By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

Plans to construct a housing complex geared to students at Erie Community College's Amherst campus have reached a crossroads.

Queries from some members of the Amherst Town Board and directors of the Amherst Industrial Development Agency delayed a request by the developer, 205 Youngs Road LLC - an affiliate of Zaepfel Development Co. - for a tax-incentive package. The company says the incentives are crucial to the student housing complex.

The package was slated to be on the agenda for the IDA meeting Dec. 9 but was withdrawn at Zaepfel's request. The town board approved the project this summer.

"We are getting more information together," Vice President Greg Zaepfel said.

His company wants to construct a three-story, 150,000-square-foot building that would house up to 409 students. The project would cost $17 million and is slated for a vacant Youngs Road parcel across the street from ECC's Amherst campus.

Student housing is considered a key amenity as the college looks to increase its student population. 

ECC wants more private sector-developed student housing options for the Amherst and Orchard Park campuses. A development plan in Orchard Park is making its way through that town.

In downtown Buffalo, architect-developer Jake Schneider converted a century-old Oak Street warehouse into loft-style apartments geared to ECC students who attend classes on the city campus.

Zaepfel said because of economics, tax incentives are needed to make the Amherst project financially viable.

"The risk and rewards of doing student housing (are) higher than other projects," he said.

Some say the incentives are not needed and the project should be able to stand on its own economic feet.

Not true, according to Zaepfel.

"ECC is a two-year college, so you have a shorter window to get the students as tenants," he said.

The project was designed to look more like an urban village than a cookie-cutter student housing project.

"We want this to be a marquee development not only in Amherst but the entire community," he said.

He added that if he can meet with the IDA and Amherst Town Board in the next few weeks, he would ask that the incentive package be considered at the IDA's meeting in January.