The Larkin Development Group announced today the purchase and planned rehabilitation of the former Larkin Men's Club at 696 Seneca St. The former social club, and prior to 1915 the rectory of the German-language Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, is slated to become the neighborhood's next residential option as early as 2012.
The building most recently a rooming house and before that an iconic working man's tavern called Lee's Lounge & Bar has many stories to tell. The same structure housed German priests, lounging Larkin factory workers, Polish pub crawlers, and soon perhaps some urban pioneers looking to settle in this rustic, edgy neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Buffalo.
"This represents another important step forward in the rehabilitation of the historic Larkin District," said Joe Petrella, a partner in the Larkin Development Group. "Our goal is to create a vibrant mixed-use district that has always been the trademark of this district dating back well over 150 years."
The Larkin Development Group announced only two days ago it will start construction on a new, 56,000 sq. ft. office structure at Seneca and Hydraulic Sts. to house over 1,000 employees. The acquisition of yet another landmark neighborhood property for redevelopment says one thing for sure: There's going to be a lot of construction workers on site in the Hydraulics over the next couple years.
Be sure to check out the press advisory Larkin Development Group released this morning. Special thanks to fixBuffalo for the photographs of the Larkin Men's Club taken this afternoon.
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