An underutilized downtown tower is on its way towards getting a mix of new uses.  Hamister Hospitality has started work to convert the circa-1959 Tishman Building on Lafayette Square into residential, hotel and office space.  The building had struggled to attract tenants since National Fuel moved out in 2003 and was purchased by Hamister late last year. 

A Hilton Garden Inn will occupy the first 14 floors.  There will be three floors of apartments above the hotel

The Buffalo Planning Board this morning recommended the City Council approve abandoning several small pieces of right-of-way needed for the Sabres' Webster Block development.  Construction on the HARBORcenter project at the foot of Main Street is expected to start next month.  The cost of the mixed-use complex is now projected at $170 million making it the largest, private-sector funded building in Buffalo's history according to Business First.
HARBORcenter

AutoZone on Main Street near Michigan Avenue may be getting a new neighbor.  DiDonato Associates is seeking City approvals to build a Family Dollar store at 1610-18 Main Street.  You know this won't be pretty.

The 9,100 sq.ft. store is proposed for a site that was cleared of a pesky three-story masonry building in 2010.  The location is just north of Main and Ferry that has seen a healthy dose of rehab,

The finishing touches are being applied to the exterior of the new Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) on Ellicott Street just south of Goodell. The four-story building is connected to UB's Downtown Gateway complex, the former M. Wile factory. 
The new EOC building will replace its current location at 465 Washington Street and allow the EOC to significantly expand its services, which include programming in remedial and academic preparation, as well as specific job training programs in allied health, life sciences, information

It's like déjà vu all over again. Back in 2007 I wrote about this historic establishment in hopes that an accomplished restaurateur with a vision would do the right thing and lease it. Unfortunately that didn't happen. The Rendezvous was leased, but instead of reverting back to a historic bar, it was turned into a nightclub. Thankfully, the guys who ran the business left most everything intact, although they did take out the great old booths and tables in the back room. What a bummer. 
In recent

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the Richardson Center Corporation (RCC) today announced the first phase of redevelopment of the Richardson Olmsted Complex. The state support for the redevelopment of the 19th century complex will leverage private investment and create over 500 construction jobs and up to 90 permanent full-time jobs.

The iconic Towers Administration Building and two adjacent ward buildings - about one-third of the 480,000 square foot, 140 year old complex - will be recreated as a boutique hotel, event and conference space and Buffalo Architecture Center. Lieutenant Governor

Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation is hard at work turning Bethune Hall at 2915 Main Street into 87 market rate, loft-style apartments.  Since the $15.5 million project is using historic preservation tax credits, it is being done in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.  
The landmarked four-story structure was designed and built by Lockwood, Green & Company in 1915 for the Buffalo Meter Company, a manufacturer of liquid meters.  In 1971, the State of New York acquired

Wegmans is looking to construct a stand-alone building in front of its Amherst Street store.  The 15,000 sq.ft. single-story building is expected to house a "high-end wine retailer."  Preliminary plans were shown at a  Black Rock-Riverside Good Neighbor Planning Alliance meeting last night.

With the market for loft apartments steady and a lack of obvious downtown conversion candidates, developers have been looking elsewhere for opportunity.  Two of the largest local developers have lined up loft projects outside of downtown.  Ciminelli Development is converting the Bethune Building in the University District and Rocco Termini has two projects planned for Elmwood Avenue north of Buffalo State College.

New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan urged the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) to reject tax breaks being sought by the Uniland Development Company for a planned administrative center for Catholic Health downtown.  The six-story 140,000 sq.ft. building is planned for a long-vacant parcel at Genesee and Oak streets.
BTC Block 1/21 Inc., a Uniland affiliate, has applied for tax breaks from the

A local developer is planning a rental complex in the University District near the LaSalle light rail station.  Legacy Development was recently named designated developer for a 4.7-acre City parcel at the corner of Cordova and LaSalle avenues.  Combined with six acres owned by Legacy, the $40 million project could have up to 250 units and may include a mix of apartments and townhouses (concept plan shown below and entry image).
The project is likely

It's been a tough holiday season and new year for preservation in Buffalo.  If you follow Buffalo Rising even casually, or scroll through the list of articles from the last couple of weeks, you can see the mentions of stalled Trico landmarking, the Bethlehem Steel Headquarters (on the Buffalo-Lackawanna line), and the former North Park Baptist Church -- which is being taken down this weekend on one of those infamous Buffalo "Friday-afternoon demolitions".  You know, the kind that were never supposed to happen again.

On Saturday, Preservation

Busy developers make for a crowded map.  Over two dozen downtown area projects were finished, announced or under construction last year.  Eight projects were finished, ten were unveiled, and 11 were under construction as the year came to a close.  The lengthy list does not include projects in the growing Medical Campus or Larkin District. 
The largest project completed last year was the redevelopment of the Lafayette Hotel by Rocco Termini.  The

Lafayette Square's Tishman Building has a new owner and a mixed-use future.  Hamister Hospitality purchased the 20-story building last Thursday for $1.8 million from a New York City investment firm.  A mix of office, residential and hotel space is planned with work starting in the spring.

Redevelopment plans for the circa-1959 Tishman Building will bring 24/7 life to a strategic downtown corner. The building has struggled to attract office tenants since National Fuel moved out in 2003. Its 9,000 sq.ft. floors, prime location, and sweeping

Developer Nick Sinatra has purchased additional property in the Main/Ferry neighborhood.  Sinatra purchased 1487 Main Street and its adjoining parking lot on Friday from Column Development Inc. for $825,000.  Sinatra says the purchase was for investment, not redevelopment purposes.  The one-story, 5,400 sq.ft. building is occupied by Child & Adolescent Treatment Services, a mental health agency.  

The dreary former Burger King at Main and Mohawk has finally sold.  DC Wholesale Inc. purchased the building yesterday for $140,000.  Dollar City Wholesale, owned by Shaker Abuhamra, is located at 1210 E. Ferry Street.  Abuhamra's plans for the property are unknown.  The two-story, 5,865 sq.ft. building, built in 1978 with seating for 140, had been owned by a New Jersey-based corporation. 
WNY School of Bartending had been looking to

Downtown has a new boutique hotel, the second for businessman Earl Ketry.  Pearl Street Grill owner Ketry converted the Webb Lofts building on Pearl Street from apartments to a 32-unit hotel, Lofts on Pearl.  The hotel welcomed its first guests in mid-November.

The one and two-bedroom hotel suites have a full kitchen and start at $169/night.

Two historic properties are showing off their new windows this holiday season.  The Lake Hotel at 201 West Huron Street and the old Horsefeathers Building on Connecticut Street are in the midst of being redeveloped.  Both will have residential apartments when completed next year.  The Horsefeathers property will have a commercial component- the Horsefeather's Market.

Heart of the City Neighborhoods is building eight units of green, affordable housing on the city's Lower West Side.  The project is being constructed at 294-302 Hudson Street between Plymouth and West avenues.
The two townhouse-style buildings designed by Stieglitz Snyder Architecture reflect the neighborhood's historic character and will contain four apartments each.  Four 2-bedroom, 900 sq.ft. apartments and four 3-bedroom 1,100 sq.ft. apartments will be available

Construction is in full swing on a mixed-use project on the former Cloister restaurant site at Delaware Avenue and Virginia Street.  Scott Croce is developing a three story building on the property with nine apartments along Virginia Street and medical offices fronting Delaware.  Croce, a chiropractor, plans to move his office to the first floor of the building.  The Frizlen Group is project architect.