Iskalo Goes for the Green
|
|
Paul Iskalo, founder and CEO of Iskalo Development Corp., stands on the site of a 82,000-square-foot, multi-tenant office building under construction on North Forest Road in Amherst.
Developer seeks LEED certificationfor Amherst project
By Jonathan D. Epstein -BUFFALO NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER 6/1/2009
Paul B. Iskalo’s new multi-tenant office building on North Forest Road should be ready for occupancy in late fall, even as the Williamsville developer prepares to start a new project at the former Kane Doyle Jeep Eagle dealership in Kenmore.
The 82,000-square-foot, three-story office building at 2410 N. Forest Road is under construction. The $15 million project is located next to the University Ramada Inn, at the intersection with John J. Audubon Parkway, next to the University at Buffalo’s North Campus.
The new building will feature an atrium on the third floor, where law firm HoganWillig will be located, and an on-site fitness center. It also will have an additional underground level for 50 enclosed parking spaces, with a self-service car wash in the basement.
And it will share additional surface parking with the Ramada, since the office building and hotel operate at different peak times of the day and week.
Most significantly, though, Iskalo Development Corp. is seeking to obtain “silver” certification for the building under the guidelines of the U. S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
That would give it a much-desired, Earth-friendly stamp of approval for its tenants, and make it the area’s first LEED-certified multi-tenant office building, Iskalo said.
It’s “affirmation that we made the right choices,” he said. It “will be of interest to those progressive businesses that understand that their corporate facilities play a critical role in maximizing the productivity of their employees which represent their greatest investment.”
Specifically, the new project will feature underfloor air distribution, with diffusers that allow convection to take the air up and clear away contaminants instead of using forced air through ceiling vents.
Ten-foot ceilings will also be standard throughout the building, with floor-to-ceiling glass to allow natural light to penetrate to the center. Office lights will dim during the day to conserve power, but ambient light sensors will activate them when it gets dark at night or because of storms. And the building comes with full backup power.
“We tried to go after the features and amenities that would show the most benefit for our tenants,” said Jonathan Gill, Iskalo’s marketing manager.
Also, Iskalo hopes to start work this summer on a mixed-use medical office and retail building in the former Kane Doyle dealership on Delaware Avenue, near Kenmore Avenue.
Plans call for putting up a 21,000-square-foot, two-story building at 2780 Delaware Avenue, with the facility and a surrounding L-shaped parking lot occupying the entire block in the Village of Kenmore. The firm is negotiating with several medical practices and prospective retail tenants, but has not lined any up, Iskalo said.
Iskalo also owns three-fourths of the next block, but has no plans yet for that space. “As demand warrants, we’ll put a second building up,” he said.
Finally, he’s still trying to finish leasing space at the recently completed $4.5 million medical office building at 52 South Union Road in Williamsville.
Both the North Forest and South Union projects received tax benefits from the Amherst Industrial Development Agency. So far, the North Forest building’s only signed occupant is HoganWillig, which will move its approximately 80 employees, including 28 attorneys, from directly across the street.
The law firm will expand from its 16,000 square feet now to 28,000 square feet, gaining more room and the ability to grow to 100 employees.
“It’s exciting on a lot of different fronts,” said Diane Tiveron, managing partner. “We need more room, there’s no doubt about it. But we do foresee expansion as well.”
The trio of projects mark the latest development efforts by the 42-year-old Iskalo, a Kenmore native who got his start in real estate while a student at University of Rochester.
Perhaps most visible among his projects is the Electric Tower downtown. Iskalo purchased the 14-story former office of Niagara Mohawk in 2004 and began renovations in 2006 after the utility moved out. It was rededicated, with a restored lobby, in August 2007. The building is 60 percent occupied.
Leave a Reply