occupying them. On Hertel, how many mock hookah restaurants have went in and failed within 3 months? How many dumb corner stores are needed in one area? If you notice, on Hertel, the creative and unique businesses (mes que, room, blue hill kitchen, globe, spot, romeo and juliets, modern nostalgia, etc...) all prosper. We need to just be more creative with our uses and what we have!

http://www.churchrestaurant.com

I wonder what it will cost to demolish a structure like this? Anyone with the knowledge willing to speculate? Just curious.

There has been absolutely nothing done with this building since I moved into NB 6.5 yrs ago. A company, that moved into a building near the airport, was looking to convert it into a giant gymnasium/trampoline play room for kids a couple years back and that fell through.

It's a hideous building after years of neglect and an eyesore in our neighborhood. Those of you that want to preserve are always there at the last minute rather than being proactive and doing something about it years before the wrecking ball.

Making it into housing would be the only acceptable route at this point, but as mentioned and from what I was told, the building is not salvageable.

Get out of the way and let us improve our neighborhood.

What gangs are in North Buffalo?

Very sad. I saw this all fenced off the other day and was concerned.

I look forward to a new Tim Horton's in this location.

Shouldn't be more than a 18 months now...

With its relatively manageable size and construction, proximity to Hertel, and lack of restrictions that would be associated with a former Catholic Church, this building seems like it would have so many possibilities for reuse, if even just the shell of the main portion of the building were to be saved.

Listen people. I am all for re-use... where were all of you the last 6.5 years!?! This is what I am talking about. Why is it always reactionary rather than proactive?

I do know one thing, the longer it sits vacant, neglected and unused, the more and more my neighborhoods' property values drop and that is not helping any of us.

I wonder how much fire insurance was on the building,as opposed to any offers they may have had for the building, if any.

Considering there is such a great track record of church conversions to apartments in North Park, this is very perplexing. I am curious to here if there is an intended use for the property. I.e. Drugstore?

And what about these gangs? I live a couple blocks away, and this is the first I am hearing of gangs(?!) Presumably there would be tags? gang activity? actual gang members?

I also live a couple of blocks from this building and if it's in the shape this article says it's in then it's time to take it down. The corner doesn't have to become a Tim Horton's (I hope to hell not). Why not a new structure that adds to the density of the neighborhood similar to the condos that went up on Utica? There's a definite demand for housing in the area.

Yes, LoCurto is listening. His office had tried to get the property into housing court for several years to no avail. It wasn't until the fire that inspections finally wrote it for court. The numerous letters to the church were ignored, which they said "just weren't making it up to the right people."

In court, LoCurto's office repeatedly requested that the building be salvaged. The church, and city inspectors, convinced Judge Carney that demolition was the only course of action and is too far gone. Of course, they just don't want to pay for an extensive renovation. Insurance is paying for the demolition, which is the only action the church is "willing to take at this time." They claim to be marketing the site aggressively as shovel ready and in a prime location.

The church completely neglected this property and it is a shame that they will be able to get away without paying for their abandonment. I urge everyone to come to the Preservation Board meeting tomorrow. The board can start the process to list it on the Historic Register and demolition could be stopped in its tracks.

Maybe this is just because I love music so much, but I look at that building and thing about Babeville... it would totally be a cool concert venue. It's a shame that it's too far gone that a vacant lot is more attractive than a unique adaptive re-use project.

No one mentioned the saddest thing...that no one is going to church anymore

the building is not among the higest of architectural gems and its brick could be rebuilt. Out lady of Notre Dame de Lourdes is far more precious to Buffalo and far more endangered. You can get brick layers cheaper and easier than you can get stone cutters.

Really, Paul?

So I take it in a few years when the North Buffalo Library get's torn down it will be because of gangs.

Its possible. Gangs did a world of good for the east side.

Sell it to CREATIVE STRUCTURES for $1..They have completed some nice projects in the neighborhood on Parkiside and the now the Fairfeild Library..Then give them the money it will cost to demolish it to help them readapt it for a new use....From the outside it is still a beautiful building... Very sad...once again the city let these absentee landlords cause this problem...

A Park would be perfect there.Property values in the area would rise and tons of pollutants could be sequestered underground.On average people have a fifteen percent lower health care costs when residing next,near or across from a park.A birds eye view of the surrounding area shows a need for green space.Please help turn this from an eyesore to a welcoming place.

Anyone remember that story a while back about a judge finally getting tough with delinquent, neglectful property owners who owed some hundreds of thousands $ in fines and code violations?

Anyone know if anything ever came of that? I probably answered my own question. I'd love to pay a regular person a regular salary to lead the Employment Center, not a cronie, and use the rest to higher a collections tough guy to go after negligent owners.

ehh...it won't go fallow. You don't pay $115k for an "abandoned" church just to let it sit..akin to the same churches a few blocks East.

Regardless of what it is..It'll be used. Your talking a tim hortons or a Rite aide/walrgreens w.e.

When I saw the asbestos removal commencing..I thought Creative structures picked it up..had their name all over it. Homes would sell no problem..any update on Colvin Estates though?? Those are 250k houses in a largely 100k neighborhood..I drive by on occasion and there never seems to be much going on. Not an appropriate investment at those prices..1/2 I'd think about it.

How many lots are left?

Unpopular opinion, but North Buffalo is the new East Side, some pockets of great neighborhoods yes, but for the most part it's going down fast.

This thread dovetails nicely with the Colvin Estates (lack of) conversation. 2 new houses went up this calendar year, in addition to the two models and the house that went up partially last year. That leaves 2 models, 2 completed houses (not occupied) and a mostly finished one. 5 houses in 3 years. The project has sucked from day one. Just look in the back yard of the 250K dollar model on the North side, you see a retaining wall, and a decrepit shed in the yard of the adjoining 65k dollar property. What a joke, and yet no one wants to talk about this joke.

There are 5 structures on that property, and we are entering the 3rd year since the marketing campaign began. What are the 4 other sales "contingent" upon?

Is it safe to say that the demand for those lots and the accompanying houses is not robust? I live on the other side closer to Starin and the equipment operators who were excavating the fill (to be sold to a homeowner in Amherst) on that side said that houses wouldn't be built there in "this guy's lifetime." Now we have a half acre wide mud-scar that greets people traveling down Starin so the developers can flip a few bucks in fill to private homeowners? If he's prepared to piecemeal chunks of neighborhood out whenever he needs lunch money the people who pushed for this ( Lo Curto)debacle ought to be ashamed.

I worked for Marrano for years and they'd turn a forest in West Seneca or Amherst into a 70 unit development, fully sold in 3 years. That was the "Roaring 2000s" I realize, so maybe 3 years for 25 units is now the "going pace," but the fact remains that they are a ways off from 25 units currently. I spoke with Pat Marrano personally about this very piece of land and he said you can't make money there. Angelo Natale eventually agreed (the other side of Starin toward Kenmore is a different story). My understanding is that Burke was desperate.