West Side Buffalo resident Delores Powell and her four children are enjoying a stay at Disney World in Florida while their home at 228 Massachusetts Avenue gets a much needed redo. In truth, it’s the plot of land the single mother’s house sits on that is being redone because the house – slated for demolition before Powell bought it – is coming down, with all of its problems, and a new house will go up in its stead.
All of this, courtesy of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Powell is a native of Jamaica, has been here 20 years, has children who attend Buffalo Public Schools, and is a community activist with People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH). How appropriate then that she who helps others, gets help herself.
The house that stands at 228 is being dismantled by Buffalo ReUse (as we write this) – with only 20 hours to spare before the building team, David Homes, arrives.
According to our sources, Mayor Byron Brown was instrumental in seeing that the new home being built would be a prototype for a sort of “new Buffalo urban house” in that designers and architects were asked to create a model that can be applied to citywide in-fill housing. It will be a green, narrow lot house – only 20′ wide for its 30′ lot, and will combine traditional and modern elements.
Once ReUse is done working their magic, PUSH Buffalo, AmeriCorps, the City of Buffalo and David Homes will be doing extensive work, with about 5,000 volunteers that will include dozens of adjacent properties. More information on those upgrades will be available as the project continues.
The Powells’ new home is expected to be completed in one week.