When it comes to bland buildings, 580 Amherst Street takes the cake… and even the cake would be vanilla (with no frosting). This is the type of building (every commercial street has one) that is so jacked up, that you would probably never even notice it as you passed by. If you did happen to notice it, you might think to yourself, “How the heck did that building get to look that way? How many hack jobs has it suffered over the years?” In the back of your mind you might even wonder what the future of the building beholds. In years past, most people would assume that this sort of building would sit, as is, without any hope of being rescued. But today, there is a different vibe in Buffalo, and even buildings like this are being seen as opportunities, thankfully.
This past September, I wrote about an awesome save on Ardmore Place (see here). At the time, Jeff Danahy (D Squared Property) told me that he was on a roll, restoring buildings in neighborhoods that he would not have previously considered. Now Jeff is investing into Black Rock, specifically on Amherst Street where a number of other development projects are currently underway (including this one). According to Jeff, exterior improvements of the 580 Amherst structure is already underway. The plan is to convert the building into three apartments, with one commercial storefront – the storefront will be a commercial space for his real estate business.
Charles Gordon is the architect – the same person that is in the midst of rehabbing this sweet building on the West Side. Lamparelli is the General Contractor. Jeff told me that the renderings that we see here, might have changed a little bit, but the end result will be something very similar and exciting for the street.
Let’s hope that we can get more of these types of lackluster buildings spruced up and brought back to a state where we can be proud to have them in our neighborhoods. I can think of one or two on Hertel Avenue that could use the D Squared Property treatment.
Get connected: D Squared Property | Jeff Danahy | Partner | 716-725-2833
Lead image: Amherst Street elevation