Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) Buffalo headquarters in the Nash Lofts, a newly renovated building located in Buffalo’s Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. The office space is being provided rent-free by the developer, along with free parking for visitors to the Corridor. Nash Lofts, a $6 million restoration project, is a 40,000 square-foot mixed-use building that will include 18 new apartments, commercial space, parking and a restaurant. The project functions as a gateway into the Michigan Street African American Corridor, which is a nationally – and internationally – recognized neighborhood that serves as the focal point for residents and visitors interested in learning about Buffalo’s rich history through its historic community, shops, restaurants, architecture, people, and institutions.
“I am proud to welcome the NAACP to its new home in Buffalo’s Michigan Street African American Corridor,” Governor Hochul said. “The restoration of the Nash Lofts is a key step in strengthening this historic neighborhood and will make the perfect home for the NAACP as it continues to fight for equality, justice and a better future for us all.”
Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin said, “I am ecstatic about the NAACP finding its new headquarters in this already historic neighborhood. Now more than ever, it is important we provide unhindered access to resources groups like the NAACP provide for our marginalized communities. I look forward to seeing the NAACP continue to add to Buffalo’s development and culture.”
For more than a century the NAACP has worked to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of all people and to eliminate race-based discrimination. Recent incidents of police brutality, the fight against COVID-19, and voter suppression have driven the NAACP to disrupt inequality, dismantle racism, and accelerate change in key areas including criminal justice, health care, education, climate and the economy.
“The NAACP appreciates the opportunity to have its offices located in the Nash Lofts. These renovated historic buildings will remind us of the past but will also allow us to celebrate the future of the vibrant African American Heritage Corridor. We thank Governor Hochul, Mayor Brown and all the state and local official who made the NAACP’s move to its new headquarters possible.” said NAACP Buffalo Branch President Reverend Mark Blue
The historic significance of the buildings at 163-167 Broadway and 64 Nash (circa 1820s and 1880s) remain a powerful reminder of New York’s vast and influential history. Located in the heart of Buffalo in the Ellicott District just east of the downtown core, the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is a rich and culturally noteworthy place for both the African American community and the greater Buffalo-Niagara region.
The project restores four buildings that have been vacant for more than 15 years. It includes 18 units of mixed income apartments, a full-service minority and women owned restaurant and cultural space, rentable commercial space, including space specifically designated for minority and women owned businesses and representative tenants of the community. The entire project will encourage job creation and business investment in an area that has seen significant decline in investment for more than 50 years.
