Renovation of Historic School Creates 42 Affordable Energy-Efficient Apartments, Including 12 Units of Supportive Housing, as well as Community Service Hub Serving Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of Apartments at the Lyceum, a $23.6 million project that transformed a historic former school, the St. John Kanty Lyceum, in East Buffalo into 42 energy-efficient affordable apartments and a community service hub. The project brings much-needed affordable housing to the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood of East Buffalo, including 12 units of supportive housing set aside for formerly homeless survivors of domestic violence.
“The transformation of this historic former school into affordable, energy-efficient homes is part of our ongoing commitment to building a more affordable future for East Buffalo,” Governor Hochul said. “Apartments at the Lyceum provide low-income individuals and families with much-needed affordable housing and connect survivors of domestic violence and others in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood to the resources they need to succeed.”
Redeveloped by Community Services for Every1 (CSE1), with Edgemere Development, the project involved the renovation of the historic St. John Kanty Lyceum building at 97 Swinburne Street, as well as ten adjacent lots. The school's classroom and offices have been converted into 42 affordable apartments, with 12 units specifically designated for survivors of domestic violence, 5 fully ADA accessible apartments and 2 apartments for those with audio/visual disabilities.
The former school’s kitchen, cafeteria, and activity room were renovated into an accessible community space to provide inclusive recreational programming, culinary arts, healthy eating education, independent living, and pre-vocational job readiness training services for those enrolled in services with CSE1. The project's design celebrates many of the original building’s distinct architectural designs and finishes, including the historic auditorium’s vaulted ceiling.
The Lyceum is the first Clean Energy Initiative project to complete construction. The Clean Energy Initiative (CEI) program, a collaboration between New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), provides direct injection funding and technical support for clean energy projects in affordable housing. As part of the requirements of the CEI program, the building no longer uses any fossil fuels onsite.