Buffalo's Artspace on Main Street is expected to be the home for the city's Arts and Technology Center.
Sponsors and directors told WBFO's Jim Pastrick the Center has a well-defined mission.
In April of 2009, representatives from Buffalo's public and private sector wanted to learn more about Pittsburgh's Manchester Craftsman's Guild.
The Buffalo undertaking, which will be modeled after a highly successful, 40-year-old program that has found great success in Pittsburgh. A two-pronged template for social change, the program was developed by Manchester Bidwell Corporation President, Bill Strickland.
"The whole idea of this center is to work with one kid at a time and one adult at a time," said Strickland.
The program will offer after-school visual arts programs for at-risk urban high school students and health care training for adults.
The Buffalo Arts and Technology Center is a collaborative effort of the John R. Oshei Foundation, First Niagara Financial Group, Empire State Development Corporation and Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
John Koelmel, President and CEO of First Niagara Financial Group, said the center will offer training geared toward specific positions at the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus and local health care sector.
"To have the opportunity to leverage the success that Bill Strickland has had with this program in Pittsburgh
and other parts of the country is incredibly exciting, said Koelmel.
Koelmel was joined Monday by Robert Gioia, President of the Oshei Foundation, representatives from the public and private sectors, and Buffalo Schools Interim Superintendent Amber Dixon for Monday's announcement.
More than $3 million in seed money from funding from the public and private sector has been allocated for the center.
Artspace Buffalo is expected to open later this year.