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| Apartments to add to historic Richardson campus |
The historic Richardson Hotel is looking to start its next renovation project, apartments.
After the current renovation on the porte-cochere in the front of the building is finished in the summer of 2025, Douglas Development plans to work on putting apartments into the six adjacent buildings on the property.
Currently the property is being surveyed to start the process of the apartment renovations.
“Over the next few years, the idea is to create a community inside a community. How cool would it be for people to live at a historic property? So, what we would like to do is develop apartments and livable spaces,” Joe Konze, property and operations manager with Douglas Development, said.
The Richardson Hotel has gone through several changes over the years from its beginning as an asylum in the 19th century, to near abandonment, to Hotel Henry, to The Richardson Hotel and now adding apartments to the mix.
Mark Saglian whose great aunt was a patient in the
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| Mark Saglian with a family memento |
“I am positive about it in the sense it gives us an opportunity to preserve this historically significant space so that it doesn’t disappear, so that it doesn’t face the wrecking ball,” Saglian said.
Over the years the community has had mixed views on the building that holds The Richardson Hotel, but the community has started to see the building in a positive light Saglian said.
Saglian sees the life coming back into the building benefits the spiritual life and history of the building.
“For life to come back into those buildings, children’s voices, music, light, art, if you’re a lingering spirit that has to be positive, it has to be hopeful, and it has to be healing. So, for me the development its beautiful and it’s a positive thing,” Saglian said.
Since the reopening of The Richardson Hotel, Visit Buffalo Niagara has seen an increase of tourism on the West Side.
“Because of the nature of the property, the historic significance of it, the preservation of it, it has gotten a lot of great press. That has helped tell the story of the neighborhood as well,” Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, said.
Douglas Development’s goal is to put the word out about the city of Buffalo and the growing community on the West Side.
“For those who are local and want to stay the weekend or those who are staying from out of town really get a feel for what Buffalo is about,” Konze said. “I feel like some people don’t really understand Buffalo and I think where The Richardson Hotel sits in the Elmwood Village with the Elmwood Village really showcasing what Buffalo is about.”
