BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On the eve of the third anniversary of the racially motivated mass shooting at the Tops grocery store on Jefferson Avenue, city and community leaders have announced the permanent site for a memorial to honor the 10 lives lost.
The memorial titled "Seeing Us," was first unveiled to the public one year ago. It will now stand at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Best Street just one mile from the site of the shooting near the Johnny B. Wiley Pavilion. Leaders said the location was carefully chosen to reflect the heart of the community and provide a lasting place for remembrance and healing.
"This milestone is more than a land transfer. It's a promise to remember the lives lost and to create a lasting place for reflection and healing," said Lisa Hicks, Director of Development for the City of Buffalo.
The Buffalo Common Council has approved a designated developer agreement with the 5/14 Memorial Foundation Inc., granting the foundation control of the site's design, engineering and fundraising process.
The 18 parcels of land needed to construct the memorial have now all been assembled. That includes 14 city-owned lots and four that were privately owned.
"This is going to be a living memorial as we talk with the community about those surveys that we've done. It's the culmination and fruition of the work they are seeing right now," said Rev. Mark Blue, chairman of the 5/14 Memorial Commission.
Blue emphasized that the families of the victims played an essential role in shaping the memorial's vision.
"The families are very instrumental in everything that is going on. It would have been a disservice if we did not include them," he said.
Mo Sumbundu, Gov. Kathy Hochul's liaison to the City of Buffalo, reflected on the significance of the site.
"This land holds stories; stories of a neighborhood filled with resilience, hard work, love and joy, but it also holds pain. A story of struggle, sacrifice and the unthinkable tragedy that forever changed us on May 14th," Sumbundu said.
Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope added that the effort goes beyond a construction site.
"This is not about constructing a physical space. This is about preserving memory, inspiring justice and ensuring that future generations understand both the magnitude of what happened here and the beauty of how a community refused to be broken," she said.
