page_title: Richardson Olmsted Complex
section_title: Preservation efforts
hierarchical_section_title: Richardson Olmsted Complex / History and architecture / Preservation efforts
caption_attribution_description: The w:H.H. Richardson Complex (formerly known as the State Lunatic Asylum, Buffalo State Hospital, etc.), w:Buffalo, New York.
context_page_description: The Richardson Olmsted Campus in Buffalo, New York, United States was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The site was designed by the American architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, in concert with the famed landscape team of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the late 1800s, incorporating a system of enlightened treatment for people with mental illness developed by Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride. Over the years, as mental health treatment changed and resources were diverted, the buildings and grounds began a slow deterioration. In 2006, the Richardson Center Corporation was formed to restore the buildings.
  Today, the Richardson Olmsted Campus is being converted, beginning with the now open Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center and 100 Acres: The Kitchens at Hotel Henry, both within the Towers Building and two flanking buildings. The Richardson Olmsted Campus will also house The Lipsey Architecture Center Buffalo. The remaining buildings have been stabilized pending future opportunities.
context_section_description: The Preservation Coalition of Erie County (renamed "Preservation Buffalo Niagara" in October 2008) filed a lawsuit resulting in New York State establishing the Richardson Center Corporation in 2006 to rehabilitate the site and the State committing $100 million towards rehabilitation.  Both former New York State Assembly Member Sam Hoyt, and former Buffalo State College President Muriel A. Howard, were involved in plans for the restoration and reuse of the Richardson.
  Perimeter fencing and lighting were installed and a Peace Officer was hired to conduct regular patrols and prevent and deter further crime at the complex.  On March 5, 2008, stabilization began with the most severely damaged buildings, including the roof and down-spouts.  Stabilization was completed in 2012.
  On April 10, 2010, a fire occurred. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Damage was estimated at $200,000.
  In 2013, the South Lawn landscape on the property was completed.
  During the planning stages, the Richardson Center Corporation has used an active public process, aimed to help to inform the Master Plan during all phases of redevelopment for the Campus, including several public meetings.  A Community Advisory Group includes representatives from the adjacent neighborhoods, business districts, cultural institutions, Buffalo Psychiatric Center, SUNY Buffalo State, and historic preservation groups.
caption: South elevation of the Administration Building in 1965.
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