2019 was a year when two noticeable and notable houses were completed. It was also a year when some urban infill appeared that was not suburban in style. There were also new houses constructed by Habitat for Humanity, the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency(BURA), and the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (BENLIC).

A house that many people in North Buffalo took note of because of its size and its attractiveness was finished on Tillinghast Place. The house was built by Berkshire Homes of Clarence, NY, a custom home builder, on a double lot near the corner of Tillinghast and Colvin. It’s been difficult to find out who the architect is. The new house replaces a fire ravaged house. While many people admire its beauty, many people also believe it should have been built on the Parkways, Nottingham Terrace or Middlesex Road. Others believe the house fits right in given the diversity of housing styles on Tillinghast.

The house at the corner of Rhode Island Street and 19th Street also finished this year. This house was designed by Brad Wales and built for Robert Harlock of Richmond Renovations for sale to interested buyers. The house has drawn attention because it’s part of the revitalization of the 5 Points area and because Brad Wales has more than a few admirers.

The new house that has gotten the most interest is a house on School Street near the corner of Plymouth Avenue on the city’s West Side. It is being constructed for the artist Ben Perrone by eco-architect Kevin Connors. It’s one of a kind for Buffalo.

J-M Read, architect and real estate broker, and SEI_Architecture of Buffalo combined on two projects in the 5 Points area. The first is a new house at the corner of Vermont Street and Bremen Street that is infill unknown to the city of Buffalo…

… and the second is a total rehab/rebuild of a Chenango Street cottage into a completely different appearance with a second floor. This project too is a house unseen in Buffalo before.

Severyn Development of Lancaster is building an infill house on Lafayette Avenue that has a design that’s also unfamiliar to Buffalo but well known as infill in cities like Indianapolis, Seattle, Portland, Oregon and others. The house also has a carriage house and is being built for two doctors. Severyn is also constructing two houses on Horton Place. These houses will contain a separate apartment for rent and is based on a home strategy that Severyn has used in other locations.

Another interesting infill project is being constructed on Orchard Place in the Vernon Triangle neighborhood of Parkside. The house does look suburban but not that suburban and is a good shot in the arm for the neighborhood as a private home.

Habitat For Humanity is building a number of houses in Buffalo this year. 2 houses are under construction on Lawrence Street on the West Side and reflect a change from many HFH houses of the recent past. These are two-story houses rather than the longer one-story houses seen around the City. They are also building 3 new houses on Kilhoffer Street and a new house on Zenner Street in the Bailey Green Project area. Habitat For Humanity is also rehabbing a number of houses in the city. The Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency constructed 2 new houses on Purdy Street and the Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation constructed 2 houses on Longnecker Street.

2020 will see 70 more new homes built in Marc Marrano’s Rachel Vincent Way subdivision, with the street extending itself to its end at Starin Avenue, and a new cross street to be added. Severyn Development will construct 2 two-family houses on Lafayette Avenue across from the new house being built by them. The stalled house on Nottingham Terrace has been sold but its future may be to continue on the current construction path or it may be to teardown the half-finished house and start anew.

Construction projects for Linwood Avenue and Depew Avenue fell through last year. Both pieces of land were sold but the Depew Avenue plot is back on the market. Their futures remain uncertain. It’s almost certain that other new projects will be coming too.