City for Sale - Part V

The Power House of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company was built in 1911. Symbol of the Machine Age, master work of America's best known industrial architect, Albert Kahn, and representation of the muscularity of buffalo's manufacturing economy, it is now up for auction. The Power House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is ready for the kind of investment that New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit has made possible.

The world's first integrated automobile factory - where raw materials came in and finished automobiles rolled out - the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, according to a reliable source, is one of the most intact early 20th century automobile complexes on the planet. The Power House is the capstone. It appears to be in structurally stable condition, with numerous cosmetic concerns. The interior space is one of the most compelling in the city, it soars four or five stories from its second story base, and the stack is suspended in mid-air by a steel latticework. Simply stunning.

Power houses are some of the most adaptable structures that exist. The Pierce Arrow Power House is less than a mile from the Albright Knox and the Burchfield Penny art galleries. It's located at 1727 Elmwood Avenue. The current owner has been in tax arrears for years and has recently abandonded the structure.

Check back next week for auction results.

Update 10/27/09 - Auction Update

See also - Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV

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