ProjectBuffalo

Larkin District Expansion

mark@mrussell.us — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:07:00 -0600

Name: Larkin District Expansion
Status: Planned
Estimated Completion: 2009
Use: Office
Developer: CityView Properties
Architect: Young Architectural, LLC
Height:
Floors: 2 & 3

Description:
Last June, CityView Properties unveiled a vision for the properties the firm quietly has been buying surrounding their Larkin at Exchange Building. Next week, the first phase of their Larkin District plan will be presented to the Buffalo Planning Board. According to the News, the $10 million, three-story, 75,000 sq.ft. retail and office complex will be constructed at the intersection of Seneca, Exchange and Smith streets. CityView’s LCo Building Development LLC purchased the 1.4 acre site for $400,000 in May 2004. A warehouse on the property (entry image) has been demolished.
CityView raised eyebrows in 2002 when the developer purchased the mammoth circa-1912 Larkin Co. warehouse at the corner of Van Rensselaer and Exchange Streets after being vacated by Graphic Controls. Over the next two years, the developer spent over $12 million transforming the 10-story, 600,000 sq.ft. building into a multi-tenant office facility. It was not without risk. Though located just one half mile from Main Street, the area was not a proven office location. The investment has paid off as the building is now 98 percent occupied and hosts 1800 employees on a daily basis.
Long-term plans for the area include additional office buildings, retail, and residential space. Elsewhere, the developer is currently working on plans to renovate the long-dormant Genesee Block downtown.

Buffalo Federal Courthouse

mark@mrussell.us — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:51:44 -0600

Name: Buffalo Federal Courthouse
Status: Underway
Estimated Completion: 2010
Use: Other
Developer: Federal General Services Administration
Architect: Kohn Pederson Fox of New York and Grand Island's Cannon Design
Height:
Floors: 10

Description:
The new building will house a number of courts and judicial chambers that are currently housed in the cramped Dillion Federal Courthouse on Court Street.
Higgins estimated it will take between 33 months and 36 months to construct the courthouse. The first wave of court personnel will likely move into the building by mid-2010

Queen City Landing

mark@mrussell.us — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:25:27 -0600

Name: Queen City Landing
Status: Planned
Estimated Completion: 2010
Use: Residential & Hotel
Developer: Ontario Specialty Contracting
Architect: TBD
Height: 5
Floors:

Description:
Preliminary plans for the multiphase project include:

-Conversion of the existing six-story, 272,000-square-foot food production and storage plant to condominiums, possibly adding two more floors to create luxury penthouse suites.
- A 250- to 400-room, fivestar hotel tower, to be built on the tip of the mini-peninsula.
- A residential tower and townhouses on undeveloped areas of the property.

“Our objective is to move as fast as the process allows. We’d love to have a model condo ready by next summer,” Buchheit said.

Mayor Byron W. Brown called the ambitious makeover proposal “intriguing,” and a “sign of the times,” for the city’s long-under-utilized waterfront.

“It opens the door to what we expect to happen out there,” Brown said. “Other investors and developers are looking at the outer harbor, and they will be watching this closely.”

The Queen City Landing team said its plans are not contingent on other projects, or creation of critical mass.

“We want to be the first kid on the block. This project stands on its own,” Williams said.

Portions from The Buffalo News.

Buffalo Creek Casino

mark@mrussell.us — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:05:33 -0600

Name: Buffalo Creek Casino
Status: Planned
Estimated Completion: 2010
Use: Hotel
Developer: Seneca Gaming Corporation
Architect: SOSH Architects
Height:
Floors: 22

Description:
The Seneca Nation of Indians is weighing an expanded Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino that would include a luxury hotel — boosting the price tag for the permanent gambling complex to more than $275 million. A 200-plus-room luxury hotel has been added to the development, more than doubling the $125 million price tag announced in 2006, according to sources familiar with modifications in the Cobblestone District project.

2,000 slot machines

45 table games

Dining

On-site parking for approximately 2,500 vehicles

Over 1,000 jobs, with total payroll of approximately $38 million

90,000 square-foot casino floor with 2,000 slot machines and 45 table games

22-story all-suite hotel

206 suites in all, ranging in size from 550 sq.ft up to 2,000 sq.ft.

Full-service luxury spa and salon

Four restaurants

3-acre public park to be located in northwest corner of site

Attached parking for 2,500 vehicles

Located in Buffalo's Inner Harbor area

Foundation work to begin in late 2007

Permanent casino scheduled to open Spring 2010

Sycamore Village neighborhood

mark@mrussell.us — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:54:16 -0600

Name: Sycamore Village neighborhood
Status: Underway
Estimated Completion: Spring 2008
Use: Residential
Developer: City of Buffalo
Architect:
Height: N/A
Floors: N/A

Description:
The plan for the new Sycamore Village is a pedestrian friendly, park like community of 24 new homes, 20 market rate homes, and 4 low to moderate-income units.

Remediation efforts at Sycamore Village included the demolition of three existing structures, and New York State contributed over $1 million to the remediation of the Sycamore Village site. Road and infrastructure work at the site is close to completion, including Sydni Lane. The first phase of construction has started and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008.

A “First Look at Sycamore Village” open house was held recently, with close to one hundred people expressing interest in the twenty-four homes. Of the twenty- four homes, four are reserved for low- to moderate-income level residents, which will be chosen via a lottery system.

Historic Warehouse Lofts

mark@mrussell.us — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:19:00 -0500

Name: Historic Warehouse Lofts
Status: Compete
Estimated Completion: Fall 2007
Use: Residential
Developer: 210 Ellicott Holdings, LLC
Architect:
Height:
Floors: 6

Description:
Plans call six units per floor on floors three through seven encompassing 17 two-bedroom and 13 one- bedroom units. Apartment sizes range from 1,080 to 1,525 sq.ft. and will be priced from $995/month (edit) plus gas and electric. Every unit will have a walk-in laundry room, substantial closet space, a large soaking tub, fully equipped stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, exposed structural concrete loft ceilings, fireplaces, solid-surface counter tops and maple cabinets. Two bedroom units will have two full bathrooms. There will be a total of 60 gated parking spaces, 15 of which will be covered. 8,000 sq.ft. of office space will be available on the second floor.

200 Delaware Avenue

mark@mrussell.us — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:31:00 -0500

Name: 200 Delaware Avenue
Status: Underway
Estimated Completion: 2009
Use: Mixed
Developer: Uniland & Acquest
Architect:
Height:
Floors: 16

Description:
Say 'goodbye' to the dull 1970’s Thaddeus J. Dulski Federal Office Building and 'hello' to the newly christened “200 Delaware Avenue.” UniQuest, a partnership of Uniland Development and Acquest Development, has unveiled its plans for the vacant building on Delaware at Huron Street. The structure will be getting a sleek blue glass façade as part of a $60 million make-over into a mix of office, residential and hotel space.

Uniquest purchased the 16-story building from the Federal government in April after submitting a $6.1 million bid in an online auction. The planned top-to-bottom renovation will create 150 hotel rooms on the lower floors, 125,000 sq.ft. of office space on five middle floors, and 40 condominium units on the top three floors priced from $300,000. The building will feature a blue glass façade, a two-story atrium/lobby, balconies on the residential floors, a small addition along Huron Street, and the Delaware Avenue façade’s upper floors will be extended slightly outward.

Talks are underway with a number of office tenants and Embassy Suites was recently announced as the flag for the project's 150-room hotel component. Construction on the conversion, including $10 million worth of asbestos abatement work, started summer 2007.

Update:
The developers have slightly changed the building's planned glass and metal façade. A 15 foot wide strip of glass in the middle of the existing mechanical tower has been added to bring natural light into the reception areas on each floor. With internal walls, the building will not be as “see through” as the rendering depicts, but the reflectivity of the glass will be low, and transparency and energy efficiency high. Patio space for a ground-floor restaurant will be located along Delaware Avenue.

591 Delaware

mark@mrussell.us — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:04:00 -0600

Name: 591 Delaware
Status: Complete
Estimated Completion: 2007
Use: Mixed
Developer: Matthew Moscati, AIA
Architect: TRM Architect
Height: 30'
Floors: 3

Description:
TRM's second design build project testifies to the firm's continued ability to complete financially successful projects in locations that benefit the end user and the community. Incorporating LEED registration, the first project to do so in Western New York, TRM remains at the forefront of industry trends in capitalizing on public grants while completing a building with lower operational costs. The building was gutted after a fire that destroyed much of the building except the brick facade.

ArtSpace

mark@mrussell.us — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:49:35 -0600

Name: ArtSpace Buffalo
Status: Underway
Estimated Completion: 2007
Use: Mixed
Developer: Artspace Projects, Inc.
Architect: Hamilton Houston & Lownie
Height:
Floors: 5

Description:
This mixed-use low income housing project for local artists and their families. The developer has constructed many of these around the country, but this would be the first “Artspace” project for New York State. The project involves the adaptive reuse of the historic daylight factory building into 36 hard loft units, gallery, storefront and common use space, and the construction of 24 new townhouse-style hard loft buildings on the rear property. The design of the new buildings and site employ the artistic principles of this new residential community, while integrating into the existing context of the surrounding Mid Town Buffalo neighborhood.

285 Delaware

mark@mrussell.us — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:39:00 -0600

Name: 285 Delaware
Status: Complete
Estimated Completion: 08/2007
Use: Office
Developer: Uniland
Architect: Hamilton, Houston & Lownie
Height:
Floors: 5

Description:
A new 5-story office building, located on prestigious Delaware Avenue, adjacent to downtown. The owner’s program was to create a landmark building that transcended the historic styles of the surrounding context, yet would be a contemporary, comfortable neighbor.
M&T Bank will be a major tenant.

** Updated to Completed 08/16/2007 **

Cobblestone Lofts- Office Bldg.

mark@mrussell.us — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:45:00 -0600

Name: Cobblestone Lofts- Office Bldg.
Status: Completed
Estimated Completion: 2006
Use: Office
Developer: Avalon Development and Savarino Construction
Architect: Carmina and Wood
Height:
Floors: 4

Description:
Involved renovation of a four-story mid-block building into 18,000 sq.ft. of loft-like office space where the firm will be occupying the first and second floors. Each floor, with a total of 4,500 square feet, enjoys an abundance of natural light and a flexible, open floor plan. Savarino, who also served as construction manager, is partnering with Avalon Development to convert the 1930’s-era BenLin Warehouse complex into a mixed-use office, retail and residential development.

Courtyard Mall Renovation

mark@mrussell.us — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:38:20 -0600

Name: Courtyard Mall Renovation
Status: Underway
Estimated Completion:
Use: Mixed
Developer: Carl Paladino and Frank McGuire
Architect:
Height:
Floors:

Description:
Buffalo developers Carl Paladino and Frank McGuire have embarked on a $5.5 million overhaul of the idle Courtyard Mall, at 460 Main St., and the former Baker Shoes building next door at 450 Main St. Phase One of the project is focusing on the 73,000-square-foot Courtyard Mall building and will create two floors of office space and a small first floor retail space, with basement-level parking for 56 vehicles.

Court Street Tower

mark@mrussell.us — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:55:00 -0600

Name: Court Street Tower
Status: Planned
Estimated Completion: 2008
Use: Office
Developer: Ellicott Development Company
Architect: Kideney Architects
Height: Unknown
Floors: 11

Description:
The exterior of the building will be primarily a glass curtain wall design with a 3-story stone façade along Court Street. A dark stone band along the bottom of the building will provide a strong clean base.
The building will offer large open floor plates ranging in size from 25,000 to 30,000 square feet. Column spacing will be 30 to 35 feet on center allowing for large areas of unobstructed space. The building’s large open floor plates, generous column spacing and curtain wall design will provide maximum efficiency in office layout and design.
The building’s main lobby will be consistent with a Class A office building. From its 18-foot high sculptured ceilings to its rich granite tile floors, the lobby will project a level of elegance and exceptional design.
The building will include a private health and fitness facility. This health and fitness facility will be reserved exclusively for tenants in the building and will include the latest in cardiovascular and exercise equipment, televisions, locker rooms and showers. The building will include several other amenities, including a deli.

Ellicott Development Company plans to commence construction in the next spring with occupancy by the fall of 2008.

Buffalo City Tower

mark@mrussell.us — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 11:05:00 -0600

Name: Buffalo City Tower
Status: Planning
Estimated Completion: 2010
Use: Mixed
Developer: BSC Group
Architect: Cannon Design
Height: 600'
Floors: 40

Description:
City Tower, a 40 story, 1.2 million SF mixed use facility will incorporate Class “A” office space, a 5-star hotel, upscale condominiums and retail. All necessary parking will be accommodated within the building’s footprint.
The 600 feet tall tower is conceived as three, north-south oriented, vertical bars, centered on the dome of Buffalo’s iconic City Hall. East and west facades are sheathed by lattice sunscreens, serving as veils to reduce heat gain from low-angle sun. Terra cotta, a Buffalo material, will be utilized to clad various elements.

ProjectBuffalo Wesite is now live

mark@mrussell.us — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:11:00 -0600

Updates Coming Soon to ProjectBuffalo.

Just wanted to let everyone know there are updates coming in the next few days to the website. I will be adding as many projects as possible. Keep coming back there will be plenty of information about Buffalo and all the developments that have been cropping up so quickly these days.

If you are interested in helping add to the Database please email me at mark@mrussell.us or call me at 716-898-8946.

Mark Russell
mark@mrussell.us
Sysop