A Silver Creek eyesore is closer to getting a major facelift. Late last month, state Sen. George Borrello announced $4.6 million in funding for the former Silver Creek school that sits empty on Main Street.

An affordable senior housing project is only one of 30 nationwide to get the grant from the Department of housing and Urban Development. The proposed Silver Creek Senior Apartments project, led by Region 9 UAW Housing Corp., would transform the building into a 47-unit apartment building for those 55 and over. All units in the complex would serve seniors with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Fifteen apartments would be set aside for the frail elderly.

“From the start, I saw the potential to transform this former school into critically needed housing for our area’s seniors, despite the deterioration that has occurred during the 40 years it has stood vacant,” Borrello said. “Ideally situated in a wonderful, walkable community with services nearby, this project would serve a need that has gone unmet for decades and allow many seniors to access supportive housing in their own community, close to family and friends.”

This project, which has been decades in the making, has the potential to change a neighborhood in a village that could use a shot in the arm.