It’s time to share this update on a house located at 109 Norwood Avenue that John Straubinger first wrote about back in August of 2009 (see post). At that time, the house was about to embark upon a major overhaul that would see the entire structure stripped down to the frame before being built back up with a brick facade, rather than the original wood. This house has been transformed from a troublesome multi-unit eyesore into a signature single on the street. From John’s original post:
“Rehabs
are an important sign to me of continuing progress in the rebirth of
the West Side of Buffalo. I can recall specifically not seeing any
rehabs during the 90’s. Instead, I saw a lot of “For Sale” signs, so
many in fact, that I started wondering whether something deadly was
happening on Buffalo’s West Side.
“In
the mid 90’s, it wasn’t uncommon to see 5 or 6 “For Sale ” signs on
both sides of the street on every block of Richmond, Ashland and Norwood
and just as many on the cross streets. There is no doubt in my mind
that the GardenWalk was a main contributor in ending this very scary
situation. Currently, you see one house for sale, maybe every other
block, and it sells quickly and for a good price. Rehabs don’t happen in
declining neighborhoods.
“Rehabs express progress, and they express faith in the future of Buffalo.
“So,
let’s start with 109 Norwood (rendering at top and photo below). This
house is undergoing a complete external and internal overhaul. The
finished product will be a single-family and brick.“