Coming Soon: Main & Oakwood

We're excited to announce our next project:  2302 Main St- the NW corner of Oakwood in the Parkside Neighborhood of Buffalo.

The Historic all-brick 1918 Mixed-use shopping center was once the social hub of this Olmsted- conceived neighborhood.  We are planning to preserve what's there, replicate what's missing, and return this corner of our city it to its' former glory!

Once a Grocer, The main building is better known as the original location of Parkside Candies.  It underwent a major remodel c. 1930 to achieve the chromed-out art-deco main space that many people remember from their childhood visits to the chocolate shop.  It was also a significant filming location for the 1984 baseball drama "the Natural" staring Robert Redford. (check out the Ice-Cream Scene)

For the last 20 Years, the building has had a vacancy rate of around 80%.   Our goal is to fully restore it, and get it back up to 100% occupancy within the next 20 Months.  

This includes the restoration of 8 commercial storefronts, the re-opening of the sidewalk cafe service window, and the restoration of the main space once occupied by Parkside candies. 

This is a significant undertaking, and we would like to thank the neighborhood for their support and patience during the restoration process. 

If you were thinking of opening or relocating your small business - Please Reach out to us at Hello@MedusaDevelopment.com for leasing opportunities.  We hope to fill the spaces with makers, artists, and vendors of all kinds - with an emphasis on retail operations that rely on walk-in customers.

Phase 1 of our Restoration will include (5) 700sqft retail storefronts with basement  access, a single bathroom and a small kitchenette.  There is also a small green space behind each store large enough for a few bistro tables.   We hope to offer these spaces as turn-key opportunities, and are happy to work with our business owners for design & build out.

We are also in search of an owner/operator for the sidewalk cafe space.  We see this corner as being a walkable, family, and dog-friendly 3rd space in our community with outdoor seating & lush street plantings.  Medusa Development is committed to working with our future cafe tenants in order to attain all necessary permits and easements to make this part of the project a success!

Phase 2 will include careful repair of the extensive water damage throughout the 1st floor of the main building.  We hope to be able to save as many of the architectural details as possible from both periods of significance (c1918 & c.1930) with a completion goal of late 2027.

Kisha Patterson is our architect for this project.  You can see more of her work here:  https://architectklpatterson.com/kishapatterson   Kisha is not only an experienced and accomplished preservation architect - she has lived on this block.  Kisha also volunteered her time and research for the Parkside Community Association's initiative to get granite historic markers embedded in the sidewalks all along this stretch of Main.   We're delighted to have her on board, and look forward to getting started soon. 

*Due to the condition of the buildings we restore, all Medusa Development Restorations are privately funded by the Núñez Family.  Our development is guided by the principles of Design Justice with a strong focus on Preservation, Conservation, & Building Community through thoughtful design.