Architecture We Love: Blue Cross Blue Shield

257 W. Genesee Street

In 2002, it became apparent Blue Cross Blue Shield had outgrown its space at 1901 Main Street within the heart of Canisus College’s campus. After considering 120 sites, the choice was the long-vacant parcel located between Buffalo’s City Hall and Lake Erie’s waterfront. the transformation of a long contaminated brownfield site into the health insurer’s newly built 469,000 square foot corporate headquarters and operations center marked an exciting era in the city's history. Housing more than 1,200 employees, the site at 257 West Genesee Street is a treasured addition to the skyline, with noticeability to anyone driving down the I-190.

    The $110 million project was developed by Duke Realty Corp., one of the nation’s largest commercial real estate companies having constructed more than one million square feet of office space for various BlueCross BlueShield companies across the country. Architect Steven Risting incorporated much of Buffalo’s historic architectural character into the design features including the landmark façade of the old Buffalo Gas Light Co. The design team utilized healthy, sustainable features, energy efficient systems and the use of “green” building materials and construction processes with the goal of securing the prestigious Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The building is one of the largest LEED certified sites in the state.

     Remediation on the nine-acre site began in July 2005 as nearly a century of manufactured gas operations left behind oily, tar-like materials throughout the location’s soil and ground water. A consolidated effort was put together between Duke, National Fuel Gas, QLT/Environmental Strategies Consulting, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to restore the land to re-use standards. During the cleanup, approximately 152,800 tons of contaminated soil were excavated and removed, along with two million gallons of ground water. The remediation of the site is the most significant brownfield cleanup in the history of the Buffalo Niagara region, and one of the most extensive in New York State.

     The L-shaped building features two office towers connected with a seven-story glass atrium. An eight-story, 350-foot-long curved glass curtain wall faces Lake Erie. The six-story frontage on Seventh Street and the northern façade’s eight-story portion is primarily terra cotta colored pre-cast concrete and brick with large window openings. The building’s main entrance is located within an urban plaza on Seventh Street featuring a park-like setting and outdoor courtyard. The historic Buffalo Gas Light façade has been completely restored and serves as an exterior wall for the first floor offices, training rooms and fulfillment center and as an enclosure for the open-air patio on the second floor. Employees of BlueCross BlueShield have ample parking in a five-story, enclosed parking structure with a connecting bridge into the main building.