History and Memories
Video of the demolition
Timeline: Grace Universalist Church 1908 - 1937 (?) Designed by Boston architect George F. Newton Constructed: 1907-1908 Grace Universalist Buffalo Sanitary Bulletin 2/28/1909: it was also used for basketball and public lectures Studio Arena 1937 - 1969 (?) Neal Du Brock moved the theater to the Town Casino Roderick L Griffis 1969 - 1978 303 Lafayette purchased 11/26/1969 Charismatic Center 1978 - 2022 303 Lafayette purchased 12/11/1978 148-150 Hoyt purchased for $1 by Charismatic Center 7/10/2012 6 Code Citations 4/18/2017 10 Code Citations 8/12/2021 Legal Filing (demolition fee?) 8/17/2022 for $15,000 relating to the People of New York State Preservation Board approval to demolish 9/22/2022 Demolished 10/4/2022 - 10/12/2022 https://buffalonews.com/business/local/article_fa47d900-432a-11ed-af6b-6fc326ffe26e.html 303 Lafayette LLC 2022 - present purchased for $60,000 11/23/2022 mortgaged for $100,000 11/23/2022 "Big Reveal" on buffalorising.com: 2/06/2025 Signs posted: 2/07/2025 Zoning Board of Appeals 2/19/2025 Community meetings 3/07/2025 Planning Board (withdrawn) 3/10/2025 Developer meeting 3/12/2025 Developer meeting announced 6/17/2025 for the following Monday (for 6/23 at 6:30) Developer meeting cancelled with 2:38 PM 6/23/2025 Developer meeting requested End of June (for 7/10 at 6) sent to one neighbor who was out of town and received it 7/3/2025
Timeline:
Grace Universalist Church 1908 - 1937 (?)
- Designed by Boston architect George F. Newton
- Constructed: 1907-1908 Grace Universalist
- Buffalo Sanitary Bulletin 2/28/1909: it was also used for basketball and public lectures
Studio Arena 1937 - 1969 (?)
Roderick L Griffis 1969 - 1978
- 303 Lafayette purchased 11/26/1969
Charismatic Center 1978 - 2022
- 303 Lafayette purchased 12/11/1978
- 148-150 Hoyt purchased for $1 by Charismatic Center 7/10/2012
- 6 Code Citations 4/18/2017
- 10 Code Citations 8/12/2021
- Legal Filing (demolition fee?) 8/17/2022 for $15,000 relating to the People of New York State
- Preservation Board approval to demolish 9/22/2022
- Demolished 10/4/2022 - 10/12/2022
- https://buffalonews.com/business/local/article_fa47d900-432a-11ed-af6b-6fc326ffe26e.html
303 Lafayette LLC 2022 - present
- purchased for $60,000 11/23/2022
- mortgaged for $100,000 11/23/2022
- "Big Reveal" on buffalorising.com: 2/06/2025
- Signs posted: 2/07/2025
- Zoning Board of Appeals 2/19/2025
- Community meetings 3/07/2025
- Planning Board (withdrawn) 3/10/2025
- Developer meeting 3/12/2025
- Developer meeting announced 6/17/2025 for the following Monday (for 6/23 at 6:30)
- Developer meeting cancelled with 2:38 PM 6/23/2025
- Developer meeting requested End of June (for 7/10 at 6)
- sent to one neighbor who was out of town and received it 7/3/2025
Developer meeting 7/10/2025 hoping to go before the Planning Board 7/28/2025 hoping to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals in September 2025 anticipating an 18 month time frame for construction
- Developer meeting 7/10/2025
- hoping to go before the Planning Board 7/28/2025
- hoping to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals in September 2025
- anticipating an 18 month time frame for construction
After Studio Arena, 303 Lafayette was home to the Courtyard Theatre
After Studio Arena, 303 Lafayette was home to the Courtyard Theatre
Video of the demolition