In the early morning of November 9th, 2015, 595 Fillmore, the former Jankowski Cigar Store and Factory, suffered a devastating fire. The fire forced emergency demolition of the front of the building. Luckily, a back brick portion of the building and wooden garage were saved from the wrecking ball.
The Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood Housing Services (BFNHS) had bought 595 Fillmore a few weeks earlier at the city’s foreclosure auction and was already working on plans for renovation. The plans were to renovate the wooden house and two rear buildings into six or seven apartment and to create a coffee shop in the part which fronted Fillmore Avenue. The BFNHS ensured the back parts of the building were saved after the fire. Now, the organization has modified their plans. These plans include rebuilding the front with a structure which mimics the original.
The BFNHS received a vote of support and endorsement from the City of Buffalo Planning Board yesterday for their plans. The organization and the Carmina Wood Morris architecture and engineering firm will now move forward in redeveloping 595 Fillmore.
This is great news for the neighborhood…especially after the fire. The intersection of Fillmore and Paderewski is the gateway to the Central Terminal. This is the best possible scenario and will help keep this corner ALIVE.
