Community members and local leaders gathered Thursday to celebrate a major new investment on Buffalo\u2019s East Side.<\/p>\n
Da\u2019Von McCune, Executive Director of the King Urban Life Center, said the effort is about far more than construction \u2014 it\u2019s about belonging, opportunity, and creating the conditions for families to thrive.<\/p>\n
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation<\/a> is awarding a $3 million, two\u2011year grant to the Buffalo Center for Health Equity<\/a> to launch the Upper Broadway\u2013Fillmore Neighborhood Transformation Project. Foundation officials said the East Side\u2019s resilience and hope inspired their support, noting that the grant will fund essential planning work and help local organizations continue providing health, food, and housing services.<\/p>\n Henry Louis Taylor Jr., Ph.D., Director of UB\u2019s Center for Urban Studies, called the initiative \u201cthe beginning of a new beginning.\u201d The funding will help assemble an \u201cA Team\u201d to design and test a neighborhood\u2011transformation model, starting with a single demonstration area before expanding to other East Side neighborhoods. Early work will focus on staffing, planning, and repairing existing homes while beginning some new construction.<\/p>\n Pastor George Nicholas, CEO of the Buffalo Center for Health Equity, emphasized that lasting success depends on collaboration and a shared commitment to ensuring residents can lead healthy, prosperous lives.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an AI\u00a0 summary of the project:<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Upper Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood Transformation Project<\/strong>\u00a0is a community-driven initiative aimed at radically revitalizing Buffalo\u2019s East Side, with a pilot focus on\u00a0Census Tract 166<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 the Upper Broadway-Fillmore area bounded by Broadway (south), Fillmore Avenue (east), Genesee Street (west), and Best Street (north)\u00a0article.wn.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n The project was launched by\u00a0Henry-Louis Taylor Jr., PhD<\/strong>, director of UB\u2019s Center for Urban Studies, in response to research linking poor health outcomes in Black Buffalo to neighborhood conditions. The goal is to\u00a0transform the physical and social environment<\/strong>\u00a0to improve health, housing, education, and economic opportunity\u00a0University at Buffalo+1<\/strong><\/a>. It was selected as a pilot from five candidate neighborhoods for its:<\/p>\n The model is\u00a0neighborhood-led<\/strong>, meaning residents will drive decisions on revitalization. It aims to:<\/p>\n In June 2026, the\u00a0Mother Cabrini Health Foundation<\/strong>\u00a0awarded a\u00a0$3 million, two-year grant<\/strong>\u00a0to the\u00a0Buffalo Center for Health Equity<\/strong>\u00a0to launch the project\u00a0buffalohealthequity.com+1<\/strong><\/a>. The funds will:<\/p>\n
\nUpper Broadway-Fillmore Neighborhood Transformation Project<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Origins and Goals<\/h2>\n
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Approach<\/h2>\n
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Funding and Support<\/h2>\n
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Significance<\/h2>\n