Façade work on the lower floors of Statler City is making progress. Owner Mark Croce is undertaking $3 million worth of masonry work, canopy repair and renovation, window repair, and storefront renovations on the Niagara Square landmark’s first two levels. Croce has already invested over $7 million into the interior of the building in order to get the lower levels into an event and wedding venue. The work underway is expected to set the stage for future development of the building’s upper floors. Kideney Architects prepared plans for the restoration work.
After purchasing the property, Croce was awarded more than $5 million in state grants for exterior work at the Statler. The grant funding was tied to Croce investing his own money into the redevelopment effort. The first portion of that money was for masonry stabilization and roof work that’s been completed. Croce’s new proposed work will allow him to tap into additional state money.
The simulated pink granite panels at the base of the building on the Delaware, Niagara Square, Genesee, Franklin, and Mohawk elevations of the building have been removed to expose the original terracotta finish below. Where areas of original terracotta is missing, new GFRC units will be fabricated to match the existing dimensions, texture, and color of the original terracotta.
The existing three original canopies on the Delaware, Genesee, and Mohawk elevations of the building have been extensively modified since their original construction and will be repaired and renovated.
Select windows along the second level will be repaired by replacing missing or broken glass and muntins. The majority of the existing wood frames along Delaware Avenue, Niagara Square, and Genesee Street will be scraped, primed, and painted in place.
The existing 1960’s vintage stainless-steel storefront frames and glass will be removed and replaced with new thermally broken aluminum storefront that will be based upon existing suspected original storefronts along Genesee and Franklin Streets. Decorative cast iron cresting and fascia will be replicated in GFRC and added to all rebuilt and repaired storefronts. Cloth canopies will be added above select storefronts per historical photographs.