Parishioners of St. Ann’s
Church and Shrine have been successful in their petition to the Vatican to halt
the Diocese of Buffalo from demolishing their beloved church on Broadway and
Emslie. The Vatican has sided with the parishioners, which is great news for
slowing the threat of demolition, but presents a significant challenge to
redeveloping the site.
The decree from the Vatican
states that the church cannot be used for a “profane” (non-religious) use and
any attempts to court a developer for rehabilitating the site for anything else
will not be allowed. While the decree adds a layer of protection it also means
any plans repurposing the church for a new use are no longer on the table…for
now. That does not extend the empty school and convent buildings.
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| The former school spans the entire width of the block and is completely underutilized |
Unhappy with the decision,
the Diocese of Buffalo will file an appeal with the highest juridical body
within the Vatican. In the mean time the use of the church is now under the
discretion of the bishop.
Although the decree seems to
throw a wrench in the redevelopment plans, many are hopeful. “I think there are
ways that this could work and a good redevelopment project could still happen
there,” said Tom Yots of Preservation Buffalo Niagara.
He continued, “The negative aspect
in this situation is that it will delay things and we feel the project needs to
move forward because the building requires stabilization.” Yots went on to say
that the Diocese has been very cooperative as the two organizations are working
together on a plan for the complex and their discussions have been very open.
For some additional backstory on the situation, check out this link.
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