A piece of the historic Midway is on the market after undergoing a meticulous top-to-bottom renovation. The circa-1898 brick Colonial Revival row house at 491 Delaware is being listed by RealtyUSA Commercial Division’s Paula Blanchard with an $849,000 asking price. The property is being marketed towards office users.
The row house was purchased by Walter McFarlane and Lenny Alba last March. It was a project they found by happenstance.
“I was actually house hunting when I saw this listing online,” says McFarlane. “Although in a state of disrepair, it really did have great character – original wood trim, great fireplaces, interior window boxes with fold-in shutters, and a grand central staircase. My business partner, Lenny Alba, and I went to see it out of curiosity.”
McFarlane and Alba bring balanced backgrounds to the parternship. Alba is with Alba Coatings, a painting and wall coatings contractor. As such, he has many contacts with contractors in all the trades.
McFarlane had recently retired from his first career as a CFO of a local manufacturing company and was looking for new opportunities.
“We decided to buy the property to try to bring it back to its original luster, preserving its original charm while making it suitable for the modern business world,” says McFarlane. I think we struck that balance well.”
The building is part of the row homes that are called The Midway. They were built on the spot of the Cornell Lead Works and named The Midway since they were located half way between Niagara Square and Forest Lawn Cemetery.
The Midway was conceived by architect E.B. Green but included many different architects. The row houses were built in several different styles of architecture. 491 Delaware is Colonial Revival.
The building was structurally extremely sound, the original woodwork was in wonderful shape, but cosmetically the remainder of the building was in very rough shape.
Second Floor Spaces, Above and Below
“This was our first project, but we teamed up with several local contractors to insure the project was done right,” he says. “We wanted a high level of finish trim to honor the craftsmanship of the building’s original builders.”
Work included:
- Resurfaced the roof and fixed/replaced flashing
- Repointed the chimneys and some areas on the front and rear façade
- Repaired all windows to like-new condition
- Sprinklered the entire building
- Replaced all flooring with new hardwood, ceramic tile, and custom carpet
- Replaced mechanicals including three furnaces and three air conditioners
- Put new gas log inserts in all five fireplaces
- Had three knives custom made to cut new wood molding to match any original moldings that were missing or damaged
- Made the building ADA compliant
- Renovated all bathrooms to include marble countertops, new tile floors, and new vanities
- Added a full size kitchenette with granite countertop and all new top-of-the-line stainless appliances
- Commissioned a custom made stained glass skylight from Six Dimension Design to illuminate the grand central staircase. The center panel of the skylight includes the crest of the Morse family; they were the original owners of the building in the late 1890s. The skylight is backlit to be enjoyed at night as well
- Added decorative soffits to house HVAC ductwork where needed
- Wired the entire building for voice and data lines
- Improved the security system
- Replaced dated non-original lighting with recessed lighting and wall sconces
- Replaced non-original doors with solid wood doors
- Repainted and varnished all interior walls and woodwork
“We are really excited about how the building has come out,” says McFarlane. “We have had rave reviews from all who have walked through already. It would be the perfect building for a small professional firm looking for an ideal location with off-street parking and an office to be proud of.”
Central Staircase
“It’s a real nice space for an office user,” says Blanchard. “It’s an amazing property on prestigious Delaware Avenue in Allentown and close to downtown.”
“I am very privileged to have this listing,” she adds.
McFarlane and Alba are excited to put some shine on the piece of The Midway. Closer to Virginia Street, the new owner of 481-489 Delaware (former Chumley’s restaurant location) is currently seeking a restaurant user.
“It really is exciting to see all the investment going on downtown right now, both in large projects and small ones like ours,” says McFarlane. Lenny and I are proud to be part of that in a small way and we look forward to the next.”
Get Connected: Paula Blanchard, RealtyUSA Commercial, 716.880.4815
Fourth Floor Wrought Iron Window Covering
Stained Glass Skylight
Reception Area