TM Montante Development has announced the next development project at Gates Circle will be a six-story mixed-use building that will include several retail storefronts on the ground floor and approximately 60 market rate residential units on the upper floors. BLTa, a Philadelphia firm with extensive mixed-use design experience, has been selected as project architect.
The building represents a significant milestone in the transformation of the former Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital into Lancaster Square at Gates Circle, a mixed-use, urban place featuring neighborhood retail, residential units, and commercial office space.
“We are thrilled to announce our new building project at Lancaster Square,” said Christian Campos, President of TM Montante Development. “The site prep work that we needed to complete to get to this point was challenging, complex and costly. However, in a short amount of time we’ve gotten it done; we completed environmental cleanup, successfully imploded the main hospital tower and installed new roads and infrastructure to open up the site and connect neighborhoods. This new building project will allow us to further transform this historic site by bringing new residents and exciting retail offerings.”
Since acquiring the site from Kaleida Health, TM Montante Development has worked collaboratively with the community to develop the overall vision for Lancaster Square at Gates Circle, and is now actively engaging its Community Advisory Committee as well as neighborhood block clubs on this new building project prior to site plan review. TM Montante Development will present the project renderings to the public later this spring.
“Right from the start, we understood the significance of this site and the need for thoughtful development anchored in the community’s shared values,” said Campos. “To ensure a successful development, we’ve worked hard to find common ground and build trust amongst our diverse group of community stakeholders. We’re committed to continuing that process going forward.”
BLTa was selected as architect after a competitive RFP process. Importantly, the RFP included a “Design Values Statement” that was developed collaboratively with the community and highlighted specific design considerations that respondents were required to address in their proposals. The process to select the project’s architect also included input from a professional design review committee that evaluated all proposals within the context of the Design Values Statement.
According to Campos, BLTa understood and addressed the design values included in the RFP in their building proposal. “We are working with a firm that recognizes the importance of Buffalo’s architectural heritage. Their approach will be respectful of that
history, but will also build upon it by designing a building that is an expression of this time and this place.”
BLTa will be working with several area firms on the project, including C&S, M/E Engineering and Siracuse Engineers. Montante Construction will manage construction of the new building and its preliminary schedule has shovels in the ground later this summer.
Get Connected: TM Montante, 716.876.8899