Three companies, including one of the region's largest property insurers, have signed long-term leases with the Larkin at Exchange building in Buffalo.
The historic building's new tenants include the law firm of Cannon Heyman & Weiss LLP, which is taking 3,327-square-feet; WPXJ-TV, which has leased 1,700-square-feet; and Nova Casualty Co., which has signed a lease to occupy 18,300-square-feet. Combined the three tenants will be bringing more than 80 employees to the building including 56 who work for Nova.
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/s...ml?jst=b_ln_hl
People who wonder if the glass is half empty or full miss the point. The glass is refillable.
Thats great but the Larkin Company Building is even more interesting or as its now called the Seneca Industrial Center.
This building has 1.2 million sqft of space. I was always awed whenever I saw this building as a child. It always reminded me that Buffalo home to some incredible world class companies.
I wish that they would put as much energy into redeveloping this Building as they did with the Larkin Warehouse on Exchange.
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Larkin Company Building (aka Seneca Industrial Center). This is a bigger picture which shows better just how impressive this building is
This is a bigger picture which shows better just how impressive this building is
It is an impressive building, seeing it is even better. It's something that seeing, over and over, gets impressive more each time.
The article is about a different Larkin building, 726 Exchange Street, owned by CityView Properties. The building you showed is 701 Seneca.
http://www.cityviewbuffalo.com/larkin/default.htm
BEFORE
The Exchange Street corridor has the potential to become a unique residential/commercial neighborhood- very similar to many of the old warehouse districts of Chicago. These buildings make for great loft apartments. The Seneca Industrial Center is a monster- if it is a million sq.ft, that would be enough for almost a 1000 units of housing! But there's no market for it and the floors are too large- the only hope would be to cut wholes in the building and create courtyards. Otherwise, its going to stay warehousing for the most part with the potential for some areas of the building to be used for offices or residential.
This is Exchange Street- the remaining buildings could become a loft district:
On the contrary, there are companies that like large floor plates if done well
The Larkin at Exchange was a great step forward for the community. If the Seneca Industrial Complex would be a huge step forward for the community as a whole.
I just wish this city was doing better in the telecommunications, internet and ecommerce businesses because this building would be great for high tech companies looking to cohabitate in the same building...share resources, etc.
The small courtyards would certainly make the building more manageable and attractive on the interior.
LCO was a GREAT example of a developer "doing good" in renovating an older building.
Stay tuned, because I'm sure the other developers have taken notice.
Next up...Pierce Arrow maybe?
Coffee Rich building, maybe, although I'm not sure Paladino has the right vision for that.
I remember reading that the Trico buildings downtown was going to be rehabbed and included as part of the Bio-Informatics. Thats a pretty heft chunk of real estate that will help anchor the community.
If that happens, Im also guestimating that the Trico Plant across from Jewitt Parkway will start getting some interest next year when the construction of the Martin House Complex is completed.
But we need a more vibrant economy to finance and occupy these buildings...we have so much and we are doing so little with it.
The former developer on the Trico complex on Goodell has passed away, but he did rehab the M. Wile Bldg. across the street:
Ciminelli has taken on the Trico Bldg. complex. They haven't announced plans and don't even list the property on their web site. The former owner had planned offices and apartments there plus a parking ramp.
The Trico on upper Main is the Tri-Main Center and its fairly successful with a mix of office, light industrial, and artists occupying space there.
Ciminelli announced in Buffalo News that they were going to renovate the dwntn Trico as part of the Life Sciences Campus though they did not mention a date. Also, dont forget about the older trico buildings right behind it. Im hoping their included in the renovation.
As far as the Tri-Main (Trico Building) it may be rented but its exterior shows little sign of its rejuvination and with the Martin House Complex construction being completed next year...the Tri-Main needs an exterior upgrade....sandblast the brick and put in some new windows. The Tri-main building may have tenants but I wouldnt guess it driving past it.
Id really like to see 3 areas get some momentum:
-the east side (via Central Terminal rehab & ECC)
-the southside (via by making the Seneca Complex next rehab)
-Niagara Street all the way up to the Peace Bridge and beyond to Black Rock
If we can create significant anchors for our communities, then the momentum will create more smaller scale projects around it. Atleast thats my hope.
(and the eastside and southside really need and deserve some attention. Buffalo needs to be encouraged to grow South and East...theirs already good economic momentum going north)
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