Elmwood Village Condo Units Now Selling
Units at the 'Elmwood Village Condo' development are for sale. With starting prices in the high $300’s, some of the most expensive non-waterfront condominiums in the city, the project is exclusively focused on the high end of the market. Developer/builder Paul Johnson is teaming with attorney Michael Ferdman and architect Karl Frizlen doing business as FJF Development to construct the twelve-unit project in the 300 block of West Utica Street near Elmwood Avenue. Realty USA’s Maureen Flavin is marketing the project.
Prices start at $380,400 for a three bedroom, 1,902 sq.ft. unit on the first floor. A three bedroom, 2,187 sq.ft. unit on the second floor is priced at $437,400. Top floor units featuring 2,762 sq.ft., a loft area and terrace, three bedrooms, and three and a half baths are priced from $552,400. The final price hinges on the degree of finish the buyer selects. Association fees start at $257/month.
Homes are decidedly upscale with three-sided fireplaces, master suite with walk-in closet, Jacuzzi tub, kitchen with granite countertops and breakfast bar, formal dining room, in-unit laundry, balconies, and central air. The project is targeting professionals and empty nesters who are eager for new construction in a carefree, low-rise lifestyle just steps from Elmwood Avenue.
The $5 million development designed by Frizlen will require the demolition of a five-unit rooming house and a neighboring home at 301 and 305 W. Utica. Each will be dismantled by Buffalo Reuse. The properties, plus a vacant lot at 311 W. Utica, were acquired in November 2006 and January of this year. Units will be ready for occupancy in late-2008.
Click here for virtual tour.
Get connected: Maureen Flavin, Realty USA: 716.689.8100
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bobbyjohnny
Boy I know people are not going to want to hear this but I want to say first and foremost that I'm not just being negative. I think it's great that there's new development and I'm proud that it got done in Buffalo. However I'm pretty disappointed by the lackluster architecture of this building, especially when compared to all the historic architecture all over the surrounding neighborhoods. The chief advantage is probably in the modern interior systems and amenities, but boy the exterior doesn't really hold a candle to MOST of Elmwood neighborhoods out there. Anyway overall its a good thing, but just want to say I hope the exteriors on future developments will manage to match the high level of rich design in the local neighborhood homes.
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chris69
It would be very easy to add arts and crafts overhangs on the eves
It would be very easy to add an awning to the top porches
It would be very easy to plant some disease free elms to provide a canopy and frame the building
It would be very easy to grow an ivy along the sides to humanize the exterior
It would be very easy to add shingles to the exterior....all of which would....blend the building much more
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gaustad
I agree, this project clearly does not mesh with the urban fabric of the Elmwood Village. It looks like a retirement home that starts at 380k. Further, this is a lot of money to spend to get harassed by panhandlers at Sunoco.
I think Forever Elmwood should do something to stop this project.or change the design!
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300miles
* 300miles walks up to Gaustad, Chris, and Bobby, and SMACKS THEM UPSIDE THE HEAD. *
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300miles
Ahem... Great News on the condos! Keep em coming! :)
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gaustad
300 miles, you know nothing about our urban lanscape. This project will jepordize the urban fabric on Elmwood Ave and make it less appealing. This project is bad for Buffalo. Olmstead would be rolling over in his grave ( always wanted to say that...)
The two houses being knocked down for this project represent turn of the century fabric and design that can only be found in Buffalo. something should be done to preserve these buildings instead of tearing them down. One of the first light switches from 1901 was created, and we need to preserve it.
We need to get Buffalo back to what it once was 75 years ago, an industrial powerhouse. If we could just turn back time and live in 1940 for the rest of our lives, Buffalo would be an awsome place to be.
I am going to organize a march tomorrow to save these two houses because I am a gay hippi with nothing better to do with my life.
(300, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em)
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bobbyjohnny
I'm not one to say it needs to be stopped. I'm tired of all of the local interference with some economic progress, that's how you end up at the bottom. However I am one to say that the project could have been better integrated.
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Smicha2161
It's not a great design, but it could be much worse. At least something is being built and we continue to move into the future. I'll take some progress over no progress
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Buffalopundit
Don't like it? Don't buy it.
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Gotime
gaustad, Buffalo is never going to be an industrial powerhouse as it was 75 years ago. Gee lets stop the progress and hope the BNE brings all our manufacturing jobs back. I wouldn't bank on that. I actually like this project mixed in with existing architecture. We can't save all the houses, if that was the plan we could start saving the 20,000 plus homes that need to be torn down. If those houses were worth saving, I'm sure the developers would have done it as they have very nicely on other properties on Elmwood (See Delish etc..and the house on Elmwood between highland and Lexington).
I also believe there is a market for these type of condo's. People looking to move back to the city and be a part of Elmwood Village and not buy a three story Victorian that needs to be painted, updated, new roof, very little parking, a 300 dollar a month heating bill and the risk of what will go wrong next. Prospective buyers are not people that want to be cutting the grass and shoveling side walks. Been there done that. They also would rather wake up on Sunday morning and walk to get a cup of coffee rather than be on an isolated water front.
This is a new era of Architecture. Every project that is ever proposed or built in Buffalo is always going to have critics, its your right. So keep criticizing I guess. If we listen to critics on every project, nothing would ever get done. You will never get a twelve unit condo to match an 1800's Victorian. Its not possible. Its not like we are plopping this thing in the middle of Chapin or Linclon Parkway. Its West Utica. Its only going to make the street more desirable. I would be glad to own the house next door to this project.
This building actually resembles a lot of what you see in the neighborhoods of Toronto. You have twelve units on three lots. Lets say those twelve units are occupied by 24 people most likely with an income of 100k plus each, thats 2.4 million dollars of gross income. If we had more of these, the shops and restaurants on Elmwood would not be constantly closing. This is why I get excited about the proposed tower on gates circle. think of all that money being spent in the neighborhood. Hutch's will have few new competitors when that building is complete.
We need this kind of money living here, not occasionally stopping into the city from Clarence or Amherst.
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Blymi
GOTIME - Buffalo needs to return to the industrial powerhouse that we were in 1905. Mark my words, we will reopen the shuttered plants and mills across the city in the next 10 years as a response to the unfair trade practices and unsafe products coming from China and poor service coming from India. Buffalo needs to be ready to reopen for business because it will happen soon. We will be a logistics hub for the US and Canada. We will need our waterfront and rail yards to make this happen. We need to begin work on replacing rail lines instead of turning them into low rent developments. We need to reopen the canal network that made the waterfront viable. Major companies are fleeing from the big cities because they are too expensive, Buffalo can benefit from these cost savings moves if we are ready for it. We need to cut the city off from the suburbs to force the un-Buffalonians to return to the city if they want to catch a ride on our success.
This project could be improved with a couple thousand dollars worth of landscaping and architectural elements. This would make the units worth the $380,000 price tag. It won't be too long
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scandy
Can someone develop a group of condo homes that real city people can afford/? This is a great concept and it may bring in people from the suburbs but how about creating a buyable asset for people ages 25 to 35 and want to create and start a life here? These new developements are nice but what is smart is allowing young people the opp. to start and creat a lite in the city? If we had a developer that wanted to make money but also creat change that would be ideal?
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Sal
Wait and see if the units sell, then praise or criticize the developers on their project.
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urbansoul
Everyone's got an opinion. Mine is BUILD IT. Elmwood can transform itself from its current style and have newer, more contempoary builds blend in. Afterall, have all you naysayers ewver been to Yorkville in Toronto?
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jen
Looks pretty ugly but maybe the real thing will be better than the rendering above (eps. the inside design). Also, why would one want to live in a condo when there are so many beautiful, afordable houses around Buffalo?
Despite my crticisms, go ahead and build it and let the market decide.
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300miles
jen - many of those beautiful affordable houses come with considerable maintanance costs, repairs, and heating bills. A modern condo frees the owner to spend more time enjoying city living and less time working on a house. There is a huge untapped market for condo living in the city of buffalo. That's why big condo projects are being floated like Gates Circle and Issa's tower. Nothing against our beautiful homes... just answering your question. :)
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chrish
Congrats to Karl Frizlen on good design and good urbanism. This project increases density and spending power on the site and embraces new urbanism. We couldn't ask for more! Bravo!
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sbrof
this project while maybe the exterior is a little bland is a move in the right direction for Buffalo an the EV. The old home are being dismantled by buffalo re-use! Fantastic, less waste. The building is going to add density to the site which puts more people in closer proximity to local shops and businesses.
It is taking advantage of existing infrastructure, transit routes and land use. NOT being built by draining wetlands and swamps in Clarence where the residents are totally car dependent. This brings the overall sustainability and efficiency of the city up. Also i believe that the construction is going to use several green technologies. So even with the a shoddy facade this project is very good for the future of Buffalo and our environment.
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Martin
Good move for Buffalo. I'm sure these will be all sold before construction even begins like Johnsons previous projects.
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sally
Very nice - looks like a MICROTELL!
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Sulley
oooo, very 1980s chic!
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nyc
agree with sbrof.
but it does look like senior housing. At least the entry could be a little more inspired.
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SteveP
scandy,
I think you are right on. From what I understand though, if they were going to rehab a building or build one from scratch, the profit margin wouldn't be there for a 125k-175k condo. If there was a way to do it, I'm sure it would have been done by now. If the city/state/feds could come up with some kind of incentive to provide afforable condos in that price range I think we would see something done.
On the flip side, 300k for something like that really isn't too bad. If you have a 2 person income making 80-100 a year, its not an unreasonable price for that area.
As for the design concerns, the builder is investing 5 mil, there are 12 units (more density) and more taxes coming back to the city. I don't care what it looks like as long as its occupied. Hate to break it to you guys but the days of architectural creativity aren't coming back anytime soon so get used to it.
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Texpat10
Gaustad, what is up with the gay bashing? I don't care about the hippie bashing. My two cents on the project are that development is good but the design of this project is bad. A trip to Chicago to see how to build new buildings in an existing cityscape would greatly benefit the project architect.
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Willie1
The design of the project could be improved dramatically with a few simple refinements. The design shows a lack of understanding on the use of conventional standard window units. Proportion & scale are off. Are the openings vertical or horizontal? There is no theme, rhyme, reason, or consistency in the proportion of the individual lite of glass. The transoms are poorly done. The triamgular windows don't belong. In the large openings alone, there are four different proportions of glass lites. Very simply, it could be reduced to two, with a simple move that would improve the effect. Sometimes these things are produced in a rush and need to be reconsidered before the start of construction. Let's kill the triangular units and replace with the round units. In the smaller punched opening, devide the transom vertically. In the larger units, devide the center transon vertically, and the two lower center lites should be devided horizontally as the units flanking them. I would replace the large openings with two of the smaller punched opening. Same amount of glass, just in two punched units with a little of the building material in between. This is not all there is to do, but it's a move in the right direction. While it is not mandated in the code, a good suggestion would be on the steel porch railings, to change the orientation of the horizontal intermediate rails to a vertical orientation. Then the railing is not "climbable" from either the exterior or more importantly from the interior by small children. Thats my two cents for all you armchair critics. It's very easy to make flippant comments without the skill or experience to back them up. Everything I have noted would be fully understood by the design team. The design of buildings is very personal and I am a believer in letting the market place decide. I think these simple recommendations add value.
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Bizzles
OMG everybody just shut up. Why don't you all just go spend a night in the rooming house that's there now?
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joey
AND WE WONDER...WHY Buffalo is on the bottom of the heap of rust belt cities...DARN...AND I thought it was just the politicians!!
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galaxyjay
joey...What in god's name are you talking about? Your speaking privileges have been revoked.
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bobbyjohnny
I want to reiterate that I think it's great that development has occured. And I think it's ALSO great that people have voiced some very HELPFUL design comments, many of which are low cost and high impact. So let's keep the development coming, and subsequent developments might be more aesthetic.
Everyone can benefit here, no reason not to keep learning and improving. And there are no enemies in this siutation. The design could have been better, but the very most important thing is that development is taking place. As long as the priorites are in that order we'll be ok. You can't have improvements to the overall city without regular investment. Let's keep it real and realize that aesthetics are a flower, an enhancement, a fruit that follows function... Kind of like when you're poor, it's better to have something to eat an slightly art-deprived environment, than to have nothing to eat and all the fine art you can look at. Priorities have to be right.
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STEEL
Buffalo has really turned a corner if they get these kinds of prices on Utica
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STEEL
Oh by the way Texpat10 I would not hold too bright a light on Chicago development. The crap far outweighs the good in the windy city.
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EricOak
Excellent concept and I'm happy to see it happen, but golly, does everything these guys build have to look like a motel 6 off Transit Road? I mean, can't we have just a little sense of style and history?
Steel's right--and it's the same in Toronto. Don't look north for guidance. We might look south, though. Charleston has added some nice new modern city flats that just look sharp and urban.
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bobbyjohnny
I laughed out loud at the Microtel comment. Ever since then I keep imagining a big electric hotel sign between the roof peaks: "Days Inn" or "Homewood Suites" or maybe "West Utica Resort & Lodge"?? Sorry, had to go there. ;)
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comptart_lws
bleh
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Woody
It's time for an architectural redesign. It certainly does not fit with preservation of the Elmwood Village ambience/atmosphere. This is better suited for a rural or suburban site looking to attract elderly individuals who don't mind a cookie-cutter type design that in my opinion, lacks ingenuity and fails to reflect the valued aesthetic history of Elmwood. Forever Elmwood...?
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VonFink
Looks great to me....underground parking..nice porches....lots of new people shopping and living and working in the area...people with money..they should put two of these at elmwood and forest. One must destroy in order to create.....
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jooliecoolie
what would be great is if it were LEED certified. will it be?
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RisingDamp666
Does every new residential development in Buffalo have to look like a lakeside condo in Tennessee? I mean c'mon! Who designed this atrocity? Some firm in Atlanta that sells the plans on Ebay? Does it come pumped in like a satellite radio show? If this is the best "traditional" style you can build, then just strip away the faux-victorian crap, cover your tedious building in Formstone and be done with it! If it has to be cheap, make it sleazy too!
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