Another Buffalo church has found new life as residential space. Creative Structures Services (CSS), a general contracting, project management and development firm headed by David Pawlik and Russell Kyte, has recently finished work on the former Buffalo Covenant Church at 786 Kenmore Avenue.
A dozen apartments and one live-work unit are now located in the building located at Kenmore and Harvest avenues. The Evangelical church decided to shut down due to declining membership and held its final service in the building one year ago. The congregation had occupied the structure since its construction in 1947.
There are nine one-bedroom and three, two-bedroom apartments. Four of the units are two-stories, including two units with nearly 1,400 sq.ft. of living space that utilize the former choir loft.
“Out of all of the units we’ve done, these came out the most interesting,” says Pawlik.
Rents range from $725 to $1,300. Move-ins are currently underway and three of the units are leased with a fourth reserved.
The $1.3 million development is named KLP Commons after Pawlik’s sister Karen who passed away approximately three years ago from ovarian cancer.
CSS has found a niche repurposing North Buffalo church and civic buildings. Three years ago the developers rehabbed a former church at 700 Parkside Avenue into The Lofts at Warwick, a dozen high-end apartments and 5,500 sq.ft. of office space. Work was completed earlier this year on the conversion of the former Fairfield Library at 1659 Amherst Street into five apartments and a small amount of office space.
Pawlik says his company is currently pursuing other redevelopment opportunities in the city and is teaming with Burke Homes on an apartment project in the Village of Youngstown.
“We are always looking,” says Pawlik.
And Buffalo is better for it.
Get Connected: Leasing information, 716.675.3000
