Real Estate: July 2010 Archives

Work is underway to repurpose a vacant north Buffalo church for residential and commercial use.  Creative Structures Services Inc's 700 Parkside LLC is transforming the North Park Presbyterian Church into 12 apartments and 5,500 sq.ft. of office space.  The property at the corner of Parkside and Lyndhurst was purchased Wednesday for $210,000 from the Presbytery of Western New York.

"Though we just closed on the property, we actually started work two weeks ago," said Creative Structures Services' David Pawlik. "We're

Downtown has a newly prepared "shovel-ready" site, not that there was much left to begin with.  The remnants of two 19th century buildings were removed over the weekend at the corner of Genesee and Ellicott streets.  85 Genesee was an ornate four-story building that collapsed during a 2002 windstorm when then owner Triangle Development was attempting to stabilize the structure.  All that remained was the cast iron of the first floor facade.  91 Genesee was a three-story brick shell.  The properties are on the western end of the Genesee Block.

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It's been a year since a rooftop garden and patio area was installed at Savarino Cos. and Avalon Development's 95 Perry Street in the Cobblestone District.  So how did the plants tolerate a mid-summer planting and deep freeze over the winter?  Amazingly well according to landscape contractor and 'green' expert Dave Majewski owner of Premium Services.

"I have not seen the plants since spring budding; it is doing incredibly well," said Majewski.  "All the plants survived the winter with no problems.  It is doing better than expected."

The rooftop deck, with amazing

Efforts to secure an exemption for the NYS Rehabilitation Tax Credit program from the Governor's and Assembly's tax credit deferral plan continue, and your final assistance is needed to protect this program from changes that will halt or severely delay rehabilitation projects across New York State.  Your making three phone calls to the Governor, Assembly, and Senate can assist the Preservation League and others working in Albany to keep the rehabilitation tax credit program intact and ready to work for Buffalo and New York State.

Governor Patterson proposed - and the NYS Assembly

In an earlier version of  this post I incorrectly identified the building being renovated- it is in fact the building at the southwest corner of Main and Ferry streets (thank you jpp!).

1526 Main Street is owned by Main Ferry Development LLC and is 19,044 sq.ft.  The owner has been updating the ground floor commercial spaces.

Across the street, a long-vacant building is also going to see new life be by Housing Opportunities Made Equal.  The "Home for HOME Project" will be renovating the three-story corner building and constructing an adjoining

Details on an ambitious $50 million redevelopment effort in the Larkin District are out.  Seneca Exchange Larkin Partners, which recently received $5 million in Recovery Zone bond authorization, plans to renovate a pair of former Larkin Co. warehouses into a mix of office, light industrial and up to 60 residential lofts.

Business First's James Fink has the impressive details:

Seneca

Nearly ten years after first proposed, we should know within two weeks if Bass Pro is coming to the Buffalo Inner Harbor as an anchor to Canal Side.  Congressman Brian Higgins issued a letter Monday to Bass Pro Shops CEO Johnny Morris and President Jim Hagale calling on the company

HSBC is said to be leaning heavily towards vacating its signature tower when its lease expires in 2013.  But it might not be moving far.  Bank insiders say the bank's number one option is to build new space behind its Atrium building on lower Washington Street, but nothing has been finalized.  The bank-owned parking lot stretches along Perry Street nearly to Michigan Avenue. 

Sources also say the bank would take additional office space planned for the Webster Block.  ECHDC officials say that details on a project for that long-vacant site could be announced in

Mayor Byron W. Brown today was joined by Congressman Brian Higgins, and Jordan Levy and Larry Quinn of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation to announce a community development agreement that will bring investment and job creation to the city's emerging waterfront and its traditional neighborhood commercial districts.  The proposed deal is seen as an alternative to the Community Benefit Agreement that some have advocated for the Canal Side project.

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After selling its High Street building to an affiliate of Ciminelli Development, the Langston Hughes Center has set its sights on a new home.  The arts and cultural organization will temporarily move to the Elsinghorst Building at 136 Broadway while it finalizes a deal to purchase a nearby property.  136 Broadway reopened in 2007 after owner Jean Elsinghorst painstakingly renovated the circa-1866 building into three contemporary loft apartments and first floor commercial space.

According

Officials from Kaleida Health and the University at Buffalo were on hand to witness the last sequence of steel erected at the construction site of a new combined $291 million clinical care, research and business incubation building on the Medical Campus.  The $291 million structure is taking shape next to Buffalo General Hospital at Goodrich and Ellicott streets. 

Kaleida Health President and CEO James R. Kaskie and UB President John B. Simpson signed their names to the last section of steel at a “topping off” ceremony.  Kaskie and Simpson’s names join

Three renovation projects proposed by the Jeremiah Partnership will be reviewed at this morning's Planning Board meeting.  The Broadway, Genesee Street and Main Street buildings are targeted for upgrades by three cooperating religious organizations.

• 437 Broadway - Pentecostal Temple proposes to renovate the vacant three-story building at the corner of Spring Street (entry image).  The 12,180 sq.ft. building will be a mix of retail and business space.

• 656 Genesee

We've just launched the latest version of BuffaloRising.com.  As you can see, we've modified the design of the site but we've also introduced a number of new important features we want to point out.

First, the most popular stories are now highlighted along the top of the front page just below the header navigation.  We think this new position for Buffalo Rising's most popular stories helps readers quickly and easily determine which stories are generating the most pageviews and comments. 

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After quickly filling its Allentown Lofts project, Kissling Interests is aiming for a repeat performance with it most recent purchase at 249 North Street.  Kissling expects to invest over $600,000 upgrading the historic mansion's eight apartments. 

"We'll be targeting the high-end market," says Kissling's Executive Vice President Scott LaCasse.  "The property is close to some of our other buildings and it is a great area.  It's neighborhood we do well in."

Since opening in February, the company has leased all ten units at

The Louis Surdam House at 62 Middlesex Road traded hands on Friday for $1.45 million.  It is the highest priced home sale in the city.  Ever.  According to County Clerk records, the bashful buyer is 62 Middlesex LLC.  The Koessler family sold the amazing residence. 

Duane Lyman was the architect for the 6,300 sq.ft. home.  Lyman was called the "dean of Western New York Architecture" when he died in 1966.  He designed such notable buildings as the Saturn Club, 800 West Ferry, Delaware Court Building, Vars Building, Convention Tower, and

A judge has ruled in the dispute over the City's sale of the closed School #36 on Days Park.  Justice Patrick NeMoyer has sided with Sam Savarino and blocked the City Council-approved sale of the property to the Elmwood Village Charter School.  The decision on the Article 78 proceeding was handed down on Wednesday.

Both the Elmwood Village Charter School and upstart West Buffalo Charter School coveted the school property. Savarino is working with the West Buffalo Charter School to secure a permanent home for the K-4 school.   On March 16, 2010, the Buffalo City Council

Three units at 'The Brownstone' project have been put up for sale.  Eran Epstein's E Square Capital LLC is converting a three-story warehouse at 504-08 Washington Street into three, two-family townhouses.  Each 17' wide unit includes a tandem two-car garage and separate Washington Street entryway.  They are priced at $360,000.

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Kissling Interests has added another property to its ever expanding portfolio.  The firm purchased the historic George L. Williams mansion at 249 North Street.  The circa-1877, 9,300 sq.ft. property was purchased for $315,000.  It contains eight residential units.

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