BUFFALO, N.Y. — It doesn't look like much right now, but a long-vacant seven acre property near Elmwood and Hertel avenues will soon be home to the new North Buffalo YMCA branch.
2 On Your Side got an update on the project from John Ehrbar, president and CEO of the YMCA Buffalo Niagara. He said they are in the planning and fundraising stages and added that they're currently looking for naming rights options to secure donations faster and get the project up and running quicker.
The estimated cost is $30 million. They hope to break ground in 2023 and open by late 2024, though that timeline is largely dependent on fundraising. Ehrbar said they've secured about one-third of the needed funding so far.
When the new North Buffalo Y branch is completed, it will be able to serve about 15,000 people each year, compared to the 1,000 served at the current branch on Delaware Avenue.
"The location where we're at in our market area, about 22 percent of people live below the poverty line. We are an organization that is designed to reduce any financial barrier for people. We'll be able to provide more access to chronic disease prevention programs, food insecurity programs, drowning prevention programs, and make a big difference for people that really wouldn't be able to get those services anywhere else," said Ehrbar.
The new location will include an aquatic center, a larger parking lot, and green space among other amenities.
"We're not just about fitness. We're not just about child care. While we do both of those well, we're about strengthening the community and finding solutions to issues the community is currently facing," said Ehrbar.