BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Tuesday evening, East Side community residents met at the Johnny B. Wiley Stadium to get a glance at the community-based development on the way. CB Emmanuel and T.O.P Enterprises presented a plan to develop affordable housing and a community center between Jefferson Avenue and Earl Place. Some residents were completely on board with this plan while others had second thoughts.
"If I purchase a home, I pass away like my parents pass away," said Naomi Cerre, Transformational Education Activist. "I was able to receive that home, either to live in it or sell it and then I'm able to take that money and regenerate that money."
Cerre said everyone on the East Side owned a home when she was growing up there. However, she said a decrease in opportunities has made it harder for people in her community to continue financing homes. She said this ultimately takes a toll on her Communities ability to build generational wealth.
"When industry left, we have to understand historically how that impacted our community," said Cerre.
Cerre told 7 News right now, her community is all about regenerating wealth and an inheritance. CB Emmanuel and T.O.P Enterprises is hoping their plan will be a catalyst for that change.
"We really care about Jefferson Avenue being excellent and having a revitalization and having a renaissance," said Joshua Erni, Architectural Designer Liaison for T.O.P Enterprises.
Erni said the community project will develop an arts focused community center that will include an atrium gallery, pop-up restaurants, event spaces and more.
"Above all of this will be apartments above that," said Erni. "59 in total on this building. And the building next to it, just south of it, is an existing building that we are rehabilitating to again have commercial presence but also have 24 more units."
Erni said rent will begin at $600 for studio units and go up from there depending on the apartment layout. Many community members celebrated this project while others voiced concerns.
"I thought they did an amazing job and we're doing something for the community and it's us doing something for us," said Chris Vaugh, East Side community member and developer.
"I'm hoping moving forward this will spark obviously the community but we also look at home ownership as a part of revitalization."
Erni said there is no set timeline for when this project will be complete but put an estimation at a few years. He said they will be taking the communities input into consideration every step of the way.
Although some of the questions may have been unexpected, I'm happy to answer them because there's passion behind them and reason and love for this community behind those questions."
