Celebrating 50 Years

Accepting the award for Excellence in Redevelopment on Manhattan’s Gotham Hall stage is a moment Kenneth Glazer will never forget. Tower280’s notable recognition from the Urban Land Institute New York represented not only the resurgence of downtown Rochester, but so much more.

From Tennis to Towers

Buckingham Properties started in 1970 when tennis partners Larry Glazer and Harold Samloff decided to purchase a few apartment buildings “just for fun.”

Today, the portfolio has grown to include more than 80 properties, including high-tech manufacturing facilities, industrial parks, warehouses, retail, office towers, medical office buildings, apartments, and parking garages. The current total: over eleven million square feet. Buckingham has been voted Rochester, New York’s #1 Commercial Real Estate Firm and Property Management Firm for five years running.

Adaptive Reuse Fuels Portfolio Growth

Buckingham’s early years were shaped by transforming vacant single-tenant industrial facilities into multi-use complexes – something still considered Buckingham’s “bread and butter.” Then along came Tower280, a $60 million speculative mixed-use redevelopment of a 17-story steel skeleton in the center of downtown Rochester, considered the most significant real estate project in the Greater Rochester region in decades.

Multiple Buckingham properties along the Genesee River are home to apartments, offices, and retail.

Overcoming a Tragic Loss

Just four months after breaking ground on the Tower280 project, Buckingham and the Rochester community suffered the unexpected loss of Buckingham’s Founder and CEO, Larry Glazer, who tragically passed away with his wife in a private plane accident. Without its “visionary captain,” Buckingham officially opened the doors of Tower280 in early 2016 to great fanfare. The high-rise transformed the Rochester skyline, marking a new era for downtown Rochester – and the beginning of a new chapter for Buckingham Properties.

Partnerships Drive Projects Forward

Buckingham has found much success in forming unique joint venture partnerships. For example, two recent $25 million mixed-use developments are co-owned with anchor tenants. Buckingham is now focused on rapid growth – vetting acquisitions and seeking collaborative partnerships – particularly adaptive re-use, redevelopment, and build-to-suit opportunities.

The Residences at Alex Park: A New Mixed-Use Building Co-Owned with Anchor Office Tenant, Mindex Technologies

Making an Impact

Today, Buckingham is led by an executive team of Partners, spearheaded by founder Larry Glazer’s son – Kenneth Glazer – whose passion for both Rochester and real estate is a chip off the old block. In celebration of Buckingham’s 50^th year in business, the company is reinforcing its core values: Be Empowered – Share Your Strengths – Make an Impact. At Buckingham, real estate has always been about the people. It is this dedicated commitment to the community that provides a clear blueprint for Buckingham’s exciting future.