Heading into the weekend, we have some incredible news on the preservation front. The Severyn Brothers development team has acquired a single family home, seven duplex homes, and one parking lot located at 76-106 Florida Street. We’ve been posting on these rowhouses for years, hoping that their owner, Canisius College, would either sell them or fix them up. Thankfully, a positive shift has finally occurred, and the result will be a big win for the near East Side, close to Main Street (and Canisius College).
“We are fortunate enough to have struck a deal with Canisius College,” said Alex Severyn. “While Will and I attended Canisius College, we would walk around these buildings and wondered how to one day acquire them. We have made it a point to remain close to Canisius College and are very excited to be granted the opportunity to buy this dream project.”
To date, the Severyns have been concentrating their developments on the west side of Main Street. This Hamlin Park project will hopefully be the first of many on the East Side of the city, which is considered the final frontier of the city’s renaissance.
“This will be our first project on the East Side and arguably one of our largest projects to date,” said Severyn. “We are working with Jason Yots and Rich Rogers of Preservation Studios to apply for Historic Tax Credits so we can properly invest and save these homes. We are closing on the purchase this month and will be starting construction immediately. We hope to have all 14 units rent ready by June of 2021. Each unit will include three bedrooms, one bath with in-unit laundry. Finishes will include hardwood floors, fireplaces, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and air-conditioning. We are also going to make sure that each unit has its own outdoor space – we are rebuilding the second story porches!”
Severyn mentioned that he and his brother will be working with Seth Amman of Arch & Type Architecture to move the project forward.
There is boundless potential East of Main Street, which will hopefully be realized in the near future. It’s going to take grit and determination, and some serious investments, to turn around some of the structures that have laid dormant for decades. It’s these types of projects – the rowhouses – that will help to propel surrounding neighborhoods in the right direction. This is a big win for Buffalo, the East Side, and Canisius College.
“We are also looking for a name, so we are open to suggestions!” said Severyn.