Plans for the new Emerson Two high school are moving forward, with a meeting Tuesday.
The plan for the new Emerson School of Hospitality has been on a slow track to the point it is not likely to open in the fall of next year, which was the original target date.
The Buffalo School Board awarded the contract and lease plan to an alliance of McGuire Development and Mark Croce's Buffalo Development to rehab a 19th-century livery stable on West Huron Street, next to Croce's Curtiss Hotel. It is also across a parking lot from the current Emerson on Chippewa.
The curriculum will be different, although rooted in food and beverage. Associate Superintendent James Weimer said the design inside has to be locked down.
"It's gonna look quite a bit different, as we've discussed in the board meetings, and so it's important and we know it's important that we get moving on this right away because we do have students at School 28 who are gonna be ready to move at some point as soon as we can get it complete," Weimer said.
Weimer said the Emerson Annex this year will have three classes and two kitchens to get the students ready in their program, which leans to hospitality and hotel management.
He said it is likely that students in the new school will spend part of this school year, and perhaps some of next, in the current Emerson.
"We plan on at some point trying to provide those students with a opportunity to cycle through some of our programming at Chippewa Street, so that they're not completely in the dark about what we do there, and it will give us the ability, hopefully starting some time in this January, so that we can give them that experience." he said.
The renovation project for the old Miller Livery Stable is slated to cost more than $30 million for the building to lease to the school system.
