Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Employees learned Tuesday evening that Swannie House would not re-open after the death of owner Tim Wiles. The next question is what is next for the Ohio Street bar and restaurant?
Peter Hunt of Hunt Real Estate says that remains to be seen.
"I think it's a excellent location," said Hunt in an interview with WBEN. "It's just a matter of whether or not the next owner or operator will want to run it as a hospitality venue or choose to find some other usage."
Hunt notes there's quite a lot retail and office space available at the moment, making that a not-so-viable option. He says a hospitality venue would have to be something interesting and unique to thrive.
"There are fewer, higher quality hospitality venues that are doing very well in town, and there's a lot of hospitality venues that are not doing so well, and we're going to see probably, I would suggest, perhaps more closings than less," Hunt added.
Preservationist Tim Tielman says there is historic value in the Swannie House building on Ohio Street.
"It is a city landmark, and has been a city landmark for about 30 years. It was done at the insistence of the owner, Tim Wiles," said Tielman with WBEN.
The building was the last building that's associated with, what is called, the saloon boss labor system in Buffalo.
"That's the labor system in which men, largely Irish, living in the neighborhood, would have to drink and sometimes sleep at these bars/hotels in order to get work on loading ships caused a giant strike in Buffalo, which eventually led to the formation of the International Longshoremans union," Tielman explained.
According to Tielman, Wiles kept the building in good shape.
"He's actually restored an old advertising painted billboard that was on the building, and it is really a familiar landmark, and I'm not aware of any threat to demolish it," Tielman said.
Tielman adds a number of First Ward businesses are dear to people's hearts. Swannie House is one of them.