The slab foundation is in for a North Buffalo apartment complex. “Bell Tower Lofts” at the corner of Colvin and Tacoma avenues will feature 26 apartments when it is completed next year. The new building with two wings will surround the remaining steeple of the North Park Baptist Church that was demolished in 2013. The demolition contractor, Sam DeFranks, purchased the property and is developing the residential project.
Plans call for 15 one-bedroom apartments with 820 to 921 sq.ft. of living space and 10 two-bedroom units ranging from 852 to 1,143 sq.ft. There will also be a two-story, three-bedroom unit at the Colvin end of the complex with 1,500 sq.ft. of space.
The church was damaged by a three-alarm arson fire in April 2012. The church had been vacant for a number of years after the owner, the Korean United Methodist Church, vacated the property. Despite a scramble by preservationists and even at least one developer interested in reusing the church complex, it was demolished in early 2013 with just the steeple saved.
David Sutton is project architect.