The New York State Board for Historic Preservation has voted to recommend 20 properties and districts to be added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places – including the McKinley Parkway Historic District in South Buffalo that would become the largest single historic district in the state with over 5,000 buildings.
The South Buffalo district covers properties on multiple streets on both sides of McKinley Parkway, south of the Buffalo River, and represents an area that had been isolated from downtown Buffalo until the creation of the Olmsted Park System and parkways, and the growth of automobile usage. It benefited from the proximity to steel plants and grain elevators, which attracted a growing population of Irish immigrants and others.
“The isolated location, development potential, and large immigrant population helped to forge a distinct community that was more suburban than was typical within the city limits,” the state announcement said.
Four other Buffalo nominations include:
Beth Jacob Cemetery, the last surviving Jewish cemetery within the city. Located on the city’s East Side, which used to be a hub of the Jewish community, it represents a “rare and tangible record of the religious, cultural and social practices of Buffalo’s Orthodox Jewish immigrants – particularly those from Russia and Lithuania – who settled in Buffalo from the 1880s through the 1920s,” the state said. “Beth Jacob Cemetery offers insight into the migration experience, communal organization, religious life, and artistic expression of identity and memory.”
Buffalo Lounge Co. Building. Located in Larkinville, the four-story brick-clad building was constructed by the company in 1901 to house its upholstered furniture, which was sent to dealers and stores from Maine to Virginia, and west to Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The company went out of business in 1934. The heavy timber-frame and fireproof building was later home to Craver-Dickinson Seed Co. into the mid-1980s.
Iroquois Door Co. Building, designed by the nation’s first professional female architect, Louise Blanchard Bethune. Also in Larkinville, the heavy timber-frame mill building housed the company’s factory and office facilities. It received three additions and a fourth floor by 1925. The company made exterior and interior architectural trim, storm doors and storm windows, and later expanded to Syracuse and Albany. The building is now being converted into loft apartments.
Meteor Manufacturing Corp. Building, a one-story steel-and-brick building just off Main Street in the Cold Spring neighborhood. Built in 1923 as an auto repair shop in a neighborhood full of auto-related businesses, it was used from 1935 to 1958 as the incubator for two businesses that thrived and moved to larger facilities: Sponge-Aire Seat Co., which made vehicle seats from shock-absorbing foam rubber, and Meteor Manufacturing Corp., which made miniature wrench and ratchet sets.
Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy – from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.
Extending the law
Law firm Rupp Pfalzgraff is expanding its space in downtown Buffalo.
The firm has signed a lease to take up the entire 16th and 17th floors of the Liberty Building, bringing its total office space in Buffalo to 31,000 square feet, according to Marketing Manager Samantha T. Sliwa. It previously had 26,365 square feet on the 16th and part of the 17th. The growth stems from continued expansion of its litigation, business law, health law, commercial real estate, project development, lending and banking practice groups.
The renovation and expansion are expected to be completed by mid-September.
The firm has 73 attorneys and 153 employees.
Setting the baseline
Tenants of a shopping center on Grand Island could soon get some extra cold storage space for their needs.
North Baseline Properties, owner of the property at 2055 Baseline Road, is planning to construct a 2,400-square-foot accessory storage building behind the five-store plaza for cold storage. The building have four separate bays with an overhead door and a pedestrian door, and will have electricity and exterior lighting, but no plumbing connections.
Designed by architect John Banaszak, the building would be constructed by Kirk Kinney’s K.W. Kinney General Contracting.
Going into overdrive
A former real estate executive at Benderson Development Co. with 40 years of experience in the industry has formed a new consulting firm to advise clients on how to save money on commercial real estate agreements.
Jeffrey S. Wereski formed Private Drive LLC in Orchard Park after a long career at Benderson that included coordinating the lease of the largest single tenant in the company’s history, for a 500,050-square-foot Amazon distribution center in Lancaster.
His goal is to help clients understand potential cost-savings, value-engineering and other opportunities related to construction contracts, property management fees, and fire and liability insurance.
He started at Benderson as a purchasing manager for Delta Sonic Car Wash in 1982, and was promoted to manager of the Niagara Factory Outlet Mall and then leasing agent for a vast portfolio that included 75 million square feet of commercial space in 43 states. He was promoted to vice president of leasing for Benderson in 1997, and managed 7.5 million square feet of retail, warehouse, banking and medical office space.
THE LATEST
A pair of apartment projects in Buffalo are running into opposition from neighbors.
While development has slowed to a crawl downtown, work remains brisk on apartment projects throughout the suburbs. What’s the difference?
Seneca Gaming Corp. is buying property along South Park Avenue to expand its downtown holdings.
Wegmans became the latest local company to sign a major partnership deal with the Buffalo Bills for the new stadium.
Rich’s is making some moves to consolidate its operations around its Niagara Street headquarters.
Visit Buffalo Niagara is dropping the Niagara from its name.
A Wheatfield cannabis farm is getting some heat for not meeting its job promises.
It’s official: Trader Joe’s is coming to Clarence.
A market-rate apartment project in Wheatfield is seeking more than $2 million in tax breaks.
The Buffalo Niagara region’s biggest tourism agency is launching its first national marketing campaign.
Shea’s 710 Theatre took the wraps off its $5 million renovation project.
The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.
Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com.
The business news you need
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Jonathan D. Epstein
News Business Reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today