The Mentholatum building at 1360 Niagara Street is significant for its association with the Mentholatum Company, a manufacturer of menthol-based health and beauty products. Designed by architect George Townsend and constructed in 1919, the building is an excellent example of a turn-of-the-century daylight factory. The 80,000 square foot factory was the Buffalo, NY base of operations for the Mentholatum Company until 1989. In 1997 the building was sold to the Garrett Leather Corporation which occupied it until Ciminelli's purchase was completed in 2016.
Post renovation, The Mentholatum is a prime example of a residential mixed-use project that is among several projects serving as the cornerstones of Niagara Street's redevelopment. The Mentholatum boasts 49 market rate apartments, street level retail, outdoor patios and recreation space, and picturesque views of the Upper Niagara River, City of Buffalo and Peace Bridge. The project also provides parking spaces on the lower-level, as well as substantial surface parking.
The commercial neighborhood immediately adjacent to The Mentholatum is flanked mostly by mainstay local and regional companies like Rich Products, as well as a variety of new additions including Resurgence Brewing Company, and a number of smaller eateries and conveniences. An established residential neighborhood is located to the east and provides a vibrant lifeblood to the Niagara Street corridor.
The City of Buffalo has spearheaded an initiative to improve the 4.5 mile Niagara Street Corridor, including the section of Niagara Street outside the front door of The Mentholatum. The redevelopment project's goal is to improve traffic flows and patterns in a manner more consistent with the evolving nature of the neighborhood, to encourage bicycle and pedestrian use, and to promote economic development. Niagara Street is a main north/south artery for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians traveling to and from the Central Business District of Buffalo. For more information on these plans click here.