Artspace Update...Behind 1219 Main Street

Readers of FixBuffalo have been following Artspace developments since December 2004 in the Artspace Archive. Great background material, photos and announcements.

Last week, while photographing 38 Northampton, an indication that residential real estate market is ripe for development, I took a few shots of the back parking lot area, behind the Post Office and soon to be Artspace complex.

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Northampton Street view, looking south
That's Coe Place in the background!

Looking at the ground here, you can see where a one story brick building used to sit. It was owned by the City, used by the elusive John Hannon Director of Real Estate and his staff for maintenance (yeah, right...). Love to know who paid for the demolition. In any case the site is now "shovel ready."

The Artspace project will have numerous entrances. In addition to the Main Street and Northampton Street entrance/exits, access to Artspace will also exist from Coe Place and Ellicott Street, pictured below.

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The map and picture over at Buffalo Rising is a bit misleading. Artspace now owns 1217 Main Street which is the corner building at Coe Place and local developer Mark Pagano just closed this week on 1219 Main the five story building. He will retain ownership of the adjacent building, where the Post Office is currently located. In an e-mail exchange with Mark a few weeks ago, he advised me that he'll be working with HHL one of Buffalo's most dynamic architectural firms to re-design the front of this building.

Additional views - behind 1219 Main Street

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For the time being the Post Office (Station C) will remain in Mark's building. A year ago PO officials told Mark they were planning to re-locate on the same day they held a public hearing. (Our government at work... Here's that story PO 14209 Re-Location.) While the mix of a Post Office and Artspace is really cool and firmly places this block in the epic-center of Midtown development, I'm wondering about truck traffic and parking with dozens of new euro-style artist spaces just a few feet away.

The truck traffic and parking issue were sited as the two primary reasons why PO people in Washington DC wanted 14209 to re-locate...

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Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006