The new owner of the administrative building at the Pierce Arrow complex is moving forward with redevelopment plans. Pierce Arrow KANAKA, LLC is proposing to convert the building at 1695 Elmwood Avenue into 105 loft apartments and a 100-seat restaurant. The development firm headed by Dr. Gregory F. Daniel bought 1695 and 1721 Elmwood Avenue for $4.3 million from Brooklyn-based Read Property Group in January. The purchase includes the office building along Elmwood and a portion of the assembly plant on the north side of the sprawling complex.
From the application to the Planning Board:
The goal of this project is to continue the creation of a new residential corridor along Elmwood Avenue while paying tribute to the historic Pierce Arrow architecture, repurposing this magnificent building into rental loft-style apartments.
Much of Buffalo’s current housing renaissance centers round job creation downtown and within the urrounding Elmwood Village. The potential creation of thousands of new jobs over the next couple of years will generate increased demand for housing in the City of Buffalo.
The Pierce Arrow will join a growing list of historic preservation projects in the City of Buffalo involving the adaptive reuse of previously neglected and underutilized structures. The buildings in the Pierce Arrow Complex were originally was constructed between 1905-1911 and designed by architects Albert Kahn and George Cary. By repurposing and bringing back to life an otherwise underutilized asset, historic preservation enhances property values, stimulates additional reinvestment, creates jobs, generates increased tax revenues, conserves resources, preserves neighborhoods and enhances a community’s urban fabric and quality of life.
This project will converted a once vacant former industrial property into loft-style rental apartments and will meet a growing need for housing in the City of Buffalo created by a growing employment base. The Pierce Arrow’s unique architecture and adaptive reuse residential loft style design will afford a unique urban lifestyle and serve as another important piece to Buffalo’s urban renaissance.
Indoor parking for 110 cars is proposed for 1721 Elmwood Avenue:
Plans for the $20 million project were prepared by Flynn Battaglia and Studio T3 Engineering.
The Planning Board will review the project, along with the first phase of the Elmwood Crossing development at Elmwood and Bryant, at its meeting on Monday.