BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN).....Don't for ever one minute think that the permanent 5/14 memorial for the 13 victims of that 2022 mass and vicious attack on Tops' Jefferson Avenue market shoppers will be scrapped.
No way is that happening.
While some are wondering when construction is going to start, the short answer is planning is still underway as is gathering public input.
And, so is fund raising.
It is estimated that $18 million is needed to develop the memorial - set for Jefferson Avenue near Best Street and just a few blocks from the Tops' Jefferson Avenue supermarket. Some $6 million has been raised or committed to the project.
"There are some definite challenges," said Herbert Bellamy Jr., a prominent Jefferson Avenue businessman and civic leader. "These type of projects do take time."
The key, says Erie County Legislator Lawrence Dupre, is to take the time and do it right.
Currently, the focus is on gathering community input.
The construction aspect is very much a works in progress.
"We've seen too many rushed projects that when they turn out, people ask 'why was this built this way?', " Dupre said.
The memorial is designed to be more than just bricks-and-mortar. It is designed to pay homage to the 10 people killed and three injured by convicted mass shooter Peyton Gendron but it is also expected to be a center for healing and reflection.
"If nothing else, it should give people hope," Bellamy said.
Depending on fund raising efforts and final development plans, it may be a few more years before the memorial is constructed.
Preliminary work on memorial is underway
Preliminary work on memorial is underway
