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There's a whole new neighborhood taking shape along the river in Buffalo – in an area once known for its industrial glory and its more recent decay.
The latest part of that transformation is set to turn a hulking grain silo complex along the river, off Ohio Street, into apartments on property that until recently has been used mostly for seasonal kayak rentals, an occasional flea market, and periodic art projects and events.
Silo City consists of a series of grain mills, storage bins, mills and malt houses that date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and line the Buffalo River on a peninsula just across the water from the Old First Ward. They have sat largely vacant and unused, but Generation Development Group is taking aim at the first two clusters, know as the American and Perot facilities.
A rendering of the American Malthouse building at Silo City, after a proposed renovation.
The effort is focused on the giant warehouses right now, not the grain elevators themselves, which may be redeveloped later, although not necessarily into apartments. But the project will bring more residents to a budding neighborhood that, until a few years ago, was mostly vacant land or former industrial sites just south of downtown.
It is part of newfound attention to the Ohio Street corridor, where the Buffalo River has been dredged and the street has been rebuilt.
New apartments, a distillery, a brewery, restaurants and other forms of recreation have increased a sense of activity that has been building for years. On Chicago Street, for example, an old industrial complex houses Resurgence Brewing Co. and Central Rock Gym. Savarino Cos. turned the decaying Great Lakes Fiber property into apartments.
Across the river on Ganson Street, Earl Ketry's RiverWorks - complete with a new Ferris wheel and zipline - continues to expand as it attracts crowds of diners, music enthusiasts, amateur sports fans and boaters. Wonder Coffeehouse now sits next door.
"A lot of things are happening in that neighborhood and it’s great to see," said developer Samuel Savarino.
"There was nothing going on on that area. You could hardly make your way down there, and there were no real plans to do anything. Taking a calculated risk and going down there and then seeing what’s happening down there is rewarding. That’s what we were hoping was going to happen."
A 'unique project' aims to remake Silo City
The newest venture pushes further toward the Outer Harbor and its legacy of heavier industry. And it's starting with one of the city's best-known locales – Silo City.
Generation Development and longtime Silo City owner Rick Smith are redeveloping two of the enormous warehouse structures in the historic industrial and shipping area into places to live and work..
The former American Warehouse, left, is in the midst of conversion into a mix of luxury apartments and office space. Similar development is planned for the American Elevator, center, and Perot Elevator, right.
The effort is kicking off with the American Mill facility, which will become home to more than 167 apartments and a large coworking center. But the team - which includes architects from Carmina Wood Morris PC - is also eyeing a second project at the Perot Malting complex next door.
The dual projects – totaling more than $115 million in investment – along with other future ventures could bring upward of 400 residential units to the zone that juts off from Ohio.
And it demonstrates a scale of ambition, planning and work not often seen locally, but which the development team hopes to see more of in Buffalo.
It won't be easy, though. Converting old industrial sites into modern apartments is a costly and challenging process. Doing it with grain silos is even more daunting.
New windows are installed at the American Warehouse at Silo City.
"It is definitely a unique project, and it’s a precedent-setting project, in terms of giving other developers confidence to take on these kinds of mammoth projects," said Giona Paolercio, partner and executive vice president with Colby Development, which is spearheading the effort locally on behalf of Miami-based Generation.
"Most people in the development community would shy away from something like this, just because there are unknowns," Paolercio said. "It’s a daring feat."
Shared spaces and a culture of 'commingling'
Built in 1906 and located on 6 acres, the American Mill & Warehouse complex at 139 Buffalo River was used as a storage facility and for research and development by the American Malting Co. It includes a five-story malt house and an eight-story flour mill section, with a connector tower between them. The silos are separate.
The old sign was restored on the north face of the American Warehouse at Silo City.
In the first phase now underway, Generation – led by managing principals Marvin Wilmoth and Anthony Ceroy – plans to turn the first floor of the complex into about 40,000 square feet of commercial space, anchored on one end by a business incubator and coworking area, with two secured entrances from the outside.
It would include various sized offices and a mix of small and medium conference rooms, locker rooms and bathrooms, a shared lounge, and a reception area. Millington Lockwood would supply the office furniture, wall systems and glass partitions, and the offices would have individual mechanicals for climate control.
"That's the heart and soul of the owners," Paolercio said. "They want to have shared spaces and create that culture of commingling and supporting each other, for business growth and education."
The other end of the complex would have commercial space for three tenants, tentatively an art gallery, photography studio or filming studio. There would also be additional amenities for both commercial and residential tenants, such as a wellness and fitness center, with rooms for yoga or spin classes.
The upper floors would contain a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, including two loft apartments. The top floor, which has 20-foot ceilings, would have 13 loft apartments with premium views, each with the bedrooms up a flight of stairs from the living space. Enormous windows overlook the river and silos. Some apartments also have transom windows to get extra light into bedrooms.
The view from an apartment inside the American Warehouse at Silo City.
"The views around the building, regardless of where you are, are amazing," Paolercio said.
Silos could be remade 'down the road'
The apartments will have exposed ceilings and brick, while the century-old spindles and wheels from the old machinery will still hang from above, their bumpy patina sealed for protection after workers cleaned off the scale and rust.
The remnants of a man-elevator, in which a grain elevator worker would hop on a step on the outside of the conveyor belt and hang on as the belt went up on one side and down the other inside the American Warehouse at Silo City. It will remain on the site, but is no longer in working condition.
An original train bay with a boxcar could be used as a photographer's darkroom or a hydroponic garden. A historic elevator that consists of a platform and pulley will be preserved for posterity, though it no longer works.
Apartment tenants would enter the building through the former train bay, where railcars used to come into the complex to pick up grain or other products. That bay – which is set back from the street and cuts into part of the complex – will be enclosed with glass, with an internal ramp and stairs leading to a vestibule, front lobby and main office.
Remnants of the conveyor system that once moved grain around the complex remain as focal points in some of the apartments inside the American Warehouse at Silo City.
One of three boxcars on the site will be located inside the bay, potentially for use as a photo darkroom by a commercial tenant. Two other rail cars may be used for a tenant mail room and a hydroponic garden, Paolercio said.
Outside, Paolercio said the plan is to restore the original red and tan brick facades of the five-story and eight-story structures, respectively, while swapping out the windows with historic replicas. Workers also uncovered and will preserve the American Malting Co. signage on the upper facade, facing the river.
An upper bridge connector stretching to the silos will be kept for appearance and character, and will be maintained for safety, but it will not be accessible. There are also a pair of grain hopper valves sticking out of the brick on one side of the building that will remain.
Plans also call for a plaza between the buildings for recreational or other use, as well as a patio between the far end of the building and the river.
"The idea is to promote pedestrian circulation around the structure, to the river, so there will be pathways," Paolercio said. "It'll be accessible to all."
For now, the silos themselves are being left alone, but that could change. Each usually has a "headhouse" at the top, the milling floors that contained the hoppers, and the rectangular work buildings with conveyor belts and other machinery. "That's down the road. It'll be a potential," Paolercio said. "They're getting the entire facility listed on the National Register, so it includes those buildings."
Paolercio said project is over half finished, with full completion this year. Perot, which is behind the American facility, will be next for redevelopment, with another 92 apartments and nearly 20,000 square feet of first-floor commercial space.
"It’s been great. It's working well," Paolercio said of the construction progress. "It took a lot to get to this point. There was a lot of equipment in the building that had to be taken out."
The former American Warehouse, left, is in the midst of conversion into a mix of luxury apartments and office space in what is the first phase of a public campus with water access that calls for similar development of the American Elevator, center, and Perot Elevator, right, in subsequent phases at Silo City.
The former American Warehouse, left, is in the midst of conversion into a mix of luxury apartments and office space. Similar development is planned for the American Elevator, center, and Perot Elevator, right.
The old sign was restored on the north face of the American Warehouse at Silo City.
The American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
The view from an apartment inside the American Warehouse at Silo City.
An apartment with a view of the Ohio Street Lift Bridge and nearby grain elevators inside the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
Remnants of the conveyor system that once moved grain around the complex remain as focal points in some of the apartments inside the American Warehouse at Silo City.
Giona Paolercio, executive vice president at Colby Development, stands next to a window of an apartment inside the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
An apartment under construction inside the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
Light installations mimic the shape of hoppers inside a grain elevator in a conference room inside commercial space under construction on the first level of the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into a mixed-use space with luxury apartments in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
Commercial space under construction on the first level of the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into a mixed-use space with luxury apartments in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
A view looking toward what will become the main entrance to the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
Site work continues in the space between the American Elevator (left) and the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
The remnants of a man-elevator, in which a grain elevator worker would hop on a step on the outside of the conveyor belt and hang on as the belt went up on one side and down the other inside the American Warehouse at Silo City. It will remain on the site, but is no longer in working condition.
The view from the window of an apartment inside the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
The shoreline of the Buffalo River behind the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Public access to the waterfront will be an important component of the development. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
New windows are installed at the American Warehouse at Silo City.
The American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
The view of the Ohio Street Lift Bridge and nearby grain elevators from the window of an apartment inside the American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
The American Warehouse at Silo City, which is in the midst of a conversion into luxury apartments and commercial space in the first phase of a reuse plan for several of the historic buildings on the site. Photo taken Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
The former American Warehouse (left) is in the midst of conversion into a mix of luxury apartments and office space in what is the first phase of a public campus with water access that calls for similar development of the American Elevator (center) and Perot Elevator (right) in subsequent phases. Photo taken Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022.
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I've been a business reporter at The Buffalo News since 2004, now covering residential and commercial real estate and development amid WNY's resurgence. I'm an upstate native, proud to call Buffalo my home, and committed to covering it thoroughly.
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From efforts to bring more affordable housing to the city to high-profile ventures to revive the Statler and Trico buildings, these are just a few of the projects to watch in 2022.
Generation Development is proposing to restore the Perot Malting facility at 145 Buffalo River Road into a mix of residential and commercial uses.
The renovation of the American Mill & Warehouse building by Generation Development Group is designed to revive a landmark industrial grain silo on the city's waterfront by drawing permanent residents, workers, recreational users and other visitors.
Generations Development Group paid $2.8 million on Friday to acquire 139 Buffalo River Place and 610 Ohio St. from longtime owner and businessman Rick Smith.
Generation Development Group received the green light from the Buffalo Planning Board Monday to convert a former malthouse at Silo City into 158 apartments and nearly 40,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The $70 million project by the Miami-based firm – in conjunction with Silo City owner Rick Smith – calls for renovating the vacant American Malting Company
Buffalo Planning Board members Monday applauded a proposal by Miami-based Generation Development Group to put 158 apartments and nearly 40,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space in a former malthouse at Silo
Silo City owner Rick Smith and his partners are seeking approval from city planners Monday to put 158 apartments and nearly 40,000 square feet of commercial space in a former malt
The developers behind a proposed redevelopment of the Silo City complex into apartments and an arts colony are seeking an adaptive reuse permit from the Buffalo Common Council to allow a residential use in a zoning area that doesn’t currently allow it. Miami-based Generation Development Group, along with Silo City owner Rick Smith, wants to convert the peninsula of
A rendering of the American Malthouse building at Silo City, after a proposed renovation.
The old sign was restored on the north face of the American Warehouse at Silo City.
The former American Warehouse, left, is in the midst of conversion into a mix of luxury apartments and office space. Similar development is planned for the American Elevator, center, and Perot Elevator, right.
The view from an apartment inside the American Warehouse at Silo City.
Remnants of the conveyor system that once moved grain around the complex remain as focal points in some of the apartments inside the American Warehouse at Silo City.
The remnants of a man-elevator, in which a grain elevator worker would hop on a step on the outside of the conveyor belt and hang on as the belt went up on one side and down the other inside the American Warehouse at Silo City. It will remain on the site, but is no longer in working condition.
New windows are installed at the American Warehouse at Silo City.
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