The Bison Storage warehouse overlooking the 190, Black Rock Channel, and Squaw Island sold yesterday. 1502 Niagara LLC purchased the 61,152 sq.ft., seven-story structure and an adjacent one-story building for $550,000. The LLC is registered with an Elmwood Avenue law firm’s mailing address. Neighborhood stakeholders say the buyer is Angelo Natale of Natale Builders and the building has a predominantly residential future.
From the J.R. Militello Realty listing:
A great location as it is near Buffalo State College with close access to the I-190 and the Rt. 198.
This seven story structure is made up of pre-stressed concrete and brick veneer. The floor plates are 50′ x 150′ and the floors are concrete with maple overlay. The facility has views of the Niagara River, Niagara Region, Downtown Buffalo, and Canada. In addition to the tower is one story totaling 10,000 SF, optimal for indoor parking.
The asking price for the 61,152 sq.ft. property was not disclosed.
Natale has long sought to expand his presence in the city. He built a large single-family home at Middlesex Road and Lincoln Parkway for Devin Piscitelli and was part of a team the renovated the Calumet Building on Chippewa Street.
In 2006, Natale floated a proposal for an infill development on the NFTA-owned parcels behind the LaSalle light rail station that included a mix of housing styles with new urbanism features. The proposal for “Northern Trails” drew a less than warm welcome from some residents since community plans recommended a bike path and greenway on the property.
In response to the Natale proposal, officials decided to combine surplus City parcels with the NFTA land and seek ideas from interested developers. Four proposals were submitted but the City bungled the process by not delineating easements through the site and eventually scrapped the effort.
1502 Niagara was originally occupied by F.N. Burt Company, a manufacturer of boxes and cartons. A six-story facility and connecting four-story mansard-topped building to the north were demolished.