I've been following the plight of 1325 Michigan Avenue for years. This past week Houseing Court Judge Hank Nowak had a demolition hearing for one of the most amazing properties in the Artspace backyard neighborhood. Here's the case - index #1250/2007.
A year ago I posted about 1325 - Along Michigan Avenue - and brought hundreds of people by the place on the Saturday morning at 11am Artspace tours of the neighborhood. The property was just brought into Housing Court in November where the owner plead guilty and agreed to the demoliton. Rather sad as the place has been languishing for the at least the past 12 years.
1325 Michigan Avenue is the most unique building - besides St. Vincent's - between Artspace and the new Arts Academy. Behind the roll-up garage door thing is a very cool retail entrance. Two years ago, Chris Hawley identified this location as a former tavern, back in the day in his Midtown: Poised for Renaissance.
There's still time...if you're interested in bringing this building back from the dead, let me know. Hurry!!!
There's still time...if you're interested in bringing this building back from the dead, let me know. Hurry!!!
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12 comments:
Twelve years to get the owner into court and now the only solution is to demo? It never ceases to amaze me how inept the system really is. Will things ever change???
How much are we looking at to buy the property. It is an amazing piece, but depending on the sate of the building it may not be even possible t osave it at this point in time...
How bad a shape is the building really in? How much would get the owner to part with it?
If you have anything more you can tell us without breaking confidences or jeopardizing another sale I think the more information you provide here the better.
This is exactly the sort of forum that might bring together a handful of people who would find saving this building within their means - if only until someone else (or some of them) came along with a real plan for it.
Yes, this was the Joseph Denzel Tavern. Grover Cleveland drank here.
If this goes down, there is not much this part of Michigan Avenue has left to spark new investment. This is raw material for revival.
I think I will pick this one up on BRO if you don't mind.
I'll donate $100 bucks toward the effort.
i am very interested in this building. would the owner agree to sell it? i hate to see it demolished.
I love the transition between the gable and the corbeled cornice -- uncommon for a 19th century pressed-brick building. Looks like the building is essentially stable, although there may be a hole in the floor.
Here in St. Louis, we have seen worse buildings transformed using rehabilitation tax credits. No way this building is too far gone to be rehabilitated.
Where is this "revival" going to come from without actual demand to repopulate neighborhoods like this? Shrinking city anyone?
Then shrink it inward back towards the core to centralize services and businesses.
bill -
If nobody has a better idea, maybe calling the office of the housing court judge on this case could help you get in contact with the building's owner:
City Court Judge - Part 14
Hon. Henry Nowak
Ph: 716.845.2648
Another possibility might be asking around at the city's Office of Housing and Inspections to try reaching the inspector who's involved in this case:
304, City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202
(716)-851-4945
And one other idea is the city's Law Dept, which presumably is involved in prosecuting the case and might have contact info about the owner, or be able to pass along your contact info to the owner:
Department Head - Alisa A. Lukasiewicz
1100 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202
(716)-851-4343
megamuse, any luck? i would love to buy this building myself, if it is not prohibitively expensive.
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