Brian Short, site manager for the
Temple Building, knows his building offers amenities beyond the new appliances
and hi-tech security systems.
“There was a guy from Holland, and
he’s going to be here five years for work,” Short says. “It was a Friday night.
I said, ‘Go put your car away and come back downtown tonight.’ It was one of
the East End Fests. Then I saw him about two weeks later when he decided this
was where he wanted to be. I asked him, ‘Did you make it down to see the East
End Fest?’ He said, ‘I never made back to my hotel until 4 o’clock in the
morning.'”
In contrast with that party-central
attitude, the Temple Building actually began as an idea at a church committee
meeting.
The 14-story neo-Gothic building was
built in 1925 by a Baptist congregation: Along with 200-plus rental offices and
street-level retail space the building included four stories of office space
for the church administration and a 1400-seat auditorium perfect for worship
services. The rented space would provide income.
But in 1965 the Baptists decided the
upkeep was too demanding and moved to Brighton. No wonder. The building is
enormous. But with steel girders and a concrete, limestone, and brick skin,
it’s solid.
In 1999 Costanza Enterprises made a
great decision not to tear it down. They recognized the potential in the
architecture and gutted it instead. And after $5 million in renovations it
reopened in 2003 with room for retail shops and restaurants, commercial space,
and — one of the currently most desirable sounds in the modern urban housing
landscape — loft apartments.
The Landmark Society’s Katherine
Comeau cites the Temple Building as an early example that helped inspire
others.
“People see what can be done,” she
says, “and how well these buildings do adapt themselves to new use.”
“Just imagine, where we are now, this
was all commercial space,” Short says. “The place was totally gutted. You’ve
got the original brickwork of the building exposed, ceilings are all the
original ceilings, but everything else is brand-spanking new.”
“At one point there were over 50
dentists in the building,” he says. But now there’s no hint of unpleasantness
inside. Residential living is on the second through seventh floors (only
accessible with a resident’s key or security code). The apartments feature a
lot of the charming details that give reclaimed commercial space that bohemian,
urban color: restored interior brick walls, limestone arches, and neo-gothic
stone tracery (interlacing ribs). Add to that modern amenities — WiFi wireless
network, a cavernous basement rebuilt as a three-story parking garage,
energy-efficient windows, hardwood floors, keyless access, and video intercoms
— and you’ve got the height of urban chic.
Speaking of height: The Temple
Building uses an interesting idea for space in its seven work-live lofts, which
have 25-foot ceilings ($1850 to $3275 a month). Most of these have one bedroom
and one-and-a-half bathrooms, and they range in area from 1750 to 3175 square
feet. The first floor has a kitchen, two big, open rooms, and one bathroom. An
open metal staircase takes you to the loft and a hallway with bathroom,
closets, and laundry hookup. Light from the huge windows and the exposed brick
give the space a warm feel.
Standard lofts range from studio to
two-bedroom apartments and have one or two bathrooms. These begin at 850 square
feet and can be as large as 1700 square feet. (Rent is $900-$1800.) The
penthouse lofts are as big as many suburban family homes: 1700 to 2100 square
feet, two bedrooms, two full baths. But you pay for them at $1800 to $2200 per
month.
Thirty-seven of the 40 apartments are
rented, and one more application is working through the channels.
“A lot of people want to be downtown
now,” Short says. “You can walk right up East Avenue to clubs, restaurants,
bars; the Eastman Theatre is within walking distance. They’re talking about the
Renaissance Square thing that’s going to be literally right around the corner.”
“To invest in downtown right now, if
you can get in somewhere, would be a good thing.”
Temple
Building, 14 Franklin Street
This article appears in Oct 5-11, 2005.
