Buffalo’s American Grain seeks historic designation

Buffalo’s urban landscape is dotted with numerous silos, visible reminders of the city’s industrial past.

Gregory Delaney sees them as something else: emblems of modern architecture.

“The Buffalo Silo Collection is arguably one of the most important collections in the world,” said Delaney, a clinical associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture. “We often forget how relevant they are…they absolutely represent the people and the work, and the history of work in the city.”

That’s why the City of Buffalo is moving to designate the American Grain Complex as a local landmark.

The Common Council’s Legislation Committee will meet July 16 to discuss American Grain’s request, gathering community input to potentially dedicate the building as a beacon of Buffalo history.

Five years ago, Silo City owner Rick Smith partnered with Generation Development, a Florida-based real estate company, to revive the American Mill & Warehouse building and transform it into a mixed-use complex. With construction beginning in 2020, the space is being renovated into residential apartments, offices and galleries while preserving the historic integrity of the building.

Carmina Wood Design, the project’s architects, submitted the application to the Buffalo Preservation Board in April. If granted landmark status, it would protect the complex from demolition.

Four years into the multimillion-dollar project, developer Anthony Ceroy said the project was a career highlight.

“I haven’t worked on a project or seen a project that has the potential to have such a big impact on such a large scale,” Ceroy said. “I will probably never work on something as impactful and complex as this again, it has been a wonderful experience.”

Located in Silo City on the south bank of the Buffalo River, the American Grain Complex was first built in 1905 as a malting house for the American Malting Co., installing a grain elevator to store grain with silos made of concrete – a first of its kind. like in Buffalo. According to Delaney, this was a difference from grain silos constructed from combustible wood silos. The building was later converted into a flour mill after Russell Miller Milling Co. purchased the building.

Delaney says Silo City’s grain elevators represent Buffalo’s distinctive history.

“This collection is very special in the sense that this is where the grain elevator is,” Delaney said. “We eventually became the largest grain port in the world and the largest flour producer in the country. It was truly the epicenter of the world in terms of grain storage, but also the type of grain transshipment, and a time of increasing globalization of transportation and food systems.

Buffalo’s roots in the grain industry run deep. In the early 20th century, Buffalo became one of the world’s largest inland grain ports, obtaining tons of wheat from Midwestern farms via the Great Lakes. The grain elevators would then process the wheat, allowing tons of grain and flour to be transported across the United States. This allowed grain and flour mills to flourish near the city’s waterfront, including General Mills, which continues to operate a factory near Silo City.

While American Grain is undergoing redevelopment, other grain elevators such as the Great Northern are likely to be demolished. The Great Northern was considered the last brick grain elevator with steel silos in America. Despite the efforts of local environmental advocates, the grain silo was demolished by its owner Archer-Daniels-Midland, the Chicago-based multinational food processing and commodities trading company, in September 2022.

The demolition prompted the Council to pass an ordinance to protect the city’s landmarks that same year.

The push to preserve American grain is part of a broader movement in Buffalo to reinvent industrial buildings and areas. From RiverWorks to Oak Street, restoration efforts are integral to maintaining the city’s infrastructure, said Bernice Radle, executive director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara.

Radle also said Buffalo must preserve its grain elevators because the structures reflect the city’s leadership in modern architecture globally, noting that grain elevators were first built in Buffalo in the 1840s – a “rare” and “unique” feature for Buffalo. industrial heritage.

“Europeans came to visit the grain elevators in Buffalo, saw what they were doing, published them in European architectural magazines and completely changed the architectural landscape,” Radle said. “So I think we would have to say we have arguably the best collection of grain elevators in the world.”

Conservationists also say Buffalo’s grain elevators should be preserved not only because they are historically significant but also because they are economic drivers of tourism. According to a 2022 PlaceEconomics report, tourism in Buffalo injects more than $658 million into the local economy.

“The architecture that we have to offer is an important part of our tourism business,” said Chris Scanlon, president of the Buffalo Common Council. “Anything we can do to preserve these sites helps put Buffalo on the map.” »

Since 2007, federal and state historic tax credits have increased investment in Buffalo’s historic infrastructure, leveraging more than $1 billion in direct investment, according to the report.

If landmarked, the building would be eligible for the New York State Historic Tax Program, with federal and state income tax credits equal to 20 to 50 percent of eligible rehabilitation costs , according to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. .

If marked as a landmark, the designation would “provide” the opportunity to obtain more resources from the state’s historic credit program, according to Ceroy.

“This is a great redevelopment initiative for the community that would also bring to life an asset of its stature and historical significance,” Ceroy said.

The council is expected to vote on the designation next month.

Radle believes the eventual marker will elevate the status of the building and provide a meaningful reflection of the community.

“I think a lot of people think preservation is about the past, about history, but also about the people who make up Western New York,” Radle said. “It’s a picture of where Buffalo is right now.”