The Preservation Board will be reviewing plans for the African Heritage Food Co-Op Market & Internet Café at its meeting today. Plans call for renovating and expanding an existing 3,838 sq.ft historic building at 238 Carlton and construct an addition and deck on a vacant lot at 240 Carlton. Three off-street parking spaces are proposed behind the co-op accessible from Locust Street. KCB Architecture designed the project.
Proposed Project:
- Parcel combination of (238 & 240 Carlton) and (189 Locust) to be combined as one parcel.
- Special use permit requested to establish (Neighborhood Shop) use in the (N-2R) zone for Change of use to convert from (R-3, B) occupancy to (B) occupancy.
- Alterations and renovation for new establishment to include addition to the rear 2nd level portion of existing structure, stair and elevator addition, exterior deck, accessible ramp and site work improvements as per plans submitted.
Proposed Materials:
- The existing building features wood-framed floors and walls, a painted brick exterior load-bearing walls, wood windows, and an asphalt shingle roof; iron columns from the original storefront remain at the entry.
- Renovations will rebuild the fire-damaged roof and second floor, add an elevator and stair tower, exterior porch, and accessible ramp.
- Proposed materials will match existing brick in size, pattern, and finish. New wood-ached windows will replace the old ones. The front entrance will feature an aluminum storefront system and restored original iron columns, and the vertical circulation tower will have a brick exterior and wood arched windows.
The co-op will be located on the first floor of the building with bathrooms, kitchen and café on the second floor. The building, built circa 1876 by Peter Knapp, was a neighborhood grocery store for 93 years, before ultimately becoming vacant in 2000. Plans for the Carlton Street location began in 2019 when an anonymous donor purchased the fire-damaged structure and donated it to the co-op. With assistance from Preservation Buffalo Niagara, the building’s roof was repaired and the structure was stabilized in 2019.
After the Tops terror attack in May 2022, the State announced that Empire State Development will invest $3 million in the African Heritage Food Cooperative, a collection of organizations that will create a locally-owned and operated food co-operative that will ensure the community has access to affordable and healthy food options.
