Gorgeous! Thank you for restoring the masonary and not painting it!

The exterior really has a presence to it!

WOW!

Kudo's First Amherst!!! The model apartment and the development looks awesome!!!!

This is just a fantastic development in the best possible location- just what this area needed and a model for future preservation and development projects in the City. The bar keeps getting raised.

Wow.

Another fabulous project developed by Ben Obletz and his team at First Amherst Development! Who would have thought anything could top the high-end loft apartments at Elk terminal? Ben Obletz and his company truly are the real pioneers of downtown housing in Buffalo. The Granite Works looks amazing, and I can't wait to see the finished project.

Finally a Fireplace that is done the rite way! The rest of the projects should take note!
Nice Job Obletz and crew the place looks great! These are the nicest looking apartments in the city! they will be rented very quickly !

NICE, NICE, NICE!!!!!

These are done at Condo level Quality. Do i hear coversion in a year or two

Thank you obstructionists. Without you these buildings would be gone.

Fantastic! These look great - SOOOO nice to see the progress!

A Qualtiy job! Setting the standard for some of the best redevelopment in Buffalo. Can't wait for the finished project.

Wonderful job First Amherst - you've shown Buffalo first hand that preservation and redevelopment can and does work. Hopefully this project will become the poster child for what can work. Can't wait for the completed project. Thanks.

This looks great ! check out their web site at www.graniteworks.com
lots more photos and information.

I can't give three cheers to Obletz & Company but I'll offer two.

I am one of maybe half a dozen people I've since met who wanted to restore the McDonnell & Sons building over the last 15 years or so that the City has owned it. We spent a year fighting to acquire and live in it, only to get utter "obstructionism" (the wrong kind) from City Hall. At the time they were busy complaining in the Buffalo News that the Real Estate division was saddled with all kinds of derelict properties that no one wanted. Talk about adding insult to injury.

We had funding in place and would have had the building occupied and on the tax rolls for a decade now. Instead, we watched developer after developer get preferred status only to default and do nothing. I applaud the end result, but I am still angry about the process.

hamp, thanks for remembering the obstructionists.

Overnight between April 6 and 7, 2003 there was an arson fire in the building closest to Virginia Street and the Fire Commissioner called for an emergency demolition. It was advocacy by members of the community, and law-suits by the Allentown Association and Campaign for Greater Buffalo and Erie County, that saved the buildings weren't demolished in the days and months following the fire. There were also those in City Hall who understood the value of these buildings, but this was by no means an easy effort.

So, not only is this a great development by First Amherst, and a great new asset for the City, but it is proof of the power of community activism and that you can (thank goodness) fight City Hall.

simply, stunning.
tears-to-the-eyes stunning

There is a mansion on that block, number 878, next to the disease research center , [can't think off hand of the name] , but a women named Rebecca McCauly has been trying to purchase it for years now. Working closely with Roswell her goal is to turn it into units for staff of Roswell with fellowships and maintain one unit for Roswell use at large, also she would include a cafe on the first floor, the sad part is....the disease lab wants to pull it down for parking and Richard Tobe at city hall seems to keep slamming the door in Rebbecca's face. Here we have someone, with the plans, money, contractors and Roswell behind her to restore this fantastic looking mansion and yet City Hall seems to have a hidden agenda.
Seeing what fantastic work has been done on five run down and burned out buildings, now known as "The Granite Works" ad to boot that 878 is in a Historic District, why on earth won't Richard Tobe and city Hall sign off?
....do I smell kickbacks to hold off to further run down the Mansion untill it needs to be pulled down?
BTW/ slide show is fab...
[spell check anyone?]

PS Rebecca McCauly was at our block club meeting and all information is documented...

Martin (your spell-check thing has become rather amusing):
� a woman (not a women)
� add (not ad)
� 1 "l" at end of until
Thanks for the opportunity ; )

welcome camptart!....er comptart
lol.................

Martin-
Zepto has been wanting to demo 878 for some time to provide parking for its employees and Rebecca does has a plan for redevelopment. The City is planning on doing a Request for Proposals for the property. There has been a delay in getting the RFP out- it is currently being redrafted. So hopefully Rebecca and anyone else interested can submit a plan for the property. Keep your fingers crossed...

This is awesome! Great job! I can't wait for new neighbors and business to open! Put your money where your mouth is and move in!

Stunning...BRAVO!...but I wish the were condos...tax base...critical mass...'vested' interest in real city living...ciao...

Stunning...BRAVO!...but I wish they were condos...tax base...critical mass...'vested' interest in real city living...ciao...

really impressive.
it will be nice to see main st. with more life.

I was a participant in the lawsuit against the city, but to be honest, I never thought I would see this. It seemed such an uphill battle. Bravo, indeed. And we should also mention Mike Morga of Peyton Barlow, partner with First Amherst.

Tiny point--the buildings are not a stone's throw from Allentown; they are in the Allentown Preservation District. If not for that fact, they would likely not be standing today.

If they go after 878, we could end up in court again.

It's really nice to see this type preservation happening in Buffalo. These buildings with their exteriors returned to their original beauty are gorgeous and that they've been renovated into residences is wonderful. There are lots of homes like these here in Toronto, so it's nice (and about time) to see this happening in Buffalo. The slide show is also great and the music (Miracle) is a perfect accompaniment to the visuals. I hope to see more of this. My congratulations to the developers, architects, designers and real estate people involved in making this "miracle'" happen.

But now we have lost another oportunity for a shovel ready site. Is no one concerned about that?

It was a real pleasure living next to these buildings and their stench as they were rotting away for years. I loved explaining to my out-of-town visitors why there were so many bordered-up buildings in Buffalo, because these ones were just around the corner from my house. I wonder how many other potential developments and projects were discouraged over the past few decades while these buildings contributed towards urban blight. It's great that this story is enjoying a happy ending, but the obstructionists should try being a bit less indignant, because they sure took a long time to make this one happen. And perhaps they could spend less energy posting smug remarks on blogs and try working on getting some of our other landmarks saved. No one ever does anything about them, till an arsonist's actions bring things to critical proportions. And how self righteous to try and take credit for this project, when we all know that this is happening simply because First Amherst is smart enough to do the math and realize this makes economic sense. I hate to burst the bubble, but it's not being done because the developer appreciates the historic value or cares about architectural preservation. But, in the end, I am glad to see this beautiful project finally underway. It's about time!

2 buildings down....2000 more to go - maybe in another 100 years this city will be developed