“We don’t know what’s next exactly, but we can promise it won’t be boring.” The words of David Bowie, and the thought perhaps of many of Buffalo’s developers, but to one in particular, a subconscious mission statement.
Giles Kavanagh grew up outside of New York City in Larchmont, New York. He had watched NYC neighborhoods grow, and his friends’ investments in them prove to be profitable and wise. He recognized similar opportunities in Buffalo, and in 2002 relocated to Western New York. His purchase of a house on Tracy Street in 2004 was his first dip in the investment pool that has since led him and his partners to own a total of more than 20 properties along and surrounding Niagara Street, with a subsequent commitment to Buffalo’s West Side and a distinct vision for the Niagara Corridor.
Among the properties held by the group sits 518-524 Niagara Street, composed of five apartments, Panda Restaurant, and a vacant 1,500 square foot space formerly home to The Rendezvous. The Rendezvous’ notorious reputation as one of the city’s iconic dive bars dates back to its history as a Prohibition-era speakeasy owned by John Giambrione and operated by him and his son under the name of Johnny’s Rendezvous. Johnny allowed entry to first timers only if accompanied by someone who had already been. He only allowed one, sometimes two, drinks per person and legend has it that it was considered a mob hangout during that time. At some point “Johnny’s” was dropped from the name but The Rendezvous maintained its tradition of selective admittance.
Tim O’Leary purchased the property in the 1990’s and renamed it Tim’s Rendezvous. With only 1,500 square feet of space the Rendezvous had become known for its Cajun inspired menu featuring Louisiana Gumbo, Oyster Po’ Boys and Muffalettas prepared in a tiny kitchen by Chef Dunbar Berdine. Many Buffalonians have colorful stories to tell of the place with its bright red booths, pool room and large outdoor patio. There was just something about its authenticity and history that was palpable. While there you felt like you were experiencing much more than a cocktail with friends, it was a place where memories were made. Tim’s Rendezvous shut its doors in 2007. Giambrione’s sign that was hung behind the bar, “Two Drinks Only. A gentleman knows his limit, and a lady will not ask for more.” remained.
Kavanagh understands and respects the history of the joint stating, “My investors and I are well aware of The Rendezvous’ mythical status. We hope to find a tenant/operator who can not just revive it, but maybe bring a new angle. Music should play a central role. We are feeling a Latin or Club Vesuvio Neapolitan ‘Talented Mr. Ripley’ vibe, but who knows, maybe it could be totally different from that.” He also knows that Buffalo has plenty of pubs. He continues, “There is something naughty about the Rendezvous,” and he doesn’t intend to change too much of its character, but says it will need some renovation for a new tenant. He thinks The Rendezvous’ underground allure lends itself to music, and Kavanagh hopes to find a tenant well-suited to the spot.
Then there are Kavanagh’s other properties in the area. He engaged Richard Rodgers, a Portland, Oregon-based city renewal consultant (and former college suitemate) in 2012 to examine whether Buffalo had some of the same dynamics as Portland did twenty-five years ago when Portland began its post-industrial renewal process. Rodgers had worked on both the public and private-sector sides of major, complex plans to convert disused districts in Portland into vibrant live, work, play areas, which continue to be successful. Rich Rodgers recommended a plan to leverage funding from private equity investment and private sector financing along with proposed public sector partnerships. They believe Phase I of their plan could potentially create 800-1,200 new jobs for Buffalo in a diverse group of economic sectors including historic preservation and adaptive reuse, smart energy, manufacturing, tourism, retail, and professional services. They hope to work in partnership with the city of Buffalo and the State of New York, proposing the creation of a Smart Energy District to facilitate investment in solar power, wind, weatherization, and other forms of energy efficiency.
Their goals for the area include:
- Creating an energy district, with the hope of reducing the carbon footprint
- Creating a live, work, play area active at least 18 hours a day
- Making the Niagara Corridor a befitting entrance to the city and country, showcasing well thought out design and architecture
- Attracting design and architecture oriented businesses to build on Buffalo’s legacy
- Creating jobs and training around architecture, artisan work, and design to bolster Buffalo’s claim to be the place where good craftsmanship is alive and well
- Tapping into adult, experiential education
- Supporting the clean, local, artisanal food movements that are both healthy and popular
The group does not see Niagara Street as the next Elmwood Avenue or Hertel Avenue, instead they see it as an artery to and from Canada that should have a distinct international attraction and feel. Kavanagh believes the way to accomplish this is by emulating architectural standards from around the world through masterful renovation and tasteful building. At the same time, he hopes not just to mimic, but to stir a sui generis style in Buffalo, where the scale and craftsmanship quality complement the splendor of the Victorian-era buildings that are not faux infill buildings we sometimes see, which succeed only in highlighting the gap in design and building acumen between the old and new. He says, “Buffalo is comfortable with being comfortable,” which prohibits progress. The Niagara Corridor should be developed with the highest of expectations to be a world-class gateway between the U.S. and Canada. The group believes that the time is now to make this vision a reality, but maintains it needs to be done carefully, thoughtfully, and well. To make it work, all parties who own along the Niagara Street corridor need to share a beauty-over-profits mindset with a plan to design for the next 50 years or more, as this is the gestalt that built Buffalo in the beginning.
One issue plaguing the city has been parking, both the lack of, and the uninspiring lots and ramps that soil our urban canvas. Investment in underground parking structures that are found in great cities like Paris would be a monumental, but savvy investment in the area. Kavanagh believes that cars and parking are at odds with great cities and their districts. The world’s most charming and valuable real estate exist in cities where the car does not trump scale, density, and beauty. The group aims to design as best possible for a post-car world along Niagara Street.
Building a great city requires vision, a plan, and combined efforts by all invested parties. Kavanagh describes Buffalo as, “a super-model who punched her own teeth out.” The teeth being the fabulous, architecturally significant buildings that have been destroyed rather than reused since the 1950’s. He insists that in order for Buffalo to become a world-class city we need to fix our teeth with care through skilled craftsmanship, creating and enhancing beautiful architecture in order to achieve a magnificent landscape. Shoddy patches and cheaply crafted new builds will not stand the test of time. He states, “We can be Copenhagen or we can be West Seneca.” The choice is ours.
He continues, “We don’t need another Phoenix, Dallas or Tampa in the U.S. We have hundreds of cookie-cutter, car-oriented, inhumanly scaled cities. Why don’t we build ourselves a new Prague, Tallinn or Oslo? Why on earth would we rush to bleach out the architectural DNA of Buffalo, the one thing that blows visitors away and enthralls locals? It would be madness to degrade Buffalo to the common standard of hastily built, profit-focused new American cities, and yet we seem to be barreling forward now, filling empty lots with parking ramps and shiny glass suburban business park-like structures. We can do so much better, if and only if we insist on it.”
The group suggests a fund for Buffalo new builds where 10%-20% of the building costs would be paid for by the fund, if the project is truly architecturally significant. Judging this would be a tribunal of national and international architects, curators if you will. According to Kavanagh, “We should look to induce better design, and dangling the carrot of design-driven incentives may tilt a few projects away from the drab into the more enduringly beautiful. I hate to say it, but so much of what we are building looks like a Lego project run amok. Buildings should intrigue us ten and fifty years later, like the Sullivan building still does.”
Their first renovation was finished this past year at 128 Fargo Street at the corner of Jersey. Tipico Coffee now operates a successful business in the once vacant building. Tipico’s owner, Jesse Crouse, relocated to Buffalo from Chicago, making a commitment to Western New York. He has been on record stating, “We can afford to live, raise a family, have a business, and be in a neighborhood that is a real community.” This statement is exactly what Kavanagh and his partners are hoping to achieve. They recognize and appreciate the mix of cultures, languages, ages, and income levels as a delightful aspect of Niagara Street, one of the truly mixed neighborhoods in Buffalo, and they hope to build on this asset one building at a time.
As Bowie said, “We can promise it won’t be boring,” so says Giles Kavanagh. His vision is anything but.