The long-awaited demolition work at the former Silver Creek High School at 60 Main St. in Silver Creek began Wednesday morning, May 7. Once demolition is complete, work will begin on the future Silver Creek Apartments, tentatively scheduled for completion by the summer of 2026.
Demolition has begun of the former Silver Creek High School as part of turning the site into senior citizen apartments.
The Silver Creek Apartments project is being developed by Southern Tier Environments for Living (STEL), in conjunction with Park Grove Development, LLC. The former high school building has sat vacant for more than 45 years.
STEL and Park Grove Development will replace the school with a three-story 50,574 square-foot apartment building. The project received a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement along with exemptions for both sales and mortgage tax payments from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency Board in February 2024. Throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025, the developers worked to secure all funding for the project and also ownership of the property. Last month the property was transferred over to Silver Creek Apartments, LLC, clearing the way for the project to move forward.
Demolition of the existing building involves long-needed environmental remediation, including the removal and disposal of hazards including asbestos, PCBs, and lead paint.
When complete, the apartment building will offer 54 affordable units for seniors age 62 and up. Of those units, 51 will be one-bedroom apartments, and three will be two-bedroom apartments. Fifteen units will also be set aside for supportive housing. The new building will also include a community room, fitness room, laundry facilities, and an onsite property management office. There will also be a large parking lot for up to 58 vehicles, along with a patio and shed.
The project will provide 180 construction jobs and, once complete, 4.75 full-time equivalent jobs. The total cost of the project is $20.2 million.
In addition to assistance from the IDA, the project also received $1 million in assistance from a New York State Restore NY award, which will be administered by the Village. The CCIDA assistance also helped the developers with securing $6.9 million in funding from New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). Several other entities also played a role in helping to move the project forward, especially in regard to transferring ownership of the property over to the developers.
The developers say the anticipated completion date for the project is summer 2026.
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