BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Nearly four years after 10 people were killed in a racially motivated mass shooting at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue, the 5/14 Memorial Foundation is continuing to gather community input on how to honor the victims.
The foundation hosted its third listening session Tuesday night, asking neighbors and community members how they would like the Jefferson 10 to be remembered.
Chad Houston, executive director of the 5/14 Memorial Foundation, said the planned space is meant to serve a larger purpose than a traditional monument.
"It's more than just a statue, it's more than just a monument, we expect this to be an active space in the community, a space that is a resource for this community and beyond," Houston said.
WATCH: Buffalo's 5/14 Memorial Foundation holds third listening session on future healing center
The future living memorial and healing center is set to be built at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Best Street. Inside the building, plans include a museum, community space for people to gather and process the tragedy, and a celebration of the city's resilience.
Houston described one of the planned features of the building.
"Reflective garden and that's going to be on the roof of the building, so within the reflective garden, we're going to lean on the arts community, to create statues, sculptures, and other places of community in that reflective garden," Houston said.
Valentino Shine, who lives near the Tops on Jefferson Avenue, said the memorial reflects how much the city cares about the community.
"It really speaks volumes to what the City of Buffalo — how they feel about the community, how they feel about the city, that they really want to help restore it, they want to help heal it, they want to help revive it," Shine said. "I think it's beautiful that it's going on Jefferson, of course, to help revitalize the community."
For Shine, the weight of what happened on Jefferson Avenue is something he encounters regularly.
"A confessional where people can get this off their chest, because I live in this neighborhood and I sometimes have to visit that grocery store when I need to go get a quick grab a quick grocery item or two, and when I go in there, it's just like be playing over in my brain," Shine said.
Houston said the foundation remains focused on the long-term impact of the project.
"Absolutely everything that we're doing, from the foundation standpoint, is focused on healing. This was a catastrophic and traumatic event that came to our city. Many people are still dealing with the trauma of the event of what happened," Houston said.
The foundation is continuing to raise money and is close to hiring a construction manager to help establish a timeline and budget.
Those who missed Tuesday's forum can visit 514memorial.com, where they can take an online survey, take a legacy pledge to stand with the mission and foundation, and share it with others in the community.
