After years of questions, the fate of the 360 Towne Gardens apartments on Buffalo’s East Side hung over the city like a development cloud. But, with a nearly $22 million sale just completed, the future has become a lot clearer -- one of the Towne Gardens’ new owners, Pastor Michael Chapman from St. John Baptist Church stressed the importance of the project.
St. John Baptist Church and its recent development partner, Brooklyn-based BFC Partners bought the complex and immediately pledged not only long term stability, but to start a major $120 million renovation project on all 360 apartment units. Bringing everything from new carpets and paint to appliances.
And, it could lead the way to a $153 million project that adds 300 new apartments along its William Street footprint.
The goal is creating a sense of stability and local stewardship, said St. John Baptist Pastor Michael Chapman, who is spearheading the Towne Gardens projects.
"We believe that it will be a wonderful the end product, bringing that to fruition will help stabilize East Buffalo," said Chapman.
The Towne Garden Apartments were constructed between 1968 and 1972 along William and Hickory streets. In all -- 36 buildings were developed as part of a targeted urban renewal effort under then-President Johnson and Governor Rockefeller.
During the past decades, the complex went through a series of owners, ultimately landing in the hands of the federal Fannie Mae agency via a complicated foreclosure process.
St. John Baptist Church and BFC partners won a bid in late 2023 for the development at a price tag of $21.8 million.
The Towne Gardens is a key piece of Buffalo real estate serving as one of the main gateways into the East Side.
Pastor Chapman, who grew up near the complex, understands what the apartments mean to the East Side community,
"It'll be a tremendous stabilizing force," said the pastor. "I mean, it improves the quality of life because of the housing. If you take McCauley [Gardens] as a model that we will duplicate renovating those facilities, it will completely change the quality of life for the constituents in that community, and it will add additional services that are needed."
Renovations are expected to start this year, Chapman said.
