The Buffalo Public Schools district is celebrating a major milestone on its new food commissary, a project district leaders say will bring fresher meals to students across the city. But across the street from the ceremony, community advocates were calling for something more; a binding commitment that the project will also benefit the neighborhood around it.
District leaders commemorated the placement of the final steel beam for the 61,000-square-foot facility, which will serve students across the district. The commissary will allow the district to use the cook-chill food preparation method, prepare more meals from scratch in large quantities, and use locally sourced ingredients from area farms and other suppliers.
Superintendent Pascal Mubenga said the project responds to years of concerns about school food.
“As we've been complaining for several years, the quality of the food, I think this is going to be one of the solutions for us," he said.
But just across the street, parents, students and community advocates held a rally of their own.
They said they support the commissary but are concerned a major food facility is being built in a neighborhood facing poverty and food insecurity without a binding commitment for local jobs, neighborhood reinvestment and food programs.
"If you're building a food commissary building, you would definitely want to benefit the people around it. It only makes sense," said Rehma Kashindi, a recent BPS high school graduate.
Advocates say a community benefits agreement was discussed earlier in the process but never made it into the lease with construction group McGuire Development.
Jessica Bauer Walker, co-chair of the Community Health Worker Parent and Student Association, said community members have been waiting, but they’re seeing no benefits as construction progresses.
“The clock is ticking, the building is building, and you know our community doesn't have jobs. There's been no commitment to the neighborhood or reinvesting,” she said.
Mubenga said McGuire Development is following the board-approved agreement, but he plans to bring the developer and community members back to the table.
In the meantime, community members said they want to see investment in more than the commissary.
"When you're looking at how many millions are making off the top, and then with the lease — $53 million — you can't tell me that you can't afford to give something back to the community and make sure that there is longevity, there's good success for the people that live around here and for these students," said community activist Denise Barr.
Construction for the commissary is expected to be completed by May 2027.
