Holy Family Senior
Housing Development Dedication September 27, 2011
BUFFALO, N.Y. (RELEASE) - Little more than one year after the
groundbreaking, the first residents will soon move into the new
Holy Family Senior Apartments in South Buffalo. Bishop Edward U.
Kmiec presided over the dedication ceremonies Tuesday, Sept. 27 at
the former Holy Family Catholic Elementary School on Tifft Street
near South Park.
Bishop Kmiec thanked those involved for their wonderful work.
“It’s such a great collaboration with such a wonderful group,” he
said. “There’s a great heritage here, so much unity, and that will
continue.” The bishop also acknowledged the importance of offering
affordable housing and the continuation of the community food
pantry.
Sponsored by the Diocese of Buffalo and developed by Delta
Development of Western New York Inc. and Living Communities LLC,
the three-story, nearly 50,000-square-foot building features 35
units of affordable low and moderate income senior rental housing
for individuals 55 and older.
The property has 30 one-bedroom and five two-bedroom apartments.
Six of the units have been designated for the frail elderly. The
accessible units include enhancement equipment for both the hearing
and visually impaired resident.
Catholic Charities of Buffalo is one of the lead agencies to
provide support services to the residents. In 2010 in its temporary
location within the Lackawanna Food Pantry, the pantry served a
total of 7,080 individuals or food that would supply about 63,700
meals. Nearly half of those served were children.
The community room was dedicated to Mother Frances Warde, RSM, the
American foundress of the Sisters of Mercy who taught generations
of students at Holy Family School.
Funding for the project was provided by the New York State
Division of Housing and Community Renewal’s Low Income Housing Tax
Credit program and the New York State Housing Trust Fund, M&T Bank
(investor), Community Preservation Corporation (construction
financing), City of Buffalo, Housing Opportunities Made Equal,
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York members First Niagara and M&T
Bank, and New York State Urban Initiatives. The University at
Buffalo Law School Affordable Housing Clinic served as a
consultant.
Silvestri Architects PC served as architect; the contractor was
Christa Construction and the engineering was done by Erdman Anthony
& Associates Inc.
Holy Family Senior Apartments will serve to meet elderly housing
needs in a South Buffalo neighborhood that is a member of the Good
Neighbor Planning Alliance, one of 11 areas designated in Buffalo’s
Comprehensive Plan.
All windows are energy efficient; central heating and air
conditioning has been designed to provide a 30 percent more energy
efficient building, supporting both state and city initiatives for
energy efficiencies in both new construction and rehabilitation
projects.
Design incorporated the Green Build Initiative Design
Requirements focused on providing an attractive, comfortable, safe
environment for elderly residents. The building includes a new
front portico and an outdoor covered patio as well as community and
resident lounge areas throughout the building. The apartments have
an emergency call response system, smoke alarms, full bathrooms,
living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens with Energy Star appliances.
The building has a locked security entrance, indoor mailroom,
resident storage, laundry facilities, and fire and safety alarm
systems. Adequate parking is available for the residents.
Residents will also benefit from a secured entrance,
state-of-the-art fire system, an emergency call system monitored
24/7 and high-speed internet access with an IT station in the
planned community room. Cable television will be available to all
units. A bulk cable contract will be executed to provide tenants
with a 50 percent discount in cable fees.
A lottery was held so all applicants responding had a fair and
equitable opportunity to qualify for the 35 units. Arrangements
were made with the Rental Assistance Center, the City of Buffalo
Section 8 Administrator, and Belmont Shelter, Erie County PHA
Administrator, to include the Holy Family Senior Apartments in
their referral list given to individuals currently waitlisted for
subsidized housing.
Bernadette Harlan, executive director of Delta Development of WNY,
Inc., served as mistress of ceremonies at the dedication and a
number of special guests gave brief remarks. Those included Father
William R. Bigelow, former pastor of Holy Family Church,
Congressman Brian M. Higgins, New York State Senator Timothy M.
Kennedy, New York State Assemblyman Mark J. F. Schroeder, Buffalo
Mayor Byron W. Brown and Erie County Legislator Timothy J. Whalen.
Also, Thomas W. Heltz II, assistant vice president of M&T Bank
Commercial Financing, Kate Bukowski, M&T Bank Member, Federal Home
Loan Bank of New York, Sister Mary McCarrick, director of Catholic
Charities of Buffalo, Dennis Walczyk, president of the Board of
Directors of Delta Development of WNY, Inc., Pat Tobin, president
of Living Communities, LLC, and Bishop Kmiec who blessed the new
apartments.
The bishop also blessed the resident community room dedicated to
Mother Frances Xavier Warde, RSM. Sister Patricia Prinzing, RSM,
vice president of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, was also on
hand to say a few words about the resident community room and the
history of the Sisters of Mercy at Holy Family Elementary School.
Built in 1915, Holy Family School had a peak enrollment of 1,350
students in 1971. Due to declining enrollment, the school closed in
2004.
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