GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR EAST SIDE BUILDING FUND
Funding Available for Commercial and Mixed-Use Property Owners in East Buffalo
Applications Available Here and Due on June 27
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced applications are now open for the “East Side Building Fund,” a new $10 million fund that aims to assist in private building renovations and infill development to help revitalize neighborhood business districts in East Buffalo. A public information meeting and drop-in office hours will be held in May and June to assist applicants in applying for grants. Applications are available here and must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2025.
“My administration is continuing its commitment to help East Buffalo’s business property owners with the often-hard job of upgrading their buildings, which will in turn make our business districts more attractive, inviting and able to better serve Buffalo neighborhoods,” Governor Hochul said. “The East Side Building Fund considers the overall needs of a particular building and funds those needs through one source — creating clearer, streamlined access so that resources can move into the community more quickly.”
The East Side Building Fund is the State’s latest effort growing from its on-going collaboration among Empire State Development (ESD), philanthropic organizations and the community to improve East Side commercial corridors — which has included grants for improving storefronts and other upgrades, funding to shore up at-risk buildings and providing real estate training and financial assistance to the next generation of emerging developers in the neighborhood.
The fund specifically grows from three former ESD programs (East Side Commercial Districts Program, Commercial Building Stabilization Fund and Community-Based Real Estate Development Training Program Fund), each with individual application requirements and funding limits. The East Side Building Fund takes a more streamlined and holistic approach — by focusing on the overall needs of a particular building and allowing funding through a single process, so resources can move into the community more quickly.
The fund offers assistance along two tracks based upon the size of a project:
· Small Projects – intended for projects involving more conventional renovations to existing buildings, will provide grants covering up to 90 percent of total project costs for items like roofing, structural stabilization, and storefront/facade and signage improvements. The maximum grant amount is $400,000 and will be administered through ESD’s community partner, Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc., which will directly pay construction contractors to minimize grantees’ out-of-pocket expenses.
· Anchor Projects – intended for much larger projects, will provide grants that will reimburse up to 50 percent of a grantee’s total project costs, up to a maximum of $2,000,000, for projects involving major restorations, adaptive reuse, new construction and associated site improvements.
To be eligible, the project must involve a commercial or mixed-use property (such as a storefront building with ground-level commercial space and residential space on upper floors) and located on Buffalo’s East Side, preferably in or adjacent to a priority business district (Jefferson Avenue, Fillmore Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Genesee Street and Bailey Avenue, among others). See preferred map here. Applicants must demonstrate ownership control of all buildings/real estate that is included in the proposed project. Grant funds may not be used to renovate publicly owned buildings or uses.
The three former ESD programs have been successful in helping revitalize Buffalo’s East Side and educating and empowering a new group of developers throughout Buffalo, resulting in over 60 projects receiving capital and predevelopment support. Examples of previously funded projects include Sunshine Vegan Eats at 1412 Fillmore Avenue, Mr. Love and Sons Barbershop at 1384 Jefferson Avenue, Ann Rhod’s Tailoring at 3185 Bailey Avenue, the UPS Store at 345 Broadway and the Juneteenth Headquarters Building at 1517 Genesee Street.
A public information meeting to learn about the East Side Building Fund will be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 21 at Northland Workforce Training Center. RSVP here. Drop-in office hours for application assistance will also be held. If you have questions about the application process or want to discuss your project in more detail, program staff will be available for in-person office hours at 136 Broadway in the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor in Buffalo at the following dates and times:
· Thursday, May 29, 4 to 7 p.m.
· Monday, June 2, 8 a.m. to noon.
· Thursday, June 5, 4 to 7 p.m.
· Monday, June 23, 8 a.m. to noon
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The East Side Building Fund is a community-focused program that offers a simplified approach for applicants to multiple East Side funds. I encourage commercial and mixed-use property owners to take advantage of this program with the goal of stimulating the economic revitalization of East Buffalo’s commercial districts.”
State Senator April N.M. Baskin said, “The East Side Building Fund will bring much needed improvements to our abandoned and dilapidated commercial districts. This investment will breathe new life into our aging commercial buildings and help revitalize our once flourishing neighborhoods on Jefferson, Broadway and Bailey. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and her economic development team for her continued and growing investment in Buffalo's East Side. I look forward to partnering with the Governor to ensure the East Side Building Fund is an economic multiplier that has a deep, profound impact that reverses the decades of divestment and decay that has plagued the East Side.”
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, “The East Side Building Fund is another positive step in revitalization efforts for communities on the east side of Buffalo. The East Side Building Fund encourages community investment for commercial and mixed-use properties and renovations for buildings many of us frequented in years past but have seen them deteriorate over generations. I thank the Governor Hochul’s office and Empire State Development for this program and implore community members to attend the public information meeting to learn more about the program.”
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said, “This revitalization effort is an investment in an historic community, invigorating it in a targeted way that builds critical mass smartly and will energize the East Side of Buffalo overall. The East Side Building Fund will be a valuable and effective tool for improving Buffalo and I thank Governor Hochul for making it available.”
Buffalo Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon said, “Revitalizing Buffalo’s East Side starts with investing in the people, places, and small businesses that make these neighborhoods thrive. The East Side Building Fund gives local property owners and entrepreneurs the tools they need to restore historic buildings, open new businesses, and reenergize our commercial corridors. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued partnership and for delivering meaningful resources that support the City of Buffalo and our residents.”
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Senior Program Officer Eric Phamdo said, “Buffalo’s East Side is home to generations of history, culture, and entrepreneurial spirit. The East Side Building Fund is a community-led effort designed to lift up that legacy. By strengthening and revitalizing our commercial and mixed-use corridors, we’re not only preserving the fabric of these neighborhoods but also creating opportunities for those who know and love them best. The new, streamlined approach offers a process that’s easier to navigate, more impactful, and designed with and for local stakeholders. Through the Regional Revitalization Partnership, we’re proud to support projects like this that create lasting, inclusive change, one building, one block, and one neighborhood at a time.”
KeyBank Buffalo Market President and Commercial Banking Executive Mike McMahon said, “We look forward to witnessing the transformational impact this program will have for commercial and mixed-use property owners in East Buffalo. This program will equip participants with the funds necessary to enrich the community and encourage more robust economic development in the area. KeyBank is proud to stand alongside all the organizations contributing to the growth and advancement in East Buffalo.”
M&T Bank Community Reinvestment Executive Vice President Brad Dossinger said, “M&T Bank is committed to supporting the revitalization of Buffalo’s East Side, and we are confident this investment from the Regional Revitalization Partnership will make an impact in fostering local development and growth. Through our participation in the East Side Building Fund, we are helping commercial and mixed-use property owners access critical resources that will strengthen business districts, enhance neighborhood vitality, and create lasting opportunities for entrepreneurs and residents. As a bank with deep roots in Buffalo, this work is at the heart of M&T’s commitment to the city we call home. We’re proud to support it.”
NBT Bank Western Region President Ken Pawlak said, “NBT Bank is proud to continue Evans Bank’s support of RRP, and this initiative is the perfect illustration of why. We are pleased to see that the focus on Buffalo East Side is continuing, and we are confident that this new investment will expand upon the East Side Avenues successes.”
About the Regional Revitalization Partnership
The Regional Revitalization Partnership (RRP) is a $300M comprehensive economic development strategy and public-private partnership that maximizes impact and leverages additional investment for Buffalo’s East Side, Niagara Falls and Rochester. This community-driven, collaborative strategy takes a holistic approach to economic development and is designed to build community wealth through multiple paths. The RRP was developed in collaboration with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development (ESD) and is supported by ESL, Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, Five Star Bank, KeyBank/First Niagara Foundation, William & Sheila Konar Foundation, M&T Bank, NBT Bank, John R. Oishei Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and partners in the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Rochester. RRP program implementation is led by the Center for Regional Strategies.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the State's 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development.
The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state's world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.