Empty for Eight Years, Bought by a Local Engineer: Buffalo’s 151-Year-Old Church of the Ascension Gets a Plan

• The former Church of the Ascension at 16 Linwood Ave., Buffalo, has been sold after sitting nearly empty for about eight years.
• It was listed for sale in November 2023 and bought in May 2024 by engineer John Daly and his sister.
• They plan a mixed-use building with apartments and commercial space.
• Neighbours welcomed the news but raised concerns about parking, since the church has no car park.

A 151-year-old church in Buffalo, New York, has been bought by a local engineer who drives past it every day. WKBW reported that the former Church of the Ascension on Linwood Avenue has been sold.

The church, at 16 Linwood Ave. on the corner of North Street, had sat nearly empty for about eight years. It was listed for sale in November 2023 and sold in May 2024. The price was not disclosed. The buyers are John Daly, vice president and director of mechanical and plumbing engineering at Trautman Associates, and his sister, who will split the renovation costs. Daly has worked on projects including The Statler and Seneca One Tower.

They plan a mixed-use building with apartments and commercial space. No construction or opening date had been announced. Daly said: “It needs a little love, but it should be a beautiful asset for the community.” He said he would like to see a mix of residential spaces, describing the area as a gorgeous neighbourhood.

Neighbour Don Siuta said he was excited that something would happen with the building. Others raised parking, because the church has no car park; Ken Glasgow of a nearby optical shop said: “It’s just going to be a parking issue.” Daly said he was aware of the concern.

A church that sits empty for years loses value as repairs pile up, and a buyer with the right skills can see opportunity where others see a problem. Here, a local engineer with building-services experience bought a building that had been on the market for about six months. Jamaican congregations holding empty buildings should consider selling sooner rather than later, and should look for buyers with the skills and local ties to see a conversion through. Buyers should budget for practical issues such as parking, which can shape what planners allow and what tenants will pay.

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