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Housing coming to West Side landmark

Mike Desmond/wbfo news

Years after it nearly collapsed, White's Livery Stable on Jersey Street is expected to soon be open for apartment tenants.

  

The 19th Century structure deteriorated under the  effects of time and poor maintenance until it started to fall down into neighboring yards in 2008.

A campaign to block demolition led to a complicated package to save the structure, repair it and use if for affordable housing. Rents will range from $400 to $800.

At a cost of $3 million, Developer Sam Savarino says it wasn't easy, but around November 1, people will start moving into the 14 apartments.
               
"There were some surprises after we got involved. Some of the brick wasn't in the shape it appeared to be and that presented some engineering problems that we had to address and spend some money on," Savarino said. 

"There were a few environmental concerns in regard to some buried tanks and some other things that weren't evident in the beginning when the studies were done and had to be addressed."

Credit Mike Desmond/wbfo news
Developer Sam Savarino says the renovation at White's Livery included "some surprises."

It's legally a little complicated with a non-profit owning the building and the developer's Savarino Companies managing.

The landmark high-rounded door stays and opens into the indoor parking, the only way to deal with tenant cars and the skimpy parking in the neighborhood.
 

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.