The former Women and Children's Hospital is in new hands. Kaleida Health sold the property just a few days after successfully moving into the new Oishei Children's Hospital on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. A pair of local developers are partnering to breathe new life into the old hospital site in the Elmwood Village.
Kaleida Health sold Women and Children's, on Monday, to Sinatra and Company Real Estate and Ellicott Development for $1 million. Amy Nagy, Sinatra's Development Director, says it's not the first time the companies have worked together. She says they plan to reuse about 90 percent of the existing structures.
"Certainly there's an interest in that in the Elmwood Village and seeing as minimal demolition as possible. We also know that that's the most environmentally friendly choice and there's certainly many elements to those buildings that we think we can find a suitable use for," Nagy said.
That includes a 75-room boutique style hotel along with apartments, condominiums, town homes, and office space. She says a parking lot at Elmwood and Bryant could be the site for a new mixed-use building.
"With retail use on the ground floor and then multi-family on the floors above," Nagy said.
They also plan to ease parking in the Elmwood Village by opening up the Gallagher Ramp.
"Many people have known that simply as Children's Hospital parking. There's certainly is public parking opportunities and we want to make sure that those neighboring businesses have the access to it that they need for their staff and customers," Nagy said.
But Ellicott Development's CEO, Bill Paladino, says nothing is set in stone yet and they plan to engage the community before making any final decisions.
"Hopefully at the end of this 60 to 90 day process we'll have some more definitive plans as to what we're doing on each parcel there and looking to present something to the city of Buffalo to start seeking approvals. But we first want to make sure that we engage the community and the projects we have planned are to their liking," Paladino said.
Nagy says, the developers are planning to invest more than $100 million in the former Women and Children's Hospital site. She says it could take four to five years to complete the project.
