By Buffalo Rising

Initial work will include site remediation and abatement within the structure and once the interior abatement work is finished, work can commence on the renovation itself. “Upon completion of abatement inside the building, work will begin to restore the window openings – which were previously blocked in – to their original size,” said Amber Holycross, Senior Development Manager at Ciminelli. “We’ll be installing replica daylight factory windows, reflective of the original windows from the early 1900’s, on all facades. It’s exactly like what we did at Bethune Lofts.”

The abatement and window replacement work is expected to be completed in six months. Located in the heart of the Niagara Street Corridor, the building was originally built by the Mentholatum Company in the early 1900’s. Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation purchased the 80,000 sq.ft. building from The Garrett Leather Company in February 2016.

Redevelopment plans include renovation of the former 80,000 sq.ft. daylight factory to include 51 residential one- and two-bedroom units on floors 1-4, in addition to 4,500 sq.ft. of retail space on the first floor. Approximately 35 indoor parking spaces will be made available in the basement level of the building, with an additional 50 parking spaces on site.

Ciminelli is also reviewing options to restore the large scale Mentholatum sign facing I-190 to its original iconic state. Adjacent parcels located at 1336 and 1340 Niagara Street were also part of the purchase and will be readied for future development under the Brownfield Cleanup program. Plans for those parcels have not yet been determined.

Article originally written by our friends at Buffalo Rising.