New York Invests $5 Million in New Buffalo Urban League Headquarters: Mixed-Use Campus on Jefferson Avenue
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on October 30 that the state will invest $5 million to support the Buffalo Urban League's plan to develop an innovative mixed-use campus along the Jefferson Avenue Commercial Corridor on Buffalo's East Side, in Erie County, New York, as the organization's new headquarters. The project site at 1137 Jefferson Avenue sits just blocks from the site of the May 14, 2022, Tops Supermarket shooting.
The new headquarters will bring together office space, workforce development services, housing counseling, arts and cultural programming and for-sale residential condominiums in one location, expanding access to the Urban League's programs and serving as a catalyst for renewed investment and revitalization along Jefferson Avenue. The $5 million grant will be administered by Empire State Development. Project funding also includes a $6 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, a $1 million state grant administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), and additional funding from Erie County, the City of Buffalo and Fidelis and its parent Centene Corp. The project is being designed by Alligood Song Architecture in partnership with Buffalo-based Carmina Wood.
"The Urban League is a fierce defender of the equality and justice that define New York, and Buffalo stands at the very heart of our state's civil rights story," Governor Hochul said. "Our $5 million state investment will create a vibrant hub for housing, jobs and vital community resources." Buffalo Urban League President and CEO Thomas Beauford, Jr. said the project is an investment in people, neighborhoods and opportunity, and that bringing critical services, housing and cultural resources together in one dynamic location will strengthen the League's ability to connect Buffalo residents with the tools they need to thrive.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said the project injects vital resources directly into the heart of Buffalo's East Side and will act as a catalyst for future job growth and commercial revitalization. DASNY President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez said the new headquarters will expand access to essential services, strengthen the Jefferson Avenue corridor and create new opportunities for economic growth on Buffalo's East Side.
The Buffalo Urban League has served the community for more than a century, providing economic, educational and housing opportunities. The governor's office said the investment reaffirms New York's commitment to equity and community revitalization.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 布法罗市政厅（资料图）。CC BY-SA 3.0，Elgaard摄，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Buffalo City Hall (file photo). CC BY-SA 3.0, by Elgaard, via Wikimedia Commons.
