Developer Samuel Savarino is seeking city approvals for his $26.4 million plan to convert two of the Richardson-Olmsted Complex buildings into affordable housing.
Savarino Cos. wants to put 71 apartments into the two easternmost buildings of the sprawling campus at 444 Forest Ave., according to applications to the city.
Those two buildings – known as Buildings 9 and 13 – are linked via a curved bridgeway, and also connect directly to the central structure where Hotel Henry has been located.
That hotel is currently closed because of a pandemic-related decline in business. But Washington developer Douglas Jemal is seeking to take over and reopen it, while also pursuing a larger redevelopment project for the remaining buildings of the campus.
Savarino's project, however, has been in the works for more than a year, with initial details first unveiled in February 2020.
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Plans by CJS Architects and Watts Engineering call for 22 units in the 47,600-square-foot, three-story stone Building 9 and 49 apartments in the 36,700-square-foot, four-story brick Building 13. Both buildings are currently vacant, and have been for decades, since the former Buffalo State Hospital closed.
The Kirkbride Apartments at the Richardson Olmsted Campus include 35 studio apartments, 26 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom apartments.
The apartments will be aimed at low- to moderate-income individuals and households, according to an adaptive-reuse permit application submitted to the city.
There will be 26 units aimed at those earning at or below 50% of the area median income, 37 units for those earning 60% of the median, and eight for those at 80% of the median, the application said.
The project will also feature additional amenities, such as a fitness center, laundry room, indoor bicycle storage and tenant storage, dog-washing stations, and indoor and outdoor communal spaces. And there will be live/work features, such as artist studios and workshops.
The Olmsted-designed South Lawn of the complex, along with the paths on the campus and neighborhood bike paths, will be accessible to tenants, to encourage both pedestrian and bicycle activity, according to the reuse application to the city.
Savarino, through a limited-liability company, will lease the 1.45-acre site from the nonprofit Richardson Center Corp., which owns the historic national landmark property.
It's currently zoned as open green space, but that limits the potential uses. So Savarino is seeking the reuse permit from the Common Council, which the Planning Board will review on April 19. The Preservation approved most of the exterior work on April 1.
"The project serves as a best path forward to preserve and protect the important landmark historic buildings while also proposing a use that harmonizes well with the adjacent uses," according to Savarino's application to the city.
The application noted that surrounding properties include businesses and homes, as well as Buffalo State College and the Buffalo State Psychiatric Center. The site is also close to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Burchfield-Penny Museum, as well as Delaware Park, providing additional benefits and walkable amenities to tenants, such as a link between working arts professionals and the adjacent arts community, Savarino noted.
"The proposed residential units will cohesively integrate with the surrounding uses," the company wrote. "The proposed use is highly consistent with the spirit of the [Green Code] and Comprehensive Plan in all components and enhances the site and neighborhood. Further, it will minimize impact on existing public infrastructure by encouraging development of the neighborhood, pedestrian-oriented travel and green space access."
Savarino said the exterior of the buildings "will not be modified so as to maintain the historic integrity of these important structures."
Instead, work will include restoring or replicating windows, doors, window sashes, roofs and porches, so that they match the historic look and prior work on another building. Crews will also clean, repair and repoint the brick and Medina sandstone facades of the buildings.
A 5,000-square-foot parking lot with 28 spaces will be installed between the buildings, with a concrete sidewalk linking it to existing sidewalks and a new rain garden for stormwater treatment. New light fixtures, landscaping, trees and shrubs will also be installed, while some screens and ductwork will be removed.
To fund the project, Savarino plans to seek tax-exempt bonds, federal low-income housing tax credits, federal and state historic tax credits, HOME funds from the city of Buffalo, a subsidy loan from the state Housing Finance Agency and a deferred developer fee.
He hopes to secure local, state and federal approvals and funding by the third quarter, with construction beginning by year-end.
