OBSERVER file photo Pictured is a rendering of the proposed senior housing facility to be constructed at the site of the former Silver Creek school.

SILVER CREEK — The next step was taken at a recent meeting regarding a major project in the village.

The Village Board accepted the Planning Board’s approval for a proposed project to rebuild the Main Street School building, located at 60 Main St., into a senior housing facility.

Mayor Jeff Hornburg was also authorized to sign any documents pertaining to funding, grants, and the rebuilding of the Main Street School property.

The project will provide 54 units of senior housing in the village. It requires a full demolition of the current building, which has remained vacant for decades with a litany of structural concerns.

The project was previously set to move forward before Region 9 backed out at the last minute due to issues associated with keeping the current structure.

Allen Handelman, of Park Grove Realty in Rochester, said of the current structure, “We’ve been through it. Others have been through it. It’s past its life cycle and then beyond.”

The plans for the project were presented to the Planning Board on Oct. 23 by Park Grove Realty and Southern Tier Environments for Living. The entities are seeking assistance from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency through tax breaks and a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) agreement.

If the new plans receive the necessary assistance, ground breaking is targeted for Fall 2024, with an official opening in early 2026.

Also of note, the Village of Silver Creek recently accepted two resignations from the Planning Board, leaving just five members on the Board, in addition to a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals created by the appointment of Kathy Tampio as a Village Trustee.

The Village is urging any residents interested in becoming a member of either Board to submit a letter of interest to the Village Clerk’s office.