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Silo City is "like the equivalent of the Roman Forum, but for America."
Check out this great video on the development visions for the Silo City complex, a project we are so excited to be assisting with in guiding the rehabilitation and reuse of these historic structures.
Kerry Traynor, Founder and Principal of kta, has recently published an article on preservation issues surrounding low-income housing. A continually relevant subject in Buffalo and beyond.
“This past January, in Buffalo, New York, the second phase of demolition for a low-income housing complex called Shoreline Apartments commenced.
The property owner had long wanted to replace the crumbling buildings. Residents also sought a safer and more welcoming living space that better blended in with the rest of the neighborhood. It sounds like a win-win for all parties. But Shoreline, designed by famed architect Paul Rudolph, had been considered an exemplar of modern architecture in the Western New York area. For this reason, local preservationists wanted to landmark the complex – and save it from the wrecking ball.
As historic preservation scholars, we were drawn to this controversy because it highlights one of the key tensions of preserving modern architecture: how to balance the needs of occupants with historically significant designs.”
Read morekta’s work has resulted in the listing of 2 more buildings on the National Register this week, in anticipation of their rehabilitation and development in the coming months.
In response to this recent work, Governor Cuomo stated, “These nominations pay tribute to some of the most exceptional and fascinating sites in New York State history. By placing these landmarks on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we can ensure these locations have the funding they need to preserve and promote the very best of New York’s past, present and future.”
Read more here.
Many people in Buffalo remember the tragic fire that damaged this building and displaced 90 residents in March 2017.
After the fire, kta preservation specialists was able to conduct the research and documentation necessary to list the building on the National Register, enabling the developer to use the historic tax credit program for financial assistance in rehabilitating the building. With kia’s consultation throughout the entire process, the Lafayette Barton Apartments are nearing completion and preparing for occupancy again soon.
Read more about the project here.
The Historic Tax Credit program makes projects like this one possible: transforming a ruined factory into apartments. A portion of the original building was missing, but with the assistance of our team here at kta preservation specialists, we managed to list the Fedders Complex on the National Register and assist in its reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Read more about the plans for this project here.
As part of the University at Buffalo’s contributions to the Venice Architecture Biennale in August 2018, Kerry Traynor and Camden Miller led a "48-hour challenge" to consider the impact of tourism on the historic city, where tourists outnumber residents three to one. Exploring neighborhoods and commercial districts, students assessed gentrification, quality of living conditions, and the physical, cultural and social layers of the city's urban fabric. The two-day challenge included a "scavenger hunt" of the city to assess the availability and costs of essential goods and services for residents, as part of their exploration of tourism's impact on native Venetians.
An article on the workshop in Venice can be found here.
After receiving a $10,000 grant, the North Tonawanda Historic Preservation Commission hired kta preservation specialists to conduct a survey of the city’s Lumber Baron Historic District. kta’s survey work this fall will likely result in a National Register nomination for the district, comprising about 400 buildings, in early 2019.
More on the project can be found here.
An article in Buffalo Rising recently celebrated the firm's work with the newly formed Kensington-Bailey Historical Committee. This committee was formed by a local group of citizen activists and residents who live within the project area that is part of kta's survey of the University Heights District, a project currently underway.
The article can be found here.
Research and documentation provided by kta preservation specialists will guide the adaptive reuse of Public School 44.
Read morekta preservation specialists is hired to conduct a reconnaissance survey of the University Heights neighborhood with the assistance of a grant from the Preservation League.
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