There have been plenty of renovations happening inside Statler City since Mark Croce bought the downtown landmark in 2011. This year, he says, those walking or driving by will see noticeable changes outside the 94-year-old building.
After acquiring the building, Croce renamed it Statler City.
"We're trying to build a city within a city," he explained. "It encompasses two city blocks and it has a continuous passageway all the way through, from Delaware Avenue across from the new federal courthouse all the way to the back side on Franklin Street, which is directly across from the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center."
The former hotel, which has also been home to various offices, businesses and even broadcasting operations, has been transformed over the past few years into an upscale wedding and event venue. Outside, meanwhile, there remains a protective structure on the sidewalk where Niagara Square leads into Delaware Avenue. That, Croce told WBFO, should be coming down in the near future.
Crews previously worked to stabilize the structure. Loose pieces of the original terra cotta have been removed. Work is expected to begin this year on restoring Statler City's vintage exterior architecture.
"We're going to start working on recreating some of the original historic facade on the building at the street level," Croce said. "It includes the facades around the building and includes the grand marquees. There's one on Delaware, one on Genesee Street and one on West Mohawk."
Work at the street level will also include the removal of some steel, marble and granite attachments that were added to the building in the 1980s but are inconsistent with the historic design.
In the spring, Croce will accept bids to replace the main roof, which is about 40,000 square feet by his estimation.
He told WBFO he has spent about $8 million to date and projects spending a total $12 million to finish renovating the building.
