The Fruit Belt neighborhood
on Buffalo’s east side may soon have a great new addition with the proposed
Sweet Pea market for a vacant lot on the corner of High and Maple Streets (google
map).
Rev. Michael Chapman of St.
John Baptist Church is heading the proposal and is well known for his other
development projects in the neighborhood. Project architect, Kevin Connors of eco_logic studios explains, “The
market is meant to be a place where people will connect; that prioritizes
locally grown and produced products for the immediate neighborhood and Buffalo
Niagara Medical Campus.”
This market rivals anything else
currently on the east side of a similar fashion and would really raise the bar
for new buildings in the surrounding area. It’s sited appropriately for a city
corner location, parking is the to the side and rear, it has a green roof to
reduce runoff, and it offers outdoor dining options in the front and a second
floor patio. The downside to the proposal is the historic home standing in the way of the
new parking lot and rehabilitation is not currently being pursued.
The Italianate home at 204
High Street was probably built around 1870 and was linked to the attached
property at 291 Maple Street with a small addition sometime before 1890. Its
oldest known owner was a doctor, JG Meidenbaur and is listed as owning the home
in 1872 and taught at Buffalo’s College of Pharmacy. Several subsequent owners
also continued to use the home as a residence and office for their medical
practices including the Morgan family.
This home has been owned by
the City of Buffalo since 2005 and has continued to deteriorate. Thankfully,
much of the original woodwork and details of the interior remain regardless of
the neglect. The following interior photos come from 2011.
204 High Street is within
the proposed footprint for the new parking lot and pick-up lane for the market,
but with some slight alterations it may still have a chance to be rehabbed. “I
have advised the owner that there is flexibility with the site plan to accommodate
the High Street structure at 204 as long as the rear portion could be demolished
for access onto Maple,” said Connors. “I believe this to be an important
project for activating High Street. It’s a large investment that would not be
looking to coexist with a vacant structure, but I think there is win-win
potential there if 204 can attract a developer.”
The building’s historic significance
was investigated in 2011 and a National Register eligibility form was filed
with the State Historic Preservation, which confirmed it was eligible for
listing. Click here for a
link to the determination.
“Preservation Buffalo
Niagara has received a lot of feedback from residents in the Fruit Belt
neighborhood concerned with the fate of the historic home,” said Tom Yots,
executive director of PBN. “As a result, PBN is supporting a local landmark
nomination in order to give those residents a voice in its future and hope for
a resolution that respects neighborhood residents and their wishes while still
encouraging future developments that support the medical campus and surrounding
community. Of course we would like to see the building restored and reused and
residents we've talked to seem to echo this sentiment. It is a neighborhood
landmark, representative of the area's early development and we would like to
reach out and work with anyone that is willing to reuse the structure,” continued
Christina Lincoln, director of operations at PBN.
 |
| Image from the 1979 inventory survey form |
There still may be some hope
for the home to remain in full or in part, but it’s too early to call. Here’s
hoping PBN can find success working with the neighborhood, the City of Buffalo,
and Rev. Chapman. Check back for updates as the situations evolves.
UPDATE: I just got some additional information from St. John Baptist Fruit Belt Development Corp regarding the project. The anticipated opening for the new market is January 2015, they will be getting $150,000 from Erie County for financing, and 60% minority hiring will be part of the St. John Baptist Leadership & Business Academy for African American males and a program with the Buffalo Board of Education. Once completed, the market will be managed by a resident of the Fruit Belt neighborhood.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
