Jersey Street livery in line for $3.4 million rebuild
12 apartments slated for endangered site
An historic but derelict livery stable off Richmond Avenue is poised to come back to life as a 12-unit apartment complex.
Developer Sam Savarino has unveiled a $3.4 million plan to save the circa-1880s White Bros. Livery and Boarding Stable at 429 Jersey St. The preliminary plan calls for the original brick front and back walls of the stable, along with its three-story elevator tower, to be incorporated into a newly constructed main building.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re going to save the existing front facade, which is intact above the second floor and includes the original White Bros. sign and horse head emblems,” Savarino said.
The third floor facade will be rebuilt to mimic its original arched windows and twin, peaked-roof towers. The remaining original brick elements will be meshed into an entirely new main structure that will be clad in a clapboard-style siding.
Savarino acquired the distressed building this summer after a former owner allowed one of its walls to buckle, forcing the evacuation of nearby neighbors due to fears the entire structure would collapse.
Jersey Street was closed to traffic for several months as remaining exterior walls were braced and stabilized.
Savarino and Buffalo’s Stieglitz Snyder Architecture have developed a blueprint to save what’s left of the stable and create residences that will occupy the building’s original footprint.
“We’ve started to show the plans to neighbors and they are generally happy with our approach,” Savarino said. “I expect we’ll make some minor design modifications and then begin the city approval process after the first of the year.”
Current plans call for the first floor of the building to house a 12-vehicle parking garage. The second and third floors will include a dozen one-and two-bedroom apartments, ranging from 800 square feet to 1,200 square feet in size.
Most of the units, which will rent for approximately $1 per square foot, will have porches.
Savarino anticipates starting reconstruction by late spring, with tenants moving in by early 2010.
The stable, located just off Richmond Street, was considered one of Buffalo’s finest livery facilities, and in its hey-day sheltered some 35 horses and an assortment of stylish coaches.
The business, founded by Albert and Elijah White, got its start in 1881 on nearby Thirteenth Street, and relocated to Jersey Street in 1892.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments