Press Release
Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company Building Gets a National Television Spotlight as a Featured Site for HGTV's Restore America
Knoxville, Tenn. (August 8, 2006) - The Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company Building, located at 1219 Main Street in Buffalo, will take center stage for HGTV’s cameras on Thursday, August 10, 2006 when production crews will be on-hand to shoot footage for the network’s public affairs campaign, HGTV’s Restore America. As part of the initiative —a successful, multi-million dollar partnership forged in 2003 between HGTV and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—the building will be featured in an on-air public service announcement and a thirty-second video on HGTV.com that will highlight the site’s rich history.
The Minneapolis-based Artspace Projects, Inc., in partnership with Belmont Shelter Corp. of Buffalo, was awarded a $50,000 grant from HGTV’s Restore America initiative to assist in the restoration of the Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company Building. The five-story building, now known as the Buffalo Artists Lofts, will be transformed into thirty-six modern apartments while an additional twenty-four units will be built on the surrounding land. In addition, the project includes the construction of 9,950 square feet of street-level commercial space, plus 6,184 square feet of space suitable for art-related businesses and organizations.
Built in 1911 as an automobile factory, the building’s unique architectural design incorporated construction materials such as reinforced concrete and steel which provided the structural support necessary for automobile assembly. Built with a wide-open floor plan and large, broad windows that allowed natural light to flood the interior space, the building’s design was optimal for the development, assembly and sale of cars and trucks in the early 20th century. Today, the building’s spacious, unobstructed floor plan and immense windows will be incorporated into the new live/work space for artists.
HGTV’s Restore America initiative focuses on the role preservation plays in the revitalization of America’s communities. For the 2006-2007 year of the initiative, HGTV is donating $1 million to help fund the selected communities’ revitalization projects with grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. In addition, each site also will receive exposure through on-air and online content from HGTV. To date, eleven new sites have been chosen from the grant applications sent in by nonprofit organizations and public agencies from across the country. One requirement for applicants is that their site must be currently engaged in the restoration of a historic structure so as to provide viable residential space for its community.