By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

A prominent Buffalo law firm has acquired a downtown Buffalo building and will move its offices there.

Ricotta & Visco, through its Valledolmo LLC affiliate, purchased a four-story, 11,000-square-foot building at 496 Main St. from local businessman Kent Keating. It will move from Main Place Tower once renovations are completed later this year. The renovation cost is expected to be around $1.5 million.

Valledolmo paid $385,000 for the century-old building, according to documents filed in the Erie County Clerk's office.

The deal comes as the 500 block of Main Street is seeing a wave of development. Across the street, restaurateur Don Warfe converted the former Stewart & Benson building for his private residence and is using the first floor for a Brodo outlet, expected to open this year.

This winter, Roger Trettel renovated a series of century-old buildings into the Cornucopia project, which is bringing in a mix of small retailers and offices.

The Hyatt Regency Buffalo, meanwhile, recently completed a nearly $16 million renovation.

"The 500 block is get starting to get attention from developers," said Michael Schmand, Buffalo Place Inc. executive director. "That bodes well for the rest of the central business district. It seems like every day we are seeing new levels of investment taking place along that block."

The building at 496 Main St. has been empty in recent few years, save for a Chinese restaurant that operated on the first floor until 2009.

The law firm is expected to add three employees after it moves into the building. The firm, which specializes in medical malpractice defense, currently employs 13.

Keating, who founded Kanoodle - now known as Seevast Corp. - bought the building in 2007 with plans to move his family into the upper floors and lease the first floor to a retailer or restaurant. He dropped the plan in late 2008 and retained Alan Hastings of Hastings Cohn Real Estate to market the building. Hastings said several parties looked at it before Ricotta & Visco emerged as the potential buyer.