School 77
Hours of Operation: 9AM – 5PM
Tenants: PUSH Buffalo, Ujima Theatre, Peace of the City
About the Building
School 77 is an 80,000-square-foot former Buffalo Public School built in 1927, located on the West Side of Buffalo. School 77 was closed and abandoned for nearly six years, but PUSH and the community have now transformed it into solar-powered affordable senior apartments and a community center.
School 77 includes:
- 30 energy efficient, affordable apartments for seniors
- The home base of PUSH Buffalo
- The home base of Peace of the City
- A black-box theatre and the home base of Ujima Theatre Company
- A shared gymnasium with community programming
- Additional community meeting spaces
- A 64-Kw community solar array
- A green roof, which absorbs rain water and curbs combined sewage overflows
- Eco-landscaping around the building, which also curbs combined sewage overflows
For more information about housing see: Affordable Housing.
Planned by the Community
When private developers began eyeing the abandoned School 77 for high-end loft apartments several years ago, the community mobilized and pushed the City of Buffalo to place a 1-year moratorium on the sale of building while the community came up with a plan. Neighbors worked with PUSH alongside local, state, and national organizations to finance and redevelop the building. With input from more than 800 community residents and the PUSH Community Development Committee, School 77 is now renovated, open, and ready to serve the Buffalo community.
Made possible by the following organizations:
- New York State Homes and Community Renewal
- National Equity Fund, Inc.
- New York State Historic Preservation Office
- U.S. National Parks Service
- Empire State Development
- City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
- M&T Bank
- Local Initiative Support Corporation
- ArtPlace America
- The Roche Foundation
School 77 Press
- Buffalo News Op-Ed by Rahwa Ghirmatzion
- Governor Cuomo Press Release
- Buffalo News Article
- Associated Press Article
- PUSH Buffalo video on School 77: Community Solar for a Just Transition (by Luke Haag)
- Curbed Article
- The Solutions Project 100% Good News Feature
- Buffalo Business First Article
- WIVB Channel 4 News Feature
- WBFO 88.7 Buffalo’s NPR News Station Article
- Spectrum News Buffalo Feature
- WGRZ Channel 2 News Feature
