The historic Erie Freight House could be demolished and replaced with a residential development. Property owner 441 Ohio Street LLC consisting of FFZ Holdings of Buffalo and Savarino Companies, have determined the condemned building cannot be feasibly restored and have reported this to the City of Buffalo. In its place, the development team is proposing a four-story, 48 unit residential project with public access to the Buffalo River. It would be built upon the remaining foundations of the former warehouse.
The circa-1868 Erie Freight House is a two-story heavy timber frame structure with 550 feet of Buffalo River frontage. It was named a local landmark in January. The exterior of the Erie Freight House that used to be wood in now clad in rusted metal siding. Sections of the building have collapsed. A 20-foot wharf ran the length of the building along the Buffalo River but was removed in 1959. 441 Ohio Street LLC, which includes FFZ Holdings of Buffalo and Savarino Companies, purchased the property for $225,000 on March 12 from Great Lakes Paper Fibres.
FFZ Holdings of Buffalo and Savarino Companies are also partnering on the historic restoration and adaptive reuse of 500 Seneca Street in the Larkin District (http://www.500seneca.com/) The Ohio Street property was condemned by the City of Buffalo prior to its purchase by 441 Ohio Street, LLC. After taking title, the Department of Inspections and Licenses requested the new owners install a temporary protective fence around the site which was completed. The City also requested the owners promptly engage professionals to make an assessment of the property and to provide a preliminary determination on future use of the site.
441 Ohio Street, LLC retained the local architectural firm Chaintreuil Jensen Stark to study and determine all reasonable uses for the property including rehabilitation of the existing building. Tredo Engineers was also retained to provide a third party engineering analysis of the building.
“We regret to report that, save for the foundations, the building is beyond salvation,” said Sam Savarino, President and CEO of Savarino Companies in a letter to the City.
Below is a summary of the findings from Tredo Engineers:
“It appears that original elements of this building on the south end and the north end of the building have been compromised by renovations performed by prior owners. The center portion of the building has suffered the greatest amount of deterioration and, in places, has totally collapsed. The extent of deterioration and subsequent costs to repair and reconstruct collapsed portions of the building as well as reinforce the remainder of the building are most likely too expensive to justify as a renovated building project. Sections of the center portion have collapsed and there is the distinct possibility of the failure and collapse of additional sections rendering this area unsafe. The historical integrity of the south and north sections have been compromised by recent renovations. Some foundations and piers may be reusable, depending on new column loads and spacing. Some of the existing timber framing may have resale value.”
“I recommend demolishing the building and constructing a new structure that best suits the desired program and intended use.”
-Edward F. Tredo, PE, President, July 6, 2012
City inspectors went through the structure best they could after receiving the building condition reports.
Said Savarino, “We have spent the last two months discussing our findings and our redevelopment plan with many people – including public officials and representatives of community organizations- who have an opinion if not an interest in the future of the property. It is our plan to incorporate the foundations and former wharf into our current redevelopment plan and we want to include public water access as part of the project.”
“We plan to retrieve any salvageable timber for reuse elsewhere,” addded Savarino. “We gave serious consideration to a rehabilitation of the existing structure; however it is beyond salvation and it is evident that prior renovations have compromised the building’s historic integrity. We are of the firm opinion that our current redevelopment plans compliment and support the redevelopment of the Ohio Street corridor. We feel that that the design of our project is appropriate and suitable for its location. It represents a private investment of $15,000,000 and perhaps the first return on the public funds committed to the link between downtown Buffalo and the Outer Harbor”
A total of 48 residential units would be constructed. Each would contain two bedrooms, two baths, substantial walk-in closets, and 1,900 sq.ft. of space. The open living room, dining area and kitchen will look upon a pair of French doors and small balcony practically on the wharf and the river. Bedrooms would be on the Ohio Street side of the buildings. Outdoor areas are reserved for resident gardens. Units in the building are expected to be rentals with the possibility of a condominium conversion at a later date.
Ninety-five parking spaces are planned, 72 would be covered and for use of building tenants and guests. What is intended to be a public wharf area would be constructed at waters’ edge. The property is located near a number of recent redevelopment efforts including Buffalo RiverFest Park, Silo City and talked about upgrades to the Ohio Street streetscape.
“We are prepared to move forward with the project” said Savarino.