TOWN OF TONAWANDA, NY (WKBW) — As the Diocese of Buffalo continues its Road to Renewal plan, which includes closing and merging churches, I have learned the diocese has found buyers for two pieces of property left vacant by the ongoing closings.
One is the former St. Lawrence Church on East Delavan in Buffalo, and the other is the former St. Andrew's Church in the Town of Tonawanda.
“St. Andrew's is recently under contract, so that process is underway,” said Albert Gress, the diocese's chief financial officer.
WATCH: 'We’re thrilled': Diocese of Buffalo signs contract to sell former St. Andrew’s property in Town of Tonawanda
Gress told me they've signed a contract for an offer with a non-profit organization that plans to bring a school to this site. But the diocese could not reveal the purchaser's name, saying it must be approved by the court, and it could take up to three months to close.
I brought this news to Joseph Emminger, the Town of Tonawanda Supervisor and a neighbor who lives directly across from the vacant property.
"Good news, great news," he said. "That's one of our prime corners in our town — Elmwood and Sheridan. We’re thrilled. It’s a great location. At one point, actually, the town had some interest in possibly purchasing it, but decided not to go that route."
Supervisor Emminger also told me he's pleased to learn a school could move into the site because this would not require rezoning or resistance from neighbors, and resident Gary Snyder agreed.
"As long as they're within the school setting, we're happy with that," Snyder said. "Somebody comes in, keeps the place up, and we're all for that.”
"Naturally, the whole neighborhood is concerned with what goes on here, what happens here, and something that fits in with the neighborhood and just doesn't become an eyesore or a half-hazard project,” Snyder said.
Regarding the sale of the former St. Lawrence Church on East Delavan in Buffalo, according to the Darul Ihsan Cultural Center website, an Islamic Cultural Center, it purchased the church property for $975,000 to create a “state-of-the-art” Islamic center with a school. The organization is paying well over the original asking price of $500,000.
Meanwhile, there is no word on how much the St. Andrew’s property is selling for, but it was assessed at over $2 million.
