AIDS agency scrubs addition plans
AIDS Community Services announced Thursday it will drop plans to build a 24,000- square-foot addition on the historic Roanoke Hotel because of rising construction costs and state budget cuts.
The organization proposed in 2006 a project for renovating the historic building on South Elmwood Avenue where it is headquartered and building an adjacent facility to accommodate its increased caseload.
However, officials said construction bids have come in much higher than anticipated, partly the result of a large rise in the price of steel and other building materials.
The agency now plans to focus on a more thorough renovation and reconfiguration of the Roanoke, which the agency bought for $1.8 million in 2007.
“We need to move forward and invest in the current space that we have. If the economy changes, we may consider expansion again because the need for more space is still there,” said Christopher Voltz, director of marketing and special projects.
Voltz said the agency’s board of trustees considered the latest decision the fiscally responsible move to make given the changes in construction costs.
“We can still accomplish our goals, although space will be tighter,” Voltz said.
Founded in 1983, when the first HIV/AIDS cases were documented here, AIDS Community Services grew into a major health care provider after it set up operations in the Roanoke in 1996.
The organization’s mission has centered around education, treatment and support services, with a caseload of more than 1,000 people across Western New York. Its program expansion plans remain unchanged.
Voltz said the organization will reconfigure the 30,000 square feet of space in the Roanoke to expand its primary care facility, Evergreen Health Services; start an adult day health care program; expand mental health and nutritional assistance programs; collaborate on research with local universities; and start a new literacy program with other organizations in the community.
The work is expected to start soon and cost $1.5 million to $1.8 million. He said the agency may lease space elsewhere to house administrative offices.
