399 Franklin Demo Given Thumbs Up by Pres. Board
Buffalo Preservation Board’s conceptual approval of Keller Bros. Printing’s plans to demo 399 Franklin Street has many Allentown neighbors steaming mad. And rightfully so. Demolition of a historic building is a worst-case scenario, and represents a failure of the historic district, the building owner, the Preservation Board, and the City.
Built in 1880 and located within the Allentown Historic Preservation District, the 6,784 sq.ft. apartment building at 399 Franklin (top photo) is owned by Ralph Salerno’s Franklin Street Development LLC. The owner was seeking to demo the neglected historic structure to construct an addition to his building at 401 Franklin Street. Keller Bros. & Miller Printers occupies the building which would be remodeled to match the planned new construction next door.
Much of the neighbors' anger stems from the feeling that the Preservation Board has abdicated its duties by allowing the demolition to proceed, and if the Board can’t be counted on to stop the destruction of our architectural heritage, who can? Several residents turned out for a public hearing on the proposal on October 19th only to find out it had been rescheduled. The Executive Director of the Allentown Association was the only person in attendance to speak out against the project on November 2nd. A 3 pm start time doesn’t make it easy for the public to attend meetings.
The Preservation Board unanimously voted in favor of demolition, provided that a case relating to the building is settled in Housing Court and that Salerno posts a bond assuring that the project as proposed will be completed. Salerno will need to return to the Board to present samples of the exterior building materials to be utilized in the project at a later date.
Expansion and Renovation Proposal
The most painful aspect of these demolitions is the dissention, anger and trouble they cause between neighbors. Two Allentown Association members serving on the Preservation Board voted for the demolition leaving the neighborhood shocked and saddened.
According to neighbors, both properties have been poorly kept and the business operation itself is perceived as a bad fit for a residential neighborhood. Residents are also concerned the proposed expansion will not happen. On the flip-side, the business owner has coveted the property for expansion since at least 2000. A previous proposal to tear down the property was denied until a comprehensive plan to rebuild on the site was presented. Salerno is now ready to expand his business, and the plans were approved.
Meanwhile, residents feel broadsided and let-down and are now scrambling to figure out what can be done to stop the demolition. Says one Allentown property owner, “I don't understand how the Preservation Board can endlessly harass people who are trying to fix up their properties about what kind of fence they put up, glass block windows, awnings, etc. and then turn around and allow a significant structure to be demolished by someone who has tried to blatantly do demolition by neglect. This is as hypocritical as it can possibly get.”
What concerns me about all this is that because there were not twenty
citizens there screaming about it the Board felt preserving this building
(and it is a beautiful building) was not important.
Is the Board then a tabula rasa, their will to be determined by the advocacy
of one group or another? Don’t they have any standards of preservation of
their own?
The other thing of course, is that this decision tells every negligent
property owner to hold on and bide their time—the Board will eventually give
in.
Allowing demolition of this building in a historic district is an outrage.
I can't believe the preservation board rolled over on this.
it's about time they didn't stick their nose in something.
This building is coming down so something new can go up, that's called progression. it's not like a parking lot is going in!
with THE PLETHORA of empty space in buffalo, it is sad to see this happen, if they need to expand, move....or make do with the existing building and renovate like the 3 walled mansion on delaware is undergoing or the 5 roofless buildings now called "the granite works".
Buffalo James,
Just because something is new does not mean progress. I call this a major step backward for the city. Cities that move backward are backward cities.
I am a small family business owner and neighbor to Keller Bros. and am pleased that they are in a position to expand their family owned business that has been in this location for over 3 generations. Their business is printing, not development, not real estate, not historic preservation or property management. They want to expand their current and successful printing company. Lack of support for a company to expand on its success, especially one that has made this neighborhood their home for over 3 generations, is disappointing. Good luck Salerno Family! Good luck!
well no one is saying that we don't want them to expand and be sucessful. It is just a shame that when most of our city is already EMPTY land we allow people to just demo becuase it is convenient. There are even other parcels NEAR them that are empty already. Why couldn't they expand into one of these parcels?
next to this building is a HUGE parking lot. Accross the street is a parking lot, ALL of franklin to Chippewa is practically a parking lot.
There is even a site, bigger than this site they are getting, which is empty and located kitty corner behind them facing St Louis Place. How come they didn't want to expand backwards, all it would have needed was an easement or buying of a small piece of empty, not being used, backyard to an apartment building to connect the two sites.Probably would be CHEAPER than the cost of this demolishion.
I wish them well, but their sucess is coming at the expense to the future of allentown as a historic district in our city. Once it is gone it is gone forever and we will never have enough money to build another building that will last as long as this has and is of quality materials.
The above photo may not do the building justice, but being that it is all we have to reference, it does not look all that special. After all, just because something is old, does not make it historic. Historical certainly, but anything of age can be considered Historical. Were this building of true historic significance, then certainly it would be a crime against all things Buffalo to have it torn down. Were it viable and/or profitable to restore the building to a true period marvel, then it would be a shame to have it torn down. One thing is certain, we as a city and in particular a city / county government do not respect Historic Districts. Were that not the case, we would not be having this discussion about this building. This building may not be able to be saved, but, what is in even greater danger is the sanctity or perceived value of these historic districts.
The proposal sketch looks like something from 70's PBS.
Zombo,
That this building has been sitting unused for years has prevented it's being restored, 'to a true period marvel'.
My wife and I have thought that this building would be perfect for a restaurant space, with the side yard being outdoor seating and green space. I even started on a business plan for it, before learning that it had been vacant for several years by choice of the landlord.
With the parking immediately available on Franklin, it would have been a great spot, and would have preserved some of the charm of this neighborhood.
I don't understand why this business doesn't move to Main Street, the building that now houses ArtVoice is for sale, and has a 7000 sq. ft. warehouse behind it, plenty of space to put in two or three multi-tower presses. It would also provide a space to load and unload large print jobs without blocking Franklin Street.
It's a shame that the city and the preservation board will greenlight this demolition when there is so much trying to be done to market the charms of the architecture in this city.
They tear down something with character and replace it with a one-story box that will be dark after 5pm, rather than let it be developed by someone with vision and perhaps have it be a testament to creative reuse by being brightly lit at night.
Why couldn't the exterior be worked into the new contruction plans?
This reminds me of the Preservation Board's attempt (under Olaf Shelgren) to prevent my installing very expensive fibre glass roof shingles (which I had already purchased) because they didn't resemble cedar shakes (!!!) while allowing the Stanford White designed Metcalfe house to be razed to make room for a parking lot. I do believe that the Preservation Board is absolutely useless, does not protect our interests and should be dissolved. They are adept at harrassing homeowners over minor issues and incompetent in the preservation of the historic fabric of our city.
right on Chef, I know this building isn't great or fantastic and in and of itself isn't historically significant. The problem is it is a part of a district, with an identity, charm and history. Great cities are not only built from grand jewels of architecture. Instead they are build from many decent buildings that work together to create a great city.
Think of elmwood. none of the buildings on elmwood are really great or significant by themselves but together they create a great urbanism. Any great city is the same way, they have some show pieces of architecture but it is what lies between them that really make the city. To loose one building like this isn't the end of the world, but we have lost soo many that we are starting to loose that fabric which makes Buffalo great.
The Preservation Board serves a great purpose.
It provides cover for the administration and others that want things demolished.
The Preservation Board is a sham.
My brief observations of the preservation board: they're
content with small victories, like stopping a property owner from ripping out original ornamental windows, and big losses, like failing to enforce Secretary of the Interior standards at landmarked or National Register sites.
I am not sure they even know what Secretary of the Interior standards are or why they are legally obligated to uphold them.
email and call you council member and the mayor. Tell them you are not satisfied with these kinds of decisions. Tell them that the city can not afford to continue to lose these buildings. Tell them that Civil War era buildings can not be traded for drivit boxes and parking lots. Tell them to be proactive in finding new locations for businesses like this that want to expand. Buffalo has pleanty of room for this company. This does not need to be an either or situation. It is just too bad that the owners of this building do not have a sense of the great responsibility they have in their hands with this structure.
Why does it take so much effort to have good decisions made in Buffalo? Why do civic leaders lack the ability to see the big picture? Why is there a preservation district in the first place? I say bulldoze it all so cimimelli can come in and build an office park. It would be great - Then, in 100 years they'd build "Allentown Village", a public park that un-earths the foundations of buildings that once stood at the site. Then they'd build interpretive structures to show you what life was once like in "Allentown" (how people once walked on things called sidewalks etc..) They could spend 200 million dollars on the park (in 2106 dollars) and try to make it part of the government's 2106 cultural tourism initiative.
I am so sick about this. I know many others are, too. It should be called "Preservation Bored." Fools and incompetents. And that's being generous.
Their job is one of discrimination for the benefit of the entire community. This wonderful building is part of what we were, and evidence of what we should always want to be known for. Human scale; an episode of our rich history; valuable IN AND OF ITSELF. It's beautiful. Has that last value no weight whatsoever?
50% vacant!! This, one of America's very greatest cities.
this is a travesty and I hope the community opposes it and wins
An online petition has been started to help garner support for saving 399 Franklin while existing Keller Bros. Use link above to petition site.
The issue is not that this building is not salvageable. It is in reasonably good condition considering it has been absolutely neglected for many years. I understand the current owner has had it for years. How does one get away with all the long standing code violations it has, in such a visible spot in an Historic District? Why was it never taken to housing court? It absolutely should have been. This building is not easy or cheap to convert, but there are beautiful houses similar to it, only smaller, in Allentown that go for $200,000-300,000. The renovation landscape has changed, especially in Allentown where property values have increased dramatically recently. A renovated original will have higher assessed value than what appears to be proposed. Oh yeah, it is an historic building in an historic district, which exists for a reason. If you don't want to be encumbered by the requirements of the district then don't own property there. How can anyone expect to just be able to buy the neighboring building and expect to be allowed to just tear it down in an historic district?
The family business legacy and expansion needs should not overide the district intent & requirements. Outside of Allentown, it might be less egregious, assuming the target building wasn't such a rare gem. I cannot believe this owner got a pass all this time. There must be more to this story, because it sure smells fishy.
I wonder how this can be the best economic decision for the business anyway. The cost of the demolition, site work and new construction will far exceed what they would spend on a bigger existing building nearby. I am skeptical the economics work. Will the building be torn down and nothing built? Ironclad assurances would have to be in place. My guess is that it will never happen due to cost anyway and then "hysterical, obstructionist preservationists" will be wrongly blamed for it.
Regardless of the outcome, this is already a failure of what is supposed to happen. I see only two solutions: ugly battle or a buyout. Anyone interested in investing out there? Maybe there is a price that the owner could benefit from enough to encourage a relocation or alternative expansion. Time for folks to step up instead of whining in the comments.
I first want to say that the above photo does not do this structure justice. It is a brick building with a facade very similar in nature to the Tift Row Houses on Allen Street but much larger in depth. It also has all of its ornate eave brackets still in place. Anyone for with an eye for architcture can imagine this building being beautiful upon seeing it in person. The current owner has intentionally allowed the building to be overgrown, painted the same dreary grey as their neighboring print shop, and covered in trash and graffiti to create the illusion of a building not worthy of salvage. Many structures that were in deplorable condition within a couple block radius of this one have been beautifully restored in recent years.
It is INSANE to tear down historic structures in the name of "progress" especially when you look at how many empty buildings and vacant lots we have around this city. That is what happened to historic downtown Niagara Falls in the name of urban renewal many decades ago. Look how ugly Niagara Falls downtown is now. Don't be so naive to think you can predict that this kind of shortsighted expansion is Buffalo's salvation.
There are many cities that went through mid-century decline like buffalo has and are now emerging as these beautiful creative hubs like phoenixes from the ashes. Buffalo is just starting to see this renaissance with downtown living conversions, huge increases in property values, and many new shops and restaurants opening. We have to be careful not to throw away our future in the name of temporary solutions.