Author: Mike Puma

Writing for Buffalo Rising since 2009 covering development news, historic preservation, and Buffalo history. Works professionally in historic preservation.

Ellicott Development Group’s The Antonio (formerly Baker’s Shoes) building on Main Street near Lafayette Square is nearing completion as workers finish up some minor work. All the new windows have been installed on the Pearl and Main streets sides of the building which is a drastic improvement inside and out. The amount of natural light that comes into the commercial and residential spaces is truly magnificent. The top four floors have been remodeled for twelve residential units, six of which have already been leased. Three of the tenants have moved into their new apartments, enjoying the nearby amenities and great…

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A residential project designed to take advantage of unique Buffalo River views is moving forward. Ellicott Development Group is working with architect Charles Gordon on reuse plans for 960 Busti Avenue to create approximately 23 residential units and some commercial space. The development company purchased the site in April 2008 along with a nearby property at 1050 Niagara Street from Ciminelli Development. The 67,900 sq.ft. Busti Avenue property was built in 1930. It is the former home of Multiform Desiccants, now operating under the name Multisorb Technologies, manufacturer of absorbent products commonly found in pill bottles among other uses. The company is…

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San Francisco, the progressive city on the bay, is facing a very Buffalo-like problem: Regulating food trucks. Some restaurant owners in San Fran are irked by the expanding fleet of food purveyors saying the trucks are hurting their businesses. Unlike Buffalo, the mobile food trucks have been operating in San Fran for some time (there are about 80 now) and the City has instituted a permit system and a new set of regulations that went into effect earlier this year to lay some ground rules. The new rules haven’t solved the “problem” according to some restaurants. The arguments echo what lawmakers in Buffalo…

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Savarino Companies and FFZ Holdings have spent the past year revising their plans for redeveloping a vacant industrial complex at 500 Seneca Street at the edge of the Larkin District. The new proposal calls for saving the unique, brick portion of the complex at the corner of Seneca and Hamburg streets which originally was to be demolished. That change is sure to please the preservation community which urged the developer to retain all of the multiple building complex. The brick buildings are the iconic sections of the former F.N. Burt Company plant, a manufacturer of small paper boxes. It was constructed as…

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The transformation of the Statler takes another step forward next week with the opening of a new club- Rendezvous. Owner Mark Croce says the venue will be “the most spectacular niteclub Buffalo has ever seen.” Workers are putting the finishing touches on the club prior to its debut Wednesday night. The evening before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest nights for local bars. Rendezvous will be a big one. The 12,000 sq.ft. club will have a capacity of over 600 patrons. The compromised Art Deco décor of the old Rendezvous room has been replaced with what Croce says is a “Vegas-like” niteclub. …

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HOME sent along updated renderings for the non-profit’s Main-Ferry project that more accurately depict how the finished project will look. With the aid of architect Charlie Gordon and general contractor Paul Lamparelli, HOME is building energy efficient barrier-free housing for ten families, more accessible offices for clients who turn to the organization for help from all parts of the region, and a building which will grace the intersection Main and Ferry for the next 100 years.

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Painting for Preservation’s first group exhibition is opening on Monday, November 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in Statler City. The exhibit is a result of Painting for Preservation’s inaugural year of “Art-In” efforts and an open call for work. The show of over 100 pieces, features WNY artists working in urban spaces to document and imagine the region’s historic places. The Painting for Preservation initiative is aimed at drawing attention to distressed, at-risk, and under-utilized historic locations through on-site art making. Events over the past year were held at the blacksmith shop in the Cobblestone District, St. Mary’s on-the-Hill, Vaux Barn,…

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Plans to open the Heritage Discovery Center will be detailed this week. The Center highlights the rich transportation and industrial heritage of the region. Located in South Buffalo, the historic building will be home to the Western New York Railway Historical Society as well as the permanent location of the Steel Plant Museum, which is relocating from Lackawanna. The ceremony takes place on November 10 at 2pm on the site and there will be a formal dedication of the administration building called the Don Owens Center at 100 Lee Street. In addition to the Steel Plant Museum, the Heritage Discovery…

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A nondescript Delaware Avenue office building is getting a makeover and adding a floor in the process. Owner 120 W. Tupper Street Inc. is undertaking the $1.2 million project. The circa-1958 building has shed its stucco exterior and will get a new blue brick façade and glass third-floor addition. 120 W. Tupper Street Inc., led by Jeffrey Davis, has owned the property since October 2007.

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An incredible amount of craftsmanship has been going in the Hotel Lafayette during its restoration. Rocco Termini has left no stone unturned in his search for the best in the business to help transform the downtown gem. Each day there are over 200 people installing new infrastructure, tediously restoring the scagliola along Peacock Alley, and replicating original architectural features. The Lafayette Square landmark is being turned into a mix of restaurant, retail, hotel and residential space. There are workers from all over the world. I met two Russians, Oleg and Umar, on a recent visit. Only one of them spoke English, but…

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