Reuse of the Central Terminal has taken a significant step forward today by naming a development to assist with the mammoth effort. CB Emmanuel Realty, The Alexander Company, and Rise Community Capital have been selected by Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC) and the City of Buffalo to help with implementing an ambitious, multi-year, multi-use restoration plan for the east side complex.
The team was selected for alignment with the CTRC’s vision, plan and program; financial capacity and feasibility; diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and strategies; and team structure, as well as experience and capabilities.
“The selected development group brings a combined wealth of experience and a proven track record of revitalizing historic landmarks,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight. “After a very thorough national search that brought in a number of quality responses, we are confident that CB Emmanuel, The Alexander Company, and Rise Community Capital will usher in a new era for the Central Terminal and turn this iconic structure into a catalytic anchor for the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood and East Buffalo and a generational investment in the City of Buffalo.”
Plans for long-term development focus on creating new economic activity, bringing in local, accessible jobs, providing local businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits with a platform to collaborate and grow, and building housing to retain local residents while also attracting new ones to the neighborhood.
Initial ideas call for Civic Commons entertainment, events and programming activities in the Main Terminal Building, on the Entry Plaza and the Lawn; a regional and international food hall that could be linked to the nearby historic Broadway Market; culinary education space; mixed-income rental housing; attainable home ownership on the City of Buffalo’s land; light industrial and maker space; coworking and collaborative spaces; quality childcare and childhood education services; neighborhood retail spaces; and a series of mobility options and transportation linkages that weave the Terminal back into the fabric of the neighborhood.
“This is a game changer for the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation as we welcome these partners to develop the Terminal,” said James Morrell, Chair of the CTRC. “Their expertise and passion for preserving the essence of historic structures while focusing on creating a constructive community asset align seamlessly with our vision for the Terminal’s future.”
The preferred development partnership has also been selected by the City of Buffalo Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning for their neighboring portion of the former train station, 59 Memorial Drive, through the joint solicitation process. Collectively the proposed 30+ acre development project will include the renovation of four historic structures and 10+ acres of land owned by the City of Buffalo. CTRC owns the Main Terminal Building, the four-story Mail & Baggage Building, and an attached structured Parking Garage and Entry Plaza, and the front Lawn. The City of Buffalo owns adjacent land towards the train tracks, including the two-story Post Office Building and Railway Express Building.
“I’m proud to partner with the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation to breathe new life into this historic structure. I commend the hard work of my staff in the Office of Strategic Planning. They worked for the past three years to develop plans for the redevelopment of the Central Terminal, including 59 Memorial Drive,” said Mayor Byron W. Brown. “My administration is dedicated to development and neighborhood building throughout the city of Buffalo.”
CTRC has completed an initial round of building stabilization and the development of the Master Plan in 2021 led the way to today’s announcement.
A $61 million initial investment from the Regional Revitalization Partnership to support this multi-phased, 10-year $300 million project is focused on efforts that build the CTRC’s capacity and prepares the structure and grounds for redevelopment and use for community-minded events and programming. Initial construction work will focus on safety and stabilization repairs and readiness for reuse. Additional funding is anticipated to come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to: Historic Tax Credits, Brownfield Grants, New Markets Tax Credits, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, HOME Funds, and as well as the Development Team.
Work that will take place in 2024 and 2025 includes: stabilization of the plaza and parking garage in order to allow vehicular access to the Main Terminal building; stabilization of the Guastavino Akoustolith tiles that line the interior of the Concourse vault; highest-priority roof repair and window enclosures; and care and maintenance of the grounds for safety and accessibility for event attendees and passive use by the community.
Opened in 1929 to serve more than 200 trains and 10,000 passengers daily. An Art Deco icon integral to Buffalo’s architectural legacy, the Buffalo Central Terminal was placed on both the National and State Registers of Historical Places in 1984. Passenger trains discontinued use of the terminal in 1979.
Queens-based CB Emmanuel Realty was founded by R. Christopher Bramwell Jr and Benathan Upshaw in 2005. The company has completed a number of local affordable housing projects starting with the2017 conversion of the former South Junior High School in Niagara Falls into the 61-unit Niagara City Lofts. The firm also completed conversion of School 63 on Lisbon Avenue into 44 apartments in 2018. It also completed Mt Aaron Village on Genesee Street in 2022 and conversion of the former Villa Maria Academy into 67 senior apartments last year.
Madison, Wisconsin-based The Alexander Company has an impressive national portfolio of adaptive reuse projects including the National Terminal complex in downtown Cleveland and Central Station in Memphis. The company has 40 years of experience in urban infill development historic preservation, and affordable housing projects.
“The Buffalo Central Terminal project represents a unique opportunity to blend the rich history of this landmark with creative, community-focused development,” said Joe Alexander, President of The Alexander Company. “The Alexander Company is excited to bring our expertise in revitalizing historic sites to create a dynamic, inclusive space that will serve as a beacon of growth and opportunity in Buffalo.”
Established in 2009, Rise Community Capital provides a strategic financial advisory and investment firm targeting community and economic development projects that substantially improve the lives of working-class families throughout the United States. Over the past five years the firm has financed over seventy projects resulting in over $1.3 billion dollars in new investment in community and economic developments.
The development team is working with Carmina Wood Design on the reuse plans. The local architecture, civil engineering and design firm has been involved with significant reuse projects locally including Hotel Lafayette, Remington Lofts in North Tonawanda, Phoenix Brewery apartments, Nash Lofts, AP Lofts in Larkinville, Silo City, reuse of the Tishman Building on Lafayette Square, and others.
A focus of the Development Team will be to build a diverse and inclusive workforce, to establish a working partnership with the residents of the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, and to create equitable outcomes for and with residents and business owners in the community.
The not-for-profit CTRC will continue to have a role in the ongoing revitalization and operations of the Central Terminal as the owner of the property and long-term steward of the historic site. In particular, the CTRC expects to have a long-term presence at the Terminal leading educational and awareness efforts and to have an advisory role in the development strategy and programming. The CTRC is supported by East Side Avenues and the Regional Revitalization Partnership.
