About Us
Genesee Gateway, LLC is a partnership between Doug Swift and the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. This historic row of properties is made up of several separate buildings, with the earliest completed 1845 and the most recent built in 2009. The 60,000 square foot structure is ideal for highly visible first floor retail space with street level storefronts, large floor plans of up to 15,000 square feet for offices on upper floors, and loft apartments.
Seeberg Building
The Seeberg Building is the oldest part of Genesee Gateway, and one of the oldest buildings in Buffalo, with the corner dating from 1845. This building was added to multiple times until the 1940s, which is visible in its uneven floor heights and varying window layouts facing Genesee Street. It began as a grocery store, but went on to house other companies, residences, and a men’s clothing factory and store. It was occupied until the 1980s, and purchased by Genesee Gateway, LLC in 2007.
Schwinn-Mandel Building
The Schwinn-Mandel Building now serves as the main entrance and lobby for the upper floors of Genesee Gateway. It was built in 1878 for umbrella manufacturers Jacob John Schwinn and later Henry Mandel. Since, it has housed hairdressers, a cigarmaker, jewelers, and physicians. It was occupied as a warehouse until 1950, and was purchased by Genesee Gateway, LLC in 2007.
Baldwin Building
The Baldwin Building currently houses the US Passport Agency. It was built in 1903 by the same architects that designed the nearby Electric Tower. The Baldwin Specialty Company sold furniture, household equipment, clothing, and other products. The building’s ornate detailing and Neoclassical elements have largely survived, but the storefront has changed numerous times. It was purchased by Genesee Gateway, LLC in 2007.
Werner Building
The Werner Photography Building was constructed in 1895, with its signature glass window supplying natural light to Albert Werner’s photography studio. The façade was specifically oriented northward to avoid direct sunlight. The design of the skylight was most likely influenced by the Caulkins Building, now demolished but formerly a part of the Genesee Gateway block. Later businesses included a shoe store, dentist, and mattress company. Charlie Baker Clothier, a men’s store, resided in the building from the 1940s to the 1980s. It has since been vacant, and purchased by Genesee Gateway, LLC in 2007.
Giesser Building
The Giesser Building was constructed in 1915 for the Giesser family to run a business and live above it. A cutlery business occupied the space until the 1930s, and a tailor business in the 1940s. It has been vacant since the 1970s, and was purchased by Genesee Gateway, LLC in 2007.
