Building A Solid Bridge On Wadsworth
According to Wendes that was not the original intention. Three years earlier Ken came up to Buffalo from Baltimore after a former employer convinced him to consider a job. After visiting the city he called Wendes and told her that he really like it here. “I was quite surprised,” she told me. “So I came to take a look and discovered that Buffalo is much better than people had led me to believe. At that point I was very involved with my work back in Baltimore, and at the same time Ken began to commute from Baltimore to Buffalo weekly. He did that for two years. Finally he got sick of the commute and asked if I wanted to move up to Buffalo. I told him that if he found me a project that I would move.
“We ended up buying 19 Wadsworth… the little green house that was built in the 1880’s. Then we purchased 23 next-door. We were hoping that we could park our cars across the street in the lot since there was a sign that said to call… but in the end he refused to rent two spaces to us. So we looked into purchasing the vacant lot next to 23 and it turned out that the owner would only sell the lot if we purchased the three neighboring buildings that he also owned. Now we own 19, 23, 25 (drive and lot), 27 and 29… that’s half the block.”
Starting with 19, the house that the couple will live in, the rehab is already underway. “We dug out the basement,” Wendes said. “There will be all new plumbing, waterlines, and we’re tearing out the first floor… all of the joists and sub-floor were compromised. There will be radiant heat floors and the upstairs will be converted into two apartments. 23 will be two units – an upstairs and a downstairs. The couple has intentions of selling all the properties but 19). 27 and 29 will be converted into single-family homes with garages. The vacant lot will be a shared parking lot for the tenants… and under the lot we are hoping to incorporate slinky coil geothermal power that will heat and cool some of the apartments. We want the houses to be as ‘green’ as possible. We’re using Unilock (Buffalo company) pavers for the driveway so that the water runs into the ground and not into the street. Even the new roof shingles mimic real slate, but they are actually made from the recycled insides of automobiles (Staroba Plastic – Holland, NY).”
It was cool to hear about all of the ‘green’ products that were being used to complete the project. Some of the ideas, like the geothermal, can be expensive in the beginning yet cost effective in the long run. Other ideas just take time and effort, but are environmentally sound practices. “We’re using cork and bamboo flooring (easily renewable resources),” Wendes added. “And re-milled woods for flooring. We’re trying to retain as much as the original possible from each building. We’re recycling all of the products that don’t get Habitat Restore. Instant-on demand hot water. We’re at the cusp of three neighborhoods (Allentown, Days Park, Kleinhans)… we’ve met all of our neighbors (meet a couple of them) who are active in the community. We’re one among quite a few people who are taking on these projects. There is a real interest in this section of Buffalo. Hopefully these efforts will be enough to push this neighborhood to the next level."
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- 19 Comments
Comment Options
MikeS
Excellent! I wonder if any of this catches the Brown administrations radar? I hope so. I still belive tons of houses have to be demolished, but TONS can be saved. It takes money and hard work.
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MikeS
I really need spell check. Sorry guys.
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pgf1948
Does ANYTHING matter except parking?
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hamp
Great job.
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ChocolateShake
Excellent!!
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sbrof
Fantastic. If you don't like you neighbors.. buy them out :p That's what my landlords have here on N Pearl. Definitely one way to turn a block around. These will be a fine addition to Wadsworth and after walking past these places twice a day for over a year I am really excited about this!
I guess this is one good thing that the desire for parking has spurred! I love the idea of geothermal for heating and cooling. As the article says it costs a bit for the up front costs but it is really proven to pay for itself in the long term. Plus it is such a simple technology that you don't need to worry about failure or maintenance as much as solar panels or individual wind generators. Part of the dificulty in installing geothermal in urban neighborhoods is the necessary space for the pipes. Perhaps that can become one use of some of our vacant lots we have strewn about.
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STEEL
Geothermal pipes can be below the building.
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GDC
So are the first floor commercial spaces going to be turned into residential or stay commercial? I hope commerical, I can picture an art gallery and cafe/restaurant in some of those spaces.
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RisingDamp666
It was to be a funeral parlor...for that squatter's morgue down the street.
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BuffaloSoldier
No more demolitions on this block please.
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Perry
Thanks for the report. I've been wondering what was happening at the place...especially since I've at 19 Wadsworth in the late 1990's. Their project will really improve the street. Good job.
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Charger
This is very good to see. While this has a good outcome, it highlights how incredibly short-sighted the City was in selling the parking lot on Wadsworth to a private owner. What was a public resource is now controlled by an individual, who apparently doesn't have an interest in being a good neighbor. Not only wouldn't he, as reported here, rent to neighbors, but I never saw much sign of sidewalk snow removal this winter. One wonders what sort of planning process was gone through before this deal was inked.
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parkstreetwoman
I wish someone would make an investment in the Rolfs house on Park.
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Martin
What a nice morning read! that end of Allen always had so much potential. Wish we could get people to do the same type of thing at our end of Allen.
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Martin
@CHARGER I agree on the parking lot, we have the same problem on N. Pearl. The city sold a lot to Cathode Ray that was part of the buildings on the falling down 900 block. The owners have stalled development [of 900 block] for several years now as 1] they won't allow others on the lot and 2] they will not allow a developer a small portian as Fire escape route. Hence, the building are on the verge of being bulldozed. Stupid city? Selfish Buffalonian? or combo of both? you tell me.
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Martin
Morning Parkstreetwomen...I have your Butter Lamb...
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Biniszkiewicz
Kudos to this couple. It's been a tough neighborhood, with Hudson Street in front and subsidized apartments next door and the Friends of Night People across the street serving as a magnet for homeless every day of the year. But this is the way to win it back.
Regarding parking: it's not ALL about parking. But parking makes the rehab much more tenable. It is difficult to attract and maintain good tenants, not to mention homeowners, without parking. Both pools are much deeper for residences featuring on site parking.
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Rebecca
Hudson Street is coming along nicely.
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Martin
agreed, Hudson is vastly improving, this re-do can only help bump the area into fast forward!
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parkstreetwoman
Butter lamb .... hmmmmmm
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sbrof
Martin.. why doesn't the city just take a portion of the parking lot back. This is a prime example where eminent domain should be taken over because it is in all of the city's best interests to get the 900 block back into the tax rolls and away from fall on my head.
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needles
@ Wendes Jones and Kenneth Beaver;
Thank you, thank you, thank you for what you're doing for Allentown.
And a belated welcome to Buffalo!
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mmjazz
Can I get in on the butter lamb joke--I feel left out. I have fond memories of butter lambs at easter, and viisiting my parents old house on Sobieski--how times have changed since the 50's-60's.
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Martin
Actually, I should not of mentioned it in this post, this really is all about Wende Jones and Kenneth Beaver and what a wonderful commitment they have made!
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sbrof
STEEL, true but it is more difficult and expensive to drill straight down beneath an existing building rather than run horizontal lines (where land is available). I think that in order to lower the costs on geothermal it should get implemented wherever possible, if that means we need to use some vacant lands or our parking lots as heat syncs so be it and then in new construction or where those who can now afford (a more established and cheaper technology) to bring in the vertical piping.
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RisingDamp666
Geothermal should be shared by more than one user to spread out the costs as well as the benefits. There should be some serious tax incentives for neighbors to combine their efforts.
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BUFFALOBUTTERLAMB
this is great! the buffalo news also should do stories on people like them, let people know what good things are going on in the city.
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