St. John Baptist Fruit Belt Development Corp’s plans for new-build market in the Fruit Belt have shifted to a new site, sparing a historic home that would have been demolished. The Sweet Pea market proposal for High Street includes a 7,000 square foot, full-service market with a pharmacy and a café.
WIVB has the news from yesterday’s Planning Board meeting:
The Buffalo Planning Board heard a request from St. John Baptist Fruit Belt Community Development to build the market one block east of the current proposal.
The new site would be between Mulberry and Locust Streets and save the Civil War-era home at 204 High Street, the site where the corporation originally wanted to place the market.
There will be a public hearing on July 29 for the new proposal.
If the new site is approved by the city, groundbreaking for the market could take place later this summer.
Plans for the market drew both praise and scorn. The project was seen as filling a need in the Fruit Belt neighborhood that could help spur further development along High Street. It was also panned for requiring the demolition of a City-owned historic residence.
From Mike Puma:
The Italianate home at 204 High Street was probably built around 1870 and was linked to the attached property at 291 Maple Street with a small addition sometime before 1890. Its oldest known owner was a doctor, JG Meidenbaur and is listed as owning the home in 1872 and taught at Buffalo’s College of Pharmacy. Several subsequent owners also continued to use the home as a residence and office for their medical practices including the Morgan family.
This home has been owned by the City of Buffalo since 2005 and has continued to deteriorate. At least one developer has expressed interest in restoring 204 High Street in the past. John Gulick told The Buffalo News in March he remains interested in the property.