Brian Hopkins has called the Bachelor apartment building home since November 2015.
The young professional wanted to be in the heart of the action so the historic building at the corner of Tupper Street and Franklin Street seemed like a perfect match.
“I like the location it was very close to my work very close to the theater district and a lot of things downtown,” Hopkins told 7 Eyewitness News.
But before Hopkins could even signed on the dotted line, the leasing agent with the building’s owner Sinatra and Company, told him the future of the structure was unknown.
“They weren’t sure what they were doing with building however they didn’t anticipate any changes over the next year.”
That’s because Buffalo based Ellicott Development was expressing interest in purchasing the apartments for a new project which would raze the building and in its place build a 12 story mixed use structure.
The plans are all contingent on whether the building is marked a historic landmark by the city, a move that has not yet happened.
But on March 7th, Hopkin’s received some surprising news.
“This letter shall serve as a 30 days’ notice from the new landlord to vacate your month to month tenancy. As it is already march this notice extends to April 30 2016,” Hopkins read.
Ellicott Development now owns the building – but with landmark status still up in the air – are developers jumping the gun?
“So we do have a project that’s been approved through the city of Buffalo,” CEO of Ellicott Development William Paladino told 7 Eyewitness News.
“Obviously the preservation is an issue with the project able to go forward so as I said we are going to let the process play itself out.”
Paladino said he could not speak to a timeline for the project or the plans for the building if it is deemed a landmark.
