Developer Rocco Termini’s Houk Lofts are nearing completion, with residents scheduled to move in this coming weekend. Eighteen of the 22 units have already been pre-leased, a number that Termini tells me is on schedule. Half of the apartments are singles, and half are doubles outfitted with two full bathrooms. All for the lofts are incredibly unique in their own ways thanks to the sensitive incorporation of many of the historic architectural elements that have been preserved. The rooms all retain as much of the original integrity of the building as possible, including oversized fire doors that now serve as decorative conversation pieces.
Seeing that this was an old daylight factory, the oversized windows allow an impressive amount of sunlight to filter into the living units. The seemingly never-ending hallways feature the original wood floors (using planks cobbled together from some of the living quarters). The 18′ ceilings throughout showcase hefty wood beams and salvaged brick (Termini said the brickwork was far worse than he ever anticipated.) The smaller rooms have interesting alcoves and storage spaces, while the larger units are big enough to fly quad-copters in. The kitchens boast stainless steel appliances and even come with Bertazzoni stoves that were imported from Italy.
“The kitchens are nicer than what most people have in their houses,” Rocco said. “But if you do decide to go out for dinner, then you can walk right over to Amherst Street. And then go to a movie or bowling after that. It’s a very walkable neighborhood that is centrally located in the center of a number of commercial districts. This project is a poster child for new urbanism. This was once the Houk Wheel Company that made wheels for Pierce Arrow. Today it’s a modern living adaptive reuse project that focuses on creating beautiful residential units, as well as a tattoo parlor called Ink Inc and a beauty salon (both coming soon).”
The Houk Lofts | 316 Grote Street | Single units are $950 | Doubles are $1275
Get connected with Houk Lofts: 716- 842-1938 | The Buffalo Lofts | See more on BRO