AMHERST, N.Y. — Town of Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa said he's "ecstatic" that movement is being made in the plan to makeover the former Westwood Country Club into what will be known as Amherst Central Park.
The acreage at the former Westwood Country Club has sat undeveloped for years, but now Supervisor Kulpa said remediation efforts could begin as soon as this summer after New York State Department of Environmental Conservation permits are granted.
This comes after a deal was reached between the Town of Amherst and property owners Mensch Capital Partners. Kulpa said the town agreed to buy the 170-acre former golf course in return, and Mensch will pay the town for 38 acres of property that includes part of Audubon Golf Course.
"Mensch and the town both changed leadership right around the same time frame, and we were able to push this idea of a park-first area, first and foremost," Kulpa said.
"Then the portion of the project that will ultimately lead to private sector development that is expected to put a new front door to the University at Buffalo's North Campus."
According to the project's master plan, the majority of the Westwood property is expected to become a park with ball diamonds and fields, a sports and wellness facility, and an indoor field house.
The mixed-use portion of the Audubon Redevelopment Project would include senior housing, residential units, and a UB MD surgery center
Though this is a step in the right direction, Kulpa said this project is more than a decade away from coming to fruition.
"For us it's a 10 to 15-year venture This isn't a run up and do it right away. This is a process. You don't develop a central park in one day," he said.
"The Westwood Project, which is now the Amherst Central Park Project and the Audubon Redevelopment Project, has been 10 years in the making. The negotiating process has been tough and detailed. However, the leadership and expertise of Supervisor Brian Kulpa and our willingness to meet the town halfway has enabled us to come to a final agreement. This will result in an exciting beginning to a great transformational project,” said Mark Hamister, managing partner of Mensch Capital Partners.
The deal will be discussed during the next Amherst Town Board meeting on Monday.