BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN).....A brief ground breaking ceremony, held Friday afternoon, serves as a snapshot of how new life is being brought to the former Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital site.
The latest project?
People Inc. is investing approximately $900,000 to create the community-welcoming Oxford Square Community Lot at the eastern-most portion of the former hospital campus. Oxford Square is on pace to open next spring.
"It's a win for People. It's a win for the residents who live here or near here and a win for the city," said Anne McCaffery, People Inc. president and CEO.
People Inc. are developing Oxford Square adjacent to its Linwood Lafayette Senior Apartments, which was one of the first projects constructed within the Millard Fillmore footprin.
"This is just a beautiful neighborhood," McCaffery said.
Almost 11 years ago to the day, much of the hospital complex was imploded as part of TM Montante's Lancaster Square development project.
Since then, more than $250 million in both private sector-backed and public sector investments have been made to the campus that runs between Delaware Avenue, Gates Circle, Lafayette Avenue and Linwood Avenue.
Nearly 300 residential units have either been developed, or are under construction, including a $34 million redevelopment of much of the Millard Fillmore Homeopathic Hospital wing into an 80-unit apartment project. That project is being overseen by Belmont Housing and will target those in the affordable demographic.
In fact, the entire Millard Fillmore property has a healthy mix of market rate apartments, those that target seniors and those in the "affordable" demographic.
"We always wanted a mix across the housing spectrum and now, we are seeing it play out," said Byron DeLuke, TM Montante executive director.
The Belmont housing project is due to open later this year.
That the campus is largely anchored by residential units came from direct feedback TM Montante received when it hosted pre-development focus groups with the surrounding neighbors.
"It's what the neighbors asked for," DeLuke said.
Not that everything was smooth sailing.
The Canterbury Woods senior housing project - the first one proposed for the hospital site - was the subject of lengthy - and at times heated discourses between neighbors and the development team during several Buffalo Planning Board meetings.
"When you are dealing with a large institutional urban campus, it can be tough to develop," DeLuke said. "It does take a lot of effort."
TM Montante still developing the former Millard Fillmore Gates Circle campus
TM Montante still developing the former Millard Fillmore Gates Circle campus
