Wait! The day's not over yet...
Eran Epstein of E Square Capital has started work at 504 Washington Street and you know what that means... CONDOS! Though there are only three in this particular plan, I can tell you right now that there are going to be three extremely happy property owners who will soon be living downtown. Eran walked me through the property today, and from the looks of it these units are going to be beyond luxurious. As a matter of fact, the first and second floor owners will also have a separate unit (on the same floor) that they will be able to sublet to a tenant. "This project will bring some NYC to Buffalo," Eran told me. "The third floor will be spectacular. And the concept of owner/tenant is new to Buffalo for these types of loft conversions."
The building also makes room for a coveted two-car garage. And walk in closets that, after sizing up the blueprints, will be the size of small apartments. Unfortunately, the original wood floors are shot, but so many of the original details will be preserved. Eran is looking into how to incorporate the original interior door archways into the design, and the ceiling beams will remain exposed to keep with the historic appeal. The subdividing of the units is underway, which means that we now have a forerunner in the race to bring much needed condos to our city.
I spoke to Eran's father, Adam, who was in town for a few days. He was extremely proud of his son who is not a native of Buffalo. Being from NYC, Adam was intrigued that there was so much positive movement in that particular urban neighborhood. He asked me what I thought about the building units, and he wondered what the response from Buffalonians would be. I answered that the mere fact that Eran was converting the units to condos was really something. I told him about the reaction from BRO readers at the slightest mention of the word 'condo'. He was pleased with the building, and he was pleased with his son who had found a new home (Buffalo) and was working hard on helping to turn things around.
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Comment Options
TJH
What is the starting price and square footage of each unit? Are they on MLS now? Is the public able to see the plans?
Rumor on the street is that a similar 2 unit condo project is in the works close by this project.
Another great project by Eran!
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queenseyes
The owner unit on the first and second is 1000 sq' and the subs are 700 sq'. The third floor single is the entire floor. I don't want to quote him on a price just yet, but from the sound of it these three will go very quickly.
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westcoastperspective
Click name above for floorplans.
Congrats Eran- can't wait to see the final product!
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Light Flurries
Love those cast iron columns & tin plate ceilings! But I am blanking on which building this is. How about an exterior shot?
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sbrof
Decent project. questions about the floorplans, which way is north, and who draws a drawing and does label the streets or north.. sorry but VERY sloppy Silvestri... any first year architecture student knows you need to label north and site context. Assuming that up in north than are we really going to get nothing but three garage doors and curb cuts for the public street front.
How tacky...
what about leasing spaces in the LARGE PARKING LOT next to his building, or the one ACROSS the street or the Garage also ACROSS the street. I don't think that the people who will buy these condos will be the type that will complain about walking across the street to park their car.
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queenseyes
Click on the 504 Washington Street link in the post - it will direct you to Westcoast's post that has an image of the building.
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Spoiled
Where are the kitchens in the floor plan?
How do we bid on the condos? I have someone.
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William Zabka All-Stars
Very interesting project.
Queens - let me see if I have this straight: the units at the front of the building (with the garages) are the units that go from first floor all the way up to third floor, while the apartment units are the back of the building and only floors 1 and 2?
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futurebuff
maybe someone can explain this to me. why are most of the developments i see additional housing units? where are all the tenants coming form?
im not being negative, i dont know the answer.
condos and retail seem like a weird way to revive a city
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Spoiled
Most of the people I know who are buying, are from NYC or long island. Looking to have either a second home in Buffalo...or as a primary home but are originally from NYC and LI. Often they work from home. or come up to Buffalo on the weekends to get away.
The $100-300,000 condo is the range they are usually looking for. In the city and on the island this doesn't buy much.
Want a real sock? Go to the Hard ware cafe on Allen during a American Football game. And you'll meet a ton of Europeans avoiding football. Good conversations.
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BCB
Some people I know who want to buy are Buffalo natives who are returning to Buffalo from NYC after many years away. They have come to recognize that they could never afford anything decent in NYC but they can in Buffalo.
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vv
The write up does not appear to agree with the plans in the hyperlink?
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tg
Garages instead of storefront on ground level, how urban!
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queenseyes
WZAS & VV, the plans have changed since first conception from what I can tell as there has been much time between... the concept remains the same from what I understand.
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thesportsroadtrip
If these units aren't snapped up the minute they hit the market, I'll be shocked.
I hope developers are paying attention... buyers are chomping at the bit to buy downtown!
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richard kowalski
great job! this could start something
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richard kowalski
great job! this could start something
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richard kowalski
great job! this could start something
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richard kowalski
great job! this could start something
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T.
So are the old store fronts on the first floor being converted to blank walls? No mention on any retail coming into the first floor, just wondering. I would hate to see new projects such as this contibute to more blank walls downtown, especially on Washington St.
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Chris
Is Eran about to attack you with that metal pole?
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Chris
Perhaps some of these condo owners will decide to take the Metro and convert their garage to a live/work or retail space.
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Bizzles
It really isn't a good location for retail anyway. If you wanted to see a cafe or restaurant in that immediate area then it should go in the recently vacated baker? shoe's corner building a couple of doors down. A retail operation could actually work there.
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Dave
The garages look so narrow on the plan, it doesn't look like you'd be able to get out of your car. What's with that?
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Adam
I think it would be nice to convert the old Baker's shoe store on the corner into coffee shop/diner/restaurant that stays open later at night. Maybe with all the residential coming downtown it could be something similar to the restaurant hangout on Seinfeld. Also, I think that the first floor area of this condo development would have been a fabulous retail space. With the impressively tall ceilings (taller than most old stores), and the remarkably intact columns and tin ceilings, it could possibly have been better reused, instead of being hidden in a garage. This is a nice project though, using a building that has been vacant for quite some time, and brings home ownership downtown.
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j
I quote adam: "home ownership downtown"
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sbrof
I think rumor is the current owner of baker shoes is converting to a restaurant... wish granted.. assuming the guys gets all his ducks in a row.
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