New Neighbors

 Students at Buffalo State College are getting new neighbors. They are almost moved in and they are ready to introduce themselves.

By: Kristiana Bochnakova and Katherine Guenther

Buffalo State students have grown accustomed to the collection of old buildings just behind Lot G. 

With its dark gothic towers it is hard to imagine that the former Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane was originally built to reflect modern philosophies on the treatment of the mentally ill. It included gardens, large windows, sunlight — and hope.

The series of connected buildings, designed to look like a flock of flying birds, was considered a masterpiece of architecture when it opened in 1890. The future of the complex looked bright– at least until it was abandoned. For three decades, the site was left to ruin while interested parties fought over its future.

“It seems such a waste to me to see the historical buildings decaying,” said Megan Connell, a commuter student who walks by the building daily.

After legal battles and many proposals the Richardson Center Corp. was appointed to undertake the renovation project in 2006. Hope is alive again at what has been renamed the H.H. Richardson Complex. 

 “It stood for about 30 years, just waiting for a reuse”, said Monica Pellegrino Faix the executive director of the Richardson Olmsted Center Corporation, the current owners of the site.

A boutique hotel, architecture center, conference space and visitor center are just the core project of the corporation’s plan for the Richardson Complex.

“The first phase of reuse will be in the towers building and the ward building on either side”, Pellegrino Faix said, “and that will be the boutique hotel, the event and conference space and the architecture center for Buffalo.”

The renovation of the Richardson Complex is not without the help and input of Buffalo State College.

“We hope that these buildings to the east could be occupied by the college,” Pellegrino Faix said, “and the college has that in their master plan as well.”

The other side of the building has a more unclear future. While every building in the complex will be restored, “We’re just kind of holding these buildings to the west and stabilizing them for future development – arts and culture related development,” Pellegrino Faix said.

The corporation also plans to restore the lawn and garden areas of the complex to use as an open community space.

Early on in the project, public interest in the site was strong. During the 2011 National Preservation Conference a public tour was held with a large crowd turnout.

“That was the first time it had been opened in 10 years,” said Pellegrino Faix, “and a thousand people came in one evening.”

The corporation welcomes the public on this project. “We want to be able to show the public [the building] because this is funded by $76 million in public money,” Pellegrino Faix said. She added, “We’ve always tried to have the public be part of the planning process.”

The Richardson Olmsted Center Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that gets much of its funding from a $76.5 million grant from New York State. While the corporation has taken years to plan the renovation, its goal is to have the complex restored in three years.

“It takes a lot of planning to get to the point where you can do a good job with the reuse,” Pellegrino Faix said. “If you’re going to do it well you need to take the time on the front end to plan.”

The Richardson Complex will have a positive effect on Buffalo State College and the community. The complex will provide a boutique hotel, Buffalo’s Architecture Center and serve as a conference and event space for Buffalo.

The complex will create a place for architectural, educational, cultural, residential, hospitality, and recreational activities. The facility will be able to host events and gatherings, seating roughly 250 to 300 people. This will benefit Buffalo State as it currently does not have many areas where large conferences can be held.

 “Buffalo State told us over and over that they have a strong need for this facility, so we know it will be a big use for the college,” Pellegrino Faix said.

“We want the college to be very involved in the new uses,” Pellegrino Faix said. “There’s a lot of connection between the hotel, event conference center and hospitality program at the school.”

The Richardson Complex, which is in walking distance from campus, will benefit the Hospitality and Tourism Department at Buffalo State. The major requires students to complete 400 hours of hospitality related experience to graduate.

Rebecca Dowsey, chair of the Hospitality Department at Buffalo State College was unavailable for comment at the time of this story. According to the Buffalo State website the H.H. Richardson complex is currently not listed as an approved internship. 

Rosy Syso, a junior, and Hospitality and Tourism major at Buffalo State, is pleased how the Richardson Complex is incorporating the community as well as the students.

“I absolutely believe it will benefit me because I would not only get first-hand experience working in a hotel, which is my concentration within my major, but it will also share the history that Buffalo has and I think that is super important working at any place,” Syso said.

“It’s also steps away from campus and is very convenient for students who live on campus and don’t have a car to get them to an internship,” she added.

 “The uses need to be complimentary,” Pellegrino Faix said. “The hotel compliments the event space because people might come for a wedding and then they stay overnight at the hotel, or people will come for a conference and stay in the hotel.”

 She adds, “That also compliments having an architecture center because people are coming to look at this building because it’s known around the world.”

 “This project can better peoples’ general feeling about where they live,” she said, “to have something developed rather than abandoned.”