Big changes are coming to one of downtown’s blandest buildings. Roger Trettel is seeking Preservation Board approval on Thursday to redevelop 521 Main Street into a mix of commercial and residential space. The building is a non-contributing structure in the 500 Block of Main Street Historic District and is bookended by two other Trettel properties at 515 and 523 Main.

Renovations are proposed for 515 and 521 Main and each will see new storefront windows, signage, and lighting for three commercial spaces.

515 Main’s second floor will contain four studio apartments and the third floor will have two one-bedroom, two bathroom apartments with a study and in-unit laundry facilities.

The first and second floors of 521 Main Street will have commercial space and the third and fourth floors will each have one one-bedroom apartment with 1,816 sq.ft. of living space. Both buildings will be connected by a new elevator and staircase addition at the rear.

The most dramatic change is the addition of a brick facade and French doors with decorative balconies on the upper floors of 521 Main Street. The building currently has faux dryvit windows and is one of the last under-utilized buildings on the 500 block.

The project is in line for a $750,000 loan through the Buffalo Building Reuse Projext administered by the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation. The development carries a $3.35 million price tag and has been designed by Tommaso Briatico.

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