Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of construction for 950 Broadway LLC in East Buffalo. The $13.5 million project, by Cedarland Development LLC, will renovate and convert a 50,000 square foot, vacant and underutilized building in East Buffalo into a mixed-use development featuring 28 affordable housing units, a free Head Start child education program, and a proposed indoor urban farm.
The building has been unused for 18 years, with portions of the building being vacant for decades prior. Once complete, the renovated 950 Broadway will bring new life to the former retail store-turned-office building near one of the most visible intersections in East Buffalo. Governor Hochul previously announced that 950 Broadway LLC was chosen with 10 other transformational projects in Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood as part of a $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Award.
"The groundbreaking for 950 Broadway today is a new beginning for this long-vacant, prominent structure in East Buffalo," Governor Hochul said. "Once a blight on the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood, the historic building will now be a community anchor and catalyst for economic development. Homes will be made here, and we look forward to welcoming new neighbors to the Buffalo community."
Located at the corner of Broadway and Fillmore, the former Eckhardt's and Kobacker's department store will contain 28 affordable apartments and a Head Start children's education program run by the Community Action Organization. An indoor urban farm has been proposed for the building's basement. Apartments in the building will include ten studio apartments,12 one-bedroom units, and six two-bedroom units.
Read the entire article at New York State