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WNY man restores piece of East Side history

From 1886 to 2003, the firehouse was home to the firefighters of Engine Company 18. From 2003 on, it was largely unused until Jerry Yulatowski bought it in 2015.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – On Fillmore Avenue, an old decommissioned firehouse near MLK Park doesn't necessarily stand out, but the man who eventually purchased it restored the inside and brought new life to a piece of East Side history.

From 1886 to 2003, the firehouse was home to the firefighters of Engine Company 18. From 2003 on, it was still used by the city for training and storage until Jerry Ulatowski bought it in 2015.

Yulatowski – who studied mechanical engineering and works in construction – had always wanted a project like the firehouse and to turn it into somewhere to live.

“I think at a young age, I always wanted a place to store my toys and have my own bat cave,” Yulatowski said.

And then when he was able to, he started looking for something unique and different to buy. Yulatowski enjoyed learning the history of the firehouse.

“From the time I bought it until now, I've really heard the stories of people that have worked here. I've actually visited a couple of other fire houses in the area, and they said, 'Oh yeah, I've been there, I used to work there,’” he said. "It's cool to…talk to those people and kind of get that sense of what this was, and to be part of the history of it.”

On the inside, he's turned the firehouse into a luxury apartment with exposed brick that you can rent. On the second floor, he envisions a workspace for someone who needs or wants a large home office, or to create a gallery or art studio.

On the outside, the structure looks nearly the same as it did a century and a half ago.

"It's very cool to have such a unique space that can be modular and changing. You know, if I want to have a big party, I can go out in my 50-foot garage and have a big party,” Yulatowski said.

But all throughout the updates and renovations, Yulatowski has made sure the apartment pays respect to its roots. Old gear throughout the building makes for one a kind home decor, and firefighters' lockers are still upstairs.

Yulatowski has lived there himself throughout the restoration, but now he’s looking to rent the entire building out, and he’s willing to work with tenants who may have their own vision for how to use all that space, too.

His work has brought life back to an old building in a neighborhood that sometimes suffers from a bad reputation. Yulatowski admits he had hesitations of living there back in 2015, but found that the area he lives in is neighborly.

Katie Quebral, an associate broker with Howard Hanna, says she believes whoever rents the space will discover the same thing.

“[He] has tried to give a nod to its past and its present. The fact that he took a chance in an area that people may poo-poo, but he has found that the neighbors are wonderful, the neighborhood is wonderful,” Quebral said.

If you’re interested, you can rent the entire 7,000 square foot building for $2,200 a month.

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