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Czestochowa school conversion may occur with new partner
Plans to convert the former Our Lady of Czestochowa school into a 24-unit apartment building, announced in May 2007, are still in the works, but the developer has a new partner in the venture after the original partner backed out last year.
Savarino Construction and Southeast Works hope to convert the school, which was closed by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo in 2003, into 20 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom units that would provide low-income housing for developmentally disabled and "economically disadvantaged" individuals.
Southeast Works replaces the Olmstead Center as Savarino's partner in the project.
"Southeast Works' has as clients disabled adults who are high-functioning who are working in the community," said Eva Hassett, Savarino Vice President.
Savarino announced in May 2007 its intention to convert the building into apartments with the Olmstead Center, formerly known as the Blind Association of Western New York.
The plan then was to use a blend of federal, state and local funding for the $5 million project, with up to 95 percent of the project to be funded through federal low-income housing credits and a low-income loan from the New York State Housing Trust Fund.
Cheektowaga's contribution was expected to be $150,000. However, the town has been asked to contribute $225,000 to assist with the project. The money could either be a low-interest loan or a "gift."
"There's a gap in the funding," Hassett explained, "so we're requesting the town to commit either block grant or HOME funding."
Jerry Gabryszak, Cheektowaga's community development coordinator, said there is $75,000 available
• turn to page 4 in the town's budget to help fund the
project. The rest of the money may become available after a project at the former Villa Maria Academy site- to which the town had committed funds- changed its scope.
Most of the Czestochowa site plan remains the same: 20 singlebedroom apartments and four double-bedrooms. The former convent is still targeted for demolition to provide parking.
Remaining space in the basement would be designated as community space to be used by the tenants and Our Lady of Czestochowa Church.
One change in the design will provide a greater buffer for the homeowner who lives due north of the site on Meadowbrook Parkway.
"Originally there was parking right to the property line," said Supervising Code Enforcement Officer Tom Adamczak. "We asked them to rearrange the parking to provide screening. They did that. Now they have trees and landscaping there."
Recalling a similar project on Alpine Place, off Genesee Street near the town's border with Buffalo, Councilmember Stan Kaznowski noted that some residents in the Clinton Street neighborhood may be concerned that the low-income housing designation could create problems that are sometimes associated with low-income residents.
"I was involved with the project at the city line, and those residents were concerned not with the disabled element, but the low- and moderate- income people moving in," Kaznowski said, "and potentially deteriorating the area around them."
Judith Shanley, Southeast Works Executive Director, assured Kaznowski that the blend of disabled and low-to-moderate-income persons will work well.
"There will be in the application a (requirement) that well over half of the persons are developmentally disabled," Shanley said. "When you have that, it isn't attractive to people who want a 'fast' crowd to live with."
Silvestri Architects has requested that the town rezone the former school from retail business and residence district to apartment district to allow the conversion.
A public hearing for the request will be held at 6:30 p.m. in town hall on February 25. A regular meeting of the town board follows the hearing.
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