BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Richardson Olmsted Campus today announced the selection of two Buffalo-based development partners to work with the non-profit organization in rehabilitating this National Historic Landmark.
Following feedback from the community about potential new uses for the Richardson Olmsted Campus at a public meeting in April, McGuire Development Company and Savarino Companies were selected to bring new life to five of ten remaining historic buildings on-campus.
“After a national search, we are thrilled to partner with McGuire Development Company and Savarino Companies as we continue to revitalize our National Historic Landmark,” said Paul Hojancki, Richardson Board Chair. “Our community has been incredibly supportive and engaged in the redevelopment process so far; we are excited to bring in some new partners to continue these conversations and make the fully rehabilitated Richardson Olmsted Campus a reality.”
McGuire Development Company will partner with the Richardson Olmsted Campus to reuse three western wing buildings as the nation’s newest University-Based Retirement Community (UBRC). University-Based Retirement Communities are growing in popularity across the country and provide life-long learning opportunities for active seniors. With proximity to Buffalo State College and Buffalo’s cultural corridor, the Richardson Olmsted Campus is an ideal location for a new UBRC.
“After serving as a consultant during the Richardson’s first redevelopment project, we are excited to continue our involvement in the complete rehabilitation of the Richardson Olmsted Campus,” said Megan Tafelski, Vice President of Marketing for McGuire Development Company. “We are passionate about this community and look forward to contributing as a catalyst to create a sustainable destination.”
On the eastern side of the Richardson Olmsted Campus, Savarino Companies aims to transform two buildings on-campus into live/work space, which combine professional work spaces and apartments for local artists.
“All of the members of our project team – from our employees to our designer and consultants – are excited to be part of the next phase of the adaptive reuse of a such an iconic community treasure,” said Sam Savarino, President and CEO of Savarino Companies. “There are many restrictions in any effort to repurpose a landmark structure without compromising its historic integrity. But sometimes – with a little ingenuity, perhaps, but certainly with a lot of luck – those very restrictions guide you towards the highest and best use for those structures. Such is the case here. The decision to develop an affordable artist live/work/exhibit community in two buildings at the Richardson now seems to have been inevitable. We have much to do in order to get the project planned out, financed, and built, but we are already working on it.”
Three buildings on-campus have already been rehabilitated as Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center, 100 Acres: The Kitchens at Hotel Henry, and the future Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo. With the selection of McGuire Development Company and Savarino Companies, the Richardson Olmsted Campus will reactivate five more buildings, including four wing buildings and a dining hall dating from the 1920s.
The redevelopment and preservation of the Richardson Olmsted Campus has received national attention for its creativity, commitment to community involvement, and massive scale. In 2018, the Richardson received the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Driehaus Preservation Award.
The Richardson Olmsted Campus will present renderings and more details about the proposed rehabilitation projects at the next public meeting, to be held later this year. For more information on upcoming meetings and development news, please visit www.richardson-olmsted.com.
About the Richardson Olmsted Campus
One of Buffalo’s most iconic buildings and a National Historic Landmark, the 145-year-old Richardson Olmsted Campus is being renewed after years of neglect.
Designed by great American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and the famed landscape team of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the building incorporated a system of enlightened treatment for people with mental illness developed by Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride.
Today, the Richardson Olmsted Campus is home to one of the largest historic preservation projects in the nation. Comprised of 13 buildings on 42 acres, the central Towers Building and one wing building on either side have been redeveloped as Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center and the future Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo. Ten buildings and 25 acres are pending redevelopment. More information available at www.richardson-olmsted.com.
About McGuire Development Company
McGuire Development Company is a full-scale commercial real estate firm, specializing in real estate services, development, property management, owner representation, and brokerage. For more information, visit www.mcguiredevelopment.com or call (716) 829-1900.
About Savarino Companies
Savarino Companies is a full service builder, developer and property manager headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Savarino Construction is currently the general contractor or construction manager for 15 third party construction projects in progress totaling $100,000,000 in contract value throughout Western New York. Savarino Development has 6 projects under development representing $75,000,000 in value. Savarino Property Management is contracted to manage 20 properties which including residential complexes, mixed use developments, commercial office buildings, affordable housing projects, public recreation facilities and schools. For more information about Savarino Companies please visit their web site: www.savarinocompanies.com
