A church in the shadows of City Hall has a new owner today. Mark Croce’s Buffalo Development Corp. purchased the former St. Paul’s & St. Mark’s United Church of Christ at the corner of W. Huron and Niagara streets. Croce paid $115,000 for the property that will be renovated for office use.
“This was a natural acquisition for me,” says Croce who has been investing in the Huron and Franklin street corridors for two decades. It is a block away from Statler City and two blocks from Croce’s planned boutique hotel at Huron and Franklin streets.
Nearby blocks have seen significant investment including the federal courthouse, 100 South, Avant, Niagara Center and the soon-to-be-completed West Huron Lofts.
The building, built in 1987 and designed by Stieglitz Snyder Architects, contains 7,000 sq.ft. on the main floor with a 3,800 sq.ft. mezzanine and off-street parking. Croce says the location could support a residential conversion or restaurant use but he’s looking to create office space for lease.
“It’s ideally situated for a law or an accounting firm,” says Croce. “There’s easy access to government offices, the courts, and downtown amenities. Plus there is tenant parking on site and in my nearby lot at S. Elmwood and Huron.”
Croce plans to change the building’s exterior color and ‘clean-up’ the property including new landscaping. He says it will tie into the Niagara Street improvements that are planned by the City.
“There’s a lot of synergy downtown,” Croce says. “Developers are fighting for properties that can be converted. It’s a good time to be investing downtown.”
Get Connected: Buffalo Development Corporation, 716.853.3400