Summer 1992 Table of Contents
Goldome Declared Landmark—Will Remain a Bank
In what appears to be a happy ending to the Goldome saga, the bank has become a city landmark and will remain open under the auspices of M&T Bank.
The application to have the bank building made a landmark was co-sponsored by the Preservation Coalition and Common Council President George Arthur. The application was opposed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation which had control of the building.
The FDIC took over the building when it closed down Goldome and split the bank up between M&T and Key Bank. Key Bank had the first option to decide whether it wanted the Goldome Building but decided not to exercise it. All the while M&T was operating a branch in the building.
At the hearing on landmark designation before the Common Council legislation committee, Council members were annoyed that the FDIC, which had asked the Preservation Board to delay designation for several months and stated at that time they would not oppose the designation, were now asking for further delay.
The FDIC's arguments were unmoving to the Common Council which passed the designation unanimously.
A short time after the designation was passed, M&T announced that they had agreed with the FDIC to purchase the historic building as well as the new addition. For obvious reasons, the building will no longer be known as Goldome but M&T Center.
The 1901 building was designed by Buffalo's preeminent architectural firm, Green & Wicks, in the Classical Revival style.
A request by Common Council President George Arthur to M&T Bank to have the building further honored by being listed on the National Register of Historic Places has been rejected.
The building will shortly be the subject of one of the Preservation Coalition's "Buffalo's Best" Fact Cards.
