Marine National Bank / Main Seneca Building

Photo credit: Publications of Buffalo Historical

Location

16 story brick and sandstone office building

In use. The building is lacking its substantial cornice on top, but is otherwise original in appearance.

Location originally occupied by Browns Building
1850 - Marine Bank opens at 79 Main Street
1880 - Marine Bank moves to 220 Main Street
1915 - Marine National Bank building is designed by E.B. Green
1972 - Marine Midland bank moved across the street to the Marine Midland Center, now HSBC Tower, which required the demolition of multiple buildings and now blocks vehicles and view down Main Street.
1973 - The bank put 233 Main Street and 241 Main Street up for sale together for $5 million.
1976 - The bank sold the two mostly empty buildings for $2.2 million as part of a larger deal involving an office tower on Park Avenue in Manhattan.
- The buyer was more interested in the Manhattan building, and sold the two Buffalo buildings to investors from the Bronx for a much lower price. The assessment and taxes were much higher than the investors expected, so they sold the buildings to long-time owner David Sweet for $500,000.
- Then Marine Midland ran out of room in the tower and leased a floor in its old building at 233 Main Street , followed by more floors in that building and also in 241 Main Street . Sweet then bought the old bookstore building at 251 Main Street , and the bank leased the entire structure. courtesy The Buffalo News
1987 - Marine Midland bank is bought by HSBC

May 2, 2014 - The Buffalo News reports that this and four other buildings owned by David Sweet are for sale
- 233 Main Street , 241 Main Street , 251 Main Street , 436 Main Street , 14 Lafayette Square
May 29, 2014 - The Buffalo News reports that all 5 buildings are under contract for purchase. Potential new owner not named.
December 2014 - Renovation plans call for a conversion to condominiums on the top five floors, commercial office space remaining on floors 4 through 11, a boutique hotel added on the 3rd floor, and a first floor renovated into an upscale banquet center.