The historic Trico plant on the edge of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus has a new owner, with the Krog Group already starting to clean up and renovate the seven buildings that make up the complex. City Hall turned the buildings over to the Orchard Park developer after ten years of ownership of the old windshield wiper factory. The developer plans to spend $80 million on the overall project, including apartments, a long-term stay hotel and commercial and office space to serve the medical campus.
President and COO Peter Krog says just the cleanup alone is a big job.
"I would say probably 35 percent of the project cost is renovating the existing building with new windows, doors, openings, pointing up the brick, new roof and things like that to get the building shell back into where you can start redevelopment inside," Krog said Wednesday.
A key element, according to Krog, is restoring the roof to seal the structure off from snow and rain, which has been a problem in recent years.
Mayor Byron Brown says Trico has been one of the most difficult development projects in the city and now it's time to move forward, breathing new life into the old factory structures. Brown says Krog has agreed to work with the city to ensure minority and women companies are involved in the project, along with participation in the workforce.
"This has been a real eyesore for downtown Buffalo, the medical campus, an eyesore as you come off the expressway," Brown said. "Now it will be a $80 million gateway into downtown and into the medical campus.
Peter Krog says the company is on an aggressive timeline to be done by the end of next year.
