The Aloma D. Johnson Fruit Belt Community Charter School is moving into North Buffalo.The school is currently packed into the Bennett W. Smith Family Life Center of Saint John Baptist Church. It will be moving in the fall to a building at Main and Jewett originally built for the landmark Central Presbyterian Church.
The church was used for two successive schools, most recently the now-closed Mount Saint Joseph's Academy.
The building is now owned by Ellicott Development Company and will be leased to Aloma D. Johnson. Ellicott CEO William Paladino says it is in good shape.
"There is no gym in there. But the classrooms, the church, the sanctuary area, the cafeteria...it's pretty much set up for a school as Mount Saint Joe's used to operate in the facility. So, except for some change of carpets, put some paint on the walls, the transformation to use the facility for Aloma has been rather simple given the prior uses and what the structure was originally constructed for," Paladino says.
Ellicott has experience since it has built one charter and renovated buildings for two others. Paladino says there are some financing issues since charters are only licensed by Albany for up to five years. He says Ellicott will handle the financing itself.
