The nonprofit leading the revitalization of Buffalo’s historic Richardson Olmsted Campus is poised to add another landmark property to its growing footprint.
Legislation sponsored by Assemblymember Jon Rivera and State Sen. April Baskin would transfer the former male nurses dormitory building and more than 1.5 acres of surrounding land from state control to the Richardson Center Corporation. The measure now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature.
The building, built for the former Buffalo State Asylum, would become the latest addition to a redevelopment effort that already includes the Richardson Hotel and the under-construction Lipsey Architecture Center.
Richardson Center Corporation President Paris Roselli said the acquisition creates an opportunity to further connect and complement the broader cultural and architectural assets surrounding the complex.
"There’s a discussion about the fabric of this whole thing," Roselli said. "Ideally we have residential spaces up top. We’ve talked about artist space, perhaps on the ground level, or some sort of commercial, maybe residency space. So there are a number of ideas in play, and the building’s bones are really good, which is great."
Built in 1904, the three-story dormitory served as housing for male nurses working at the asylum. The building was vacated sometime in the 1990s by the Buffalo Psychiatric Center and has remained unused for decades.
"It's absolutely worth saving. These buildings are really important," said Bernice Radle, executive director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara. "I also remind people that historic tourism is one of the biggest economic drivers to our region, and this just adds to that."
While plans remain in the preliminary stages, Roselli said the nonprofit corporation's goal is to strengthen connections between the Richardson campus and Buffalo’s museum and cultural corridor.
Rivera said the state has laid the groundwork for redevelopment through the property transfer and the availability of historic tax credits.
"I would much rather invest the money in a building like this than build some other cookie-cutter, un-unique, kind of bland structure," Rivera said.
Supporters of the transfer say preserving and repurposing the historic building aligns with the larger effort to restore the nationally recognized Richardson Olmsted Campus while creating new opportunities for housing, arts and community use.
