A historic property, located near Symphony Circle, continues to inspire people with vast possibilities. It’s the Jersey Firehouse. The building has been in limbo for quite sometime – the latest proposal was to convert it into offices, which would have been fine, but many people were hoping for something a bit more visionary. One particular client went so far as to contact architect Charles Gordon to draft up what a possible residential reuse might look like. Gordon took the task and ran with it.
The plan is an adaptive reuse that sees a thorough conversion, combined with modern residences built on top of a section of the building overlooking the courtyard. The 13,500 square foot existing building (not including new construction) would generate about 12 apartments, plus some enclosed parking. Then, the thought was to build a new two level addition in the back that would take the project to an entirely different level.
Gordon believes that the building would most likely qualify for 40% tax credits – he has been working with a construction team that understands the development, as well as a highly qualified preservation architect. Militello Realty is handling the sale. The seller is/was asking ballpark $435K, and there is minimal remediation that needs to be addressed. The construction budget would run around $1.8 to $2 million.
This is a bold vision for the historic firehouse, but one that Gordon feels suits the property well. He believes that it is a practical plan, that would draw people out of the woodwork who would want to occupy a space within the building. It’s in a prime location. The building is gorgeous, and there’s really nothing else quite like it in all of Buffalo. It would be great to see an interested party pick up the pieces and move forward in this direction.