$12 million state investment dedicated to developing 5/14 Living Memorial and Healing Center

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "By next year this time, we'll have more than a shovel on the ground. We'll have a building going up."

In a surprise announcement Monday for members of the 5/14 Memorial Foundation, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie joined Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and other local elected official and community leaders to dedicate $12 million of state funds to development the 5/14 Living Memorial & Healing Center along Jefferson Avenue.

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The funding will advance the creation of a permanent space for remembrance, education and community healing after the racially motivated mass shooting that took the lives of 10 community members on May 14, 2022, and also wounded three others.

The announcement also highlights the ongoing revitalization of Buffalo's historic Jefferson Avenue corridor and the importance of preserving the neighborhood's rich cultural identity as new investments and development take shape.

"Buffalonians will never forget the darkest day in our history – and we are committed to ensuring that the victims of May 14 are remembered and honored by future generations," said Masten District Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart, whose son Zaire Goodman was one of the three wounded in the shooting that day. "The 5/14 Living Memorial & Healing Center will be a permanent monument to honor the legacies of the Jefferson 10, to express the pain caused by this racist act of terror, and to assist survivors like my son and impacted family members as we continue to mourn and heal.”

Everhart was among the community leaders overcome with emotion Monday after the original announcement was for $1 million to be dedicated to the 5/14 Memorial Foundation. This investment now completes the funding phase of the project and the process of putting shovels in the ground can commence.

"Discrimination and racially motivated violence have no home here, nor should they have a place anywhere in our nation,” said Heastie on Monday. “Today’s announcement of a $12 million investment into the establishment of the 5/14 Living Memorial and Healing Center serves as a testament to the lives lost. The Center will provide support to the victims’ families, while preserving the neighborhood’s rich history. Despite the darkness, this community has persevered, growing stronger by banding together in unity."

The Foundation anticipates breaking ground in Spring 2027, with construction expected to continue through Summer 2028. Once completed, the Living Memorial & Healing Center will become a permanent landmark along Jefferson Avenue, providing a welcoming space for remembrance, education, cultural preservation, and healing.

As for Peoples-Stokes, who is set to retire from the State Assembly at the end of the year, this investment is one she knows will have a lasting legacy in her community.

“Jefferson Avenue has long stood as an important artery, if not the heartbeat, of Buffalo’s Black community. Unfortunately, this community has dealt with a lot over generations, yet we still thrive in our own way. We continue to grieve for our people who lost their lives or had their lives completely altered due to one racist act of violence," said Peoples-Stokes on Monday. "The 5/14 Living Memorial and Healing Center honors their lives celebrates the cultural importance of Jefferson Avenue."

The Center will serve as a place where the stories of those who came before us are preserved and shared. Through interactive exhibits, educational programming, wellness initiatives, and community gathering spaces, the Center will provide opportunities for people of all ages to connect. It will also serve as a resource for community organizations, creating opportunities for collaboration and meaningful programming that strengthens the neighborhood and supports its continued growth.

Through educational programming, historical exhibits, creative expression, community engagement, and wellness initiatives, the Center will help preserve the community's past while contributing to its future.

The project represents a commitment to development that honors the neighborhood's identity and ensures that the people and stories that shaped Jefferson Avenue remain central to its next chapter.