The Electric Tower Grand Reopening: That was then...
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It is almost unbearable to see what sort of condition the Electric Tower was in up until just recently. Yesterday marked the official unveiling ceremony of the newly refurbished office building. But before we get to the glorious renovation, pause and reflect at the inset image. Take in the drop ceilings... examine the cheesy office furniture... ponder the military-style lobby that welcomed visitors. The only thing missing was a conveyor belt to check your bags upon arrival.
There was a time in Buffalo's history when many of our iconic buildings fell prey to this type of demise. Even though the buildings were functional, they were rather depressing... especially when their history was so glorious. Up until now I had only vague ideas about what type of work was being done to restore the Electric Tower. Little did I know that the renovations would surpass all of expectations.
This is now...
In this podcast you can hear Paul Iskalo (President and CEO Iskalo Development) profess that the building had lost some of its original luster in past years. Judging from the top photo I think that may have been an understatement. When we walked through the front door last evening my eyes could hardly take in just how beautiful the lobby was. The drop ceilings had been removed and the second floor was in plain sight. The attention to detail was ultra impressive. The wood, the stone, the lighting, the inlay floors... the overall feeling that you get when you walk in is unimaginable, especially if you were unfortunate enough to have experienced the Electric Tower during its less fortunate years.
The building looks great in photos, but to fully appreciate just how spectacular the interior is you have to experience it first hand. In coming days we'll be running a slide show of the interior complete with views from the top floors looking out over the city.
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Comment Options
Andrew
Looks great, i had no idea it was in bad shape but now its just stunning. whats the vacancy rate like right now? any prospects?
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ktl340
Wow what a gem of a space I can't beleive there will be any vacciency there for long, very under the radar too!
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bfloBR
I know there was talk of converting the tower portion of the building into residential units. I think this would have been a great fit, especailly given its location amid many of the denser downtown residential clusters. Anyone know for sure if that plan was scrapped? One thing for sure, if the upper floor office space was afforded the same renovation details as the lobby, I would think with the open floor plates of the building, this will command significant interest as Class A office space. Any word on who the tenants will be?
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cire
Iskalo Development's plans always were to resurrect the building as a premier Class A office building, which we believe is its highest and best use. Several other developers had studied the option of incorporating residential units on the tower floors of the building, but due to code restrictions for residential units it was too cost prohibitive to convert. Please feel free to post any additional questions and I will do my best to answer them. We appreciate the positive feedback that we have received on BRO.
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SteveP
Wow this renovation looks great. Good job Iskalo.
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chris69
Incredible
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OutSideLookingIn
Great job! Very happy that you guys made this a reality.
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bfloBR
cire...thanks for the response. I think this renovation will really help to act as a catalyst to an emerging neighborhood on that block of Washington and surrounding budding residential and commercial developments on Ellicott and Main. I will take you up on your offer to answer another question. I live next door to the Electric Tower and have been anxiously waiting for a tenant of some sort (preferably one that serves food and drink) in the old Howard's Shoes storefront. If I recall, Iskalo owns that building and was hoping to develop it at some point. Can we expect something there anytime soon?
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cire
bfloBR to answer your question, Yes. Iskalo Development’s goal is to have the buildings’ exterior façade renovated by year end. We feel that completing this work is the first step towards securing a tenant for the property. Expect to see crews working there sometime in September
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emilie
I passed by the Electric Tower yesterday walking from Thursday at the Square and when I glanced into the lobby I thought, 'wow, that's beautiful, is it possible I've never noticed how nice the interior of this building was before?' Well now I know why. Fantastic job!
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BuffaloSoldier
Victory, victory for Buffalo! Thank you Iskalo, a job well done. It's a shame the at least part fo the building couldn't be used for residential. I know I would love to call the Electric Tower my home. None the less, it's just as great.
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BuffaloSoldier
Victory, victory for Buffalo! Thank you Iskalo, a job well done. It's a shame the at least part fo the building couldn't be used for residential. I know I would love to call the Electric Tower my home. None the less, it's just as great.
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