Planning Board Approves Jemal’s Black Rock Academy Project

The historic three-story structure at 101 Hertel Ave. will be transformed into 40 studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 22 two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom apartment. Units will range in size from 387 square feet to 1,223 square feet.

The $15 million project will also include a fitness room and tenant storage in the basement, as well as indoor and outdoor bike storage. An outdoor courtyard will be located on the first floor. And there will be 55 surface parking spaces in the fenced-in rear lot available for separate rental, with a driveway entrance from Guernsey.

Located at the southwest corner of Hertel and Guernsey streets, three blocks from Niagara Street, the 1.74-acre site with the former Buffalo Public School 51 is the subject of a development agreement for Jemal to acquire from the city for $354,000, but a formal purchase agreement is still pending and the deal has not yet closed.

Jemal initially presented the proposal to the Planning Commission in March, but had to obtain a zoning variance for residential density before returning for final approval.

The school complex consists of two connected brick buildings, with the original Renaissance Revival-style structure designed by William W. Johnson and built in 1894–95, followed by an additional Tudor Revival-style wing designed by Ernest Crimi and built in 1927–28. It later became Black Rock Academy, serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade, until its closure in 2005.