A single-family dwelling on the same block as the Hyatt downtown? That is the plan scheduled to be presented to the Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday. Not to worry, it will not be a vinyl-sided center-entrance colonial. Kent Keating has the four-story building at the northwest corner of Main and Mohawk under contract and is proposing to renovate it into commercial space topped by one residential unit. Steel posted on the subject building located at 496 Main Street last week.
Sidenote: Word on the street is that Kent Keating wife’s law firm, Massaro Keating & Cosgriff & White, could be relocating from Williamsville to the base of the building. The same sources say that the Keatings would occupy the upper residence. The planned split of commercial and residential space is unknown. None of this has been confirmed.
The 11,440 sq.ft. building is still owned by Naseem Malik and had been listed through Chris Malachowski and Hunt Commercial for $340,000. Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant is the only tenant in the building currently.
496 Main Street is adjacent to The Belesario lofts and cater-corner to Carmina & Woods architects' impressive renovation of 487 Main. Hundreds of residents have moved into downtown lofts in recent years, but Keating’s live-work proposal is certainly exciting and unique.
This wouldn’t be Kent Keating’s first pioneering effort. In 1999 he founded internet marketing firm Kanoodle, one of the early pioneers in search-targeted sponsored links. The firm offers online purchase and placement tools to help advertisers effectively target their campaigns. Rapidly growing Kanoodle has over 80 employees at its offices on North Forest Road in Amherst.