http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/308861.html

Long-gutted buildings on Genesee St. to see new life
Shells would become commercial space
By Sharon Linstedt NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER
Updated: 03/27/08 6:39 AM

Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
Long considered an eyesore, this gutted block of buildings on Genesee Street is to be revived as a restaurant, offices and possibly a boutique hotel. More Photos

Plans are solidifying to bring a string of Civil War-era building shells on Genesee Street in downtown Buffalo back to life.

Genesee Gateway LLC, a consortium led by Buffalo’s City View development, is moving ahead with a $10 million plan to convert the cluster of red brick facades to 60,000-square-feet of commercial space.

“They will function as a single building, with a central entry point, and common elevators and building systems,” said Doug Swift, a principal with City View Construction Management, the lead partner in the project.

The buildings, which have sat gutted and braced for over 20 years, were acquired by the Genesee Gateway group from long-time owner Willard Genrich last fall.The languishing structures, which are situated between Oak and Ellicott streets, have long been considered a visual blight at that gateway to downtown Buffalo.

“This summer, we should see some real progress in getting rid of the eyesore and changing that perception,” Swift said.

The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation is partnering with the private developers to restore the buildings, which date back to the late 1880s. The amount of the foundation’s contribution has not been made public.

Construction plans for the high-profile site will be complete in the next two months and will include restoring numerous exterior architectural details to the buildings, including a mansard roof to the structure at the corner of Genesee and Oak streets.

Unification of the group of small buildings, from 99 to 123 Genesee St., will involve construction of a new “modern-style” building, filling a vacant lot in the middle of the cluster. Swift said the idea will be to complement the existing historic buildings, rather than mimic them.

The redone buildings are expected to house a destination restaurant, offices and possibly a boutique hotel, but residences are not part of the plan. Although no tenants have signed onto the project, an out-of-town restaurant operator has expressed initial interest.

The Gateway group is also tackling a dilapidated structure and cleared triangular- shaped lot at the corner of Genesee and Ellicott streets. Swift said it’s likely the “pointy” parcel at 85 Genesee St. will be revived as green space, but the development team will attempt to restore the adjoining structure which is currently roofless and missing a portion of its rear wall.

Gateway has yet to finalize purchase of those properties. Swift, who provided an update of the rehabilitation plans to the Buffalo Place board of directors on Wednesday, said the work will not impact Eddie Brady’s bar, located in the middle of the project block at 97 Genesee St.

slinstedt@buffnews.com


This will be great to see this site revitalized. I think a good 'destination restaurant' could be a Ruth Chris (http://www.ruthschris.com/home.html) as most major cities have one and we need another good steak house.