Cool Space- 443 Delaware Avenue
Art Deco fans rejoice- the two-story architecturally magnificent building at 443 Delaware Avenue looks better than new! Architect Jake Schneider, president of 427 Delaware Holdings, LLC, undertook the $950,000 restoration of the long-neglected property. Completed in October of 2003, the project garnered an award by the Buffalo Preservation Board for distinguished restoration.
The 15,000 sq.ft. building was designed by Bley & Lyman, one of Buffalo's most famed architects. Their portfolio includes 800 West Ferry, the Saturn Club, Buffalo Federal Courthouse, Convention Tower, and many others including the Eckhard's Building at Broadway and Fillmore. The meticulous restoration involved refurbishing the multi-colored marble terrazzo floor in the entry and former second floor corridor, part of the original design. Other original features restored include the staircase with fluted oak banister, Art Deco cove ceilings, and highly detailed facade.
Jake Schneider, owner of Schneider Design Architects, P.C., is one of four independent architectural firms that, together with an independent photo studio, an independent digital design studio, and staff, make up the Buffalo Design Collaborative. The Collaborative occupies 6,500 sq.ft. on the second floor. Ground floor tenants include Avenue Art & Frame, Progressive Physical Therapy, and tony bar/lounge Prespa.
Schneider has quietly become one of downtown's most active developers. Besides the renovation of 443 Delaware, he is involved with redevelopment of 599 Delaware, which I'll profile in the near future, and the Warehouse Lofts project on Ellicott Street.
Photos Provided by Katie Schneider
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Mike Miller
Wow, great slideshow! This has long been one of my favorite buildings on Delaware. It's great to see how beautiful it is... inside and out. Bley & Lyman had quite a diverse portfolio of architectural styles and they were very good at them all. It's unfortunate that they are largely unknown outside western New York. Check out their beautiful Art Deco Niagara Mohawk Building in Syracuse:
http://www.syracusethenandnow.net/Dwntwn/ClintonSq/NIMO/NIMO.htm
Along with the buildings you mentioned, they also designed the building that Broadway Fillmore Alive is trying to help find a tenant for, the Eckhardt Building on 950 Broadway. You can check out this Art Moderne beauty at:
http://www.broadwayfillmorealive.org/eckhardt/
They just don't build'em like these any more...
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Derek J. Punaro
Nice work WestCoast!
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M Rodgers - West Village
My favorite style is Art Deco along with it's partner, the machine age. What a stellar example - what a tremendous work. Thanks for sharing.
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ddoerr
FYI - The Physical Therapy group has left this building. In addition, the building also by these architects just up the street is for sale.
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Katie
ddoerr: May I clarify? Do you mean the building by Bley and Lyman? The Schneider building further up Delaware is leased for the next ten years as far as I know.
The space that's for rent in this building in crying out for some retail...know of anyone? What a great building to move a business into on Delaware with that pretty fenced parking lot and all.
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ddoerr
HI Katie -
Yeah, sorry I did mean by Bley and Lyman. MJ Peterson has the building that is white and red with the daycare center among other businesses for sale right near this building. It is a good investment property that is 90% or so occupied. As far as the Physical Therapy space goes, I had a group that focused on web development that was interested - so we shall see!
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