Affordable Housing for Veterans Brings New Life to Abandoned School in Buffalo, New York

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Affordable Housing for Veterans Brings New Life to Abandoned School in Buffalo, New York

 

Located on the east side of downtown Buffalo, New York, Buffalo Public School 75 opened in 1925 and operated as a public elementary school until 1979. After serving other purposes, the building closed entirely in the early 2000s and remained vacant for 20 years in deteriorating condition, contributing to the persistent problem of blight in the surrounding William-Emslie neighborhood. Despite recent progress, many residents in the city are unable to afford safe and reliable housing.

In Public School 75, the Western New York Veterans Housing Coalition saw an opportunity to advance its mission by developing affordable housing for veterans and their families. Alongside Norstar Development USA, the local nonprofit preserved and adapted the abandoned school building as part of a multibuilding development with 65 affordable apartments for veterans and their families.

Engaging Residents, Fighting Blight

The development of Public School 75 began “in earnest” in 2016, according to Daniel Bellgraph, formerly of Norstar Development. The Western New York Veterans Housing Coalition had planned to expand its housing offerings for veterans, especially veterans with families, for several years, but it had been unable to find a suitable property. The development team partnered with the city of Buffalo to identify three city-owned former schools that were available for purchase.

The team selected Public School 75 in part because of its proximity to several vacant parcels where the team saw an opportunity to build townhomes with larger units for veteran families. Upon applying for site control in 2019, the development team also began an extensive resident engagement effort that continued throughout the redevelopment process. This effort included numerous public meetings, presentations from prospective tenants, and the formation of a citizens’ advisory panel consisting of community members, business owners, and other stakeholders.

Construction on Public School 75 began in 2021 and consisted of two elements: the adaptive reuse of the school building itself and the construction of 18 rental houses on the vacant parcels. According to Gigi Grizanti, president and chief executive officer of Western New York Veterans Housing Coalition, the adaptive reuse process often was challenging because the school was in an advanced state of disrepair following years of vacancy and unchecked flooding in the basement. “People were stealing copper pipes out of it,” Grizanti recalled. “They were stealing the radiators [and] damaging the terrazzo stairs in the process… [and] there were deer living in the courtyard."

Despite the damage, the building had retained enough structural integrity to be renovated. The development team was able to restore the building’s original brick façade, terrazzo floors, and plaster walls and incorporate several original features into the new apartments, including the original wood-and-glass classroom doors, chalkboards, and storage cabinets. Several entry doors and all windows were replaced with replicas to create new openings and replace original elements that were beyond repair. “We took an eyesore in the neighborhood and made it eye-catching,” said Grizanti.

About Public School 75

Public School 75 reopened in 2023 with 65 affordable apartments for veterans and their families. The original school building was renamed the Charlie Bush Building in honor of U.S. Army Specialist Charles E. Bush, Jr., a Buffalo native who was killed in the line of duty while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The development consists of 47 units in the Charlie Bush Building and 18 units in the new townhomes. These totals include 4 studio and 19 one-bedroom units reserved for households earning up to 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 22 one-bedroom and 9 two-bedroom units for households earning up to 50 percent of AMI, and 7 two-bedroom and 4 three-bedroom units for households earning up to 60 percent of the AMI.

The school’s auditorium was repurposed as an entrance hall, community room, and offices for the Western New York Veterans Housing Coalition, which provides onsite case management and support services for residents. The site is located within walking distance of a small park, a pharmacy, and the local YMCA, which offers health and fitness classes to the community.

Financing

Much of the funding for the $28.9 million project came from low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) and historic tax credits, with $14.8 million in federal LIHTC equity, $1.2 million in state low-income housing credits, $3.3 million in federal historic tax credits, and $2.7 million in state historic tax credits. New York State Homes and Community Renewal provided $4.2 million through its Supportive Housing Opportunity Program and $580,808 through its Rural and Urban Community Investment Fund. Additional sources included $850,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships funds from the city of Buffalo and $72,000 from the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority as well as a $1.1 million deferred developer fee.

A Community Investment

Public School 75 received the 2024 ACHP/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, recognizing its contributions to historic preservation and affordable housing. In addition to its benefits for veterans, Bellgraph noted that the development has coincided with a wave of reinvestment in the William-Emslie neighborhood and other revitalization efforts on Buffalo’s East Side. The project complements the city’s ongoing revitalization efforts and represents a substantial investment in downtown Buffalo.