Author: Robert Creenan
Recently, fencing was put up around a building at the corner of Broadway and Hickory along with the vacant lot adjacent to it. Flynn Battaglia Architecture Firm is planning a redevelopment of the existing structure, with a new build standing beside it. Buffalo Rising reported on the matter back in 2013 and it’s good to see the work finally be followed through on.
The current building, as told by Project Architect Mark j. Wendel, dates from the turn of the century. It had a storefront on the first floor and residential apartments on the second and third floor.
The building will be converted into apartments for the upper storeys, and the lower level will be offices and community space for the tenants. The open adjacent lot to the left of the building will be a new four-storey building with a variety of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units – about 47 residential units. The developer is New York City based Help USA, an organization that builds homes for the homeless. Help USA also owns the building across the street from the site at 384 Hickory (above photo on right), kind of an expansion of their services.
The development will be part of the Help Buffalo 1 program, which will provide veterans with transitional housing. It’s been vacant for at least 15 to 20 years. The building on 384 Hickory also provides transitional housing for the homeless – the apartments are for 4-5 individuals at once.
The work is expected to last about 12 to 14 months.