An historic building owned by Larkin Development Group has apparently found a tenant. Buffalo Distilling Co. is expected to formally announce plans to move to 860 Seneca Street this winter but has been trumping its future home on its Facebook page. It will be located near the future home of Flying Bison Brewing at 840 Seneca Street and not far from a distillery planned in 500 Seneca Street by Bobby Finan.
Buffalo Distilling Co. is currently located in Bennington (Wyoming County). It is hand-crafting One Foot Cock Bourbon Whiskey and One Foot Cock Apple Brandy. From their website:
Buffalo Distilling Co. is a true New York State Farm Distillery and WNY’s first Bourbon distillery ever. Located in the heart of WNY’s farming region, we use local grains and produce grown not too far down the dirt road from our barn. At the we are creating the finest hand-crafted, small-batch Bourbon and Apple Brandy in perfect harmony with Western New York’s rich agricultural and industrial heritage – for our love of the craft … craft whiskey and spirits.
The three-story building at 860 Seneca Street was constructed in 1890 and occupied by Jacob Duchmann’s Carriage Factory. It is located on a ‘U’ shaped 1.3 acre parcel just east of Smith Street.
While plans for the site have not been announced, a reuse study prepared by Darren Cotton in 2011 called for a mix of commercial and residential space including selective demolition on the site:
The anticipated use for the Duchmann Building will be commercial and retail on the ground floor, with residential units located on the 2nd and 3rd floors. This fits both vision for the Larkin District as set out by the Larkin Development Group as well as the Buffalo Green Code’s Preliminary Land Use plan.
The development plan envisions two storefronts on the site. One will front Seneca St. while the other will open onto the west side of the building. The second and third floors will consist of a total of six residential units. There will be three two-bedroom units, one one-bedroom, and two studio apartments.
The non-contributing corrugated metal structures that surround the Duchmann Building on the east and south sides will be demolished and their sites remediated to a level that would allow for future residential development.
Concept rendering by Darren Cotton