Buffalo Student Housing Project Gets Extension
Contractors and developers in Buffalo should expect shifted timelines on university-linked work while financing for the project is resolved.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Construction
Live Poll
Do you trust local officials to keep major construction projects on track in your area?
Buffalo's City Planning Board approved a one-year extension for Uniland Development's student-housing building for D'Youville University, which was delayed by financing problems. The project is planned for 443 West Ave., and operators in construction and real estate development in the city should note the revised timeline.
Why it matters
The extension was needed because of delays in financing, not changes to the project's scope or design, which have stayed the same. D'Youville is prioritizing renovations at 285 Delaware Ave. for its College of Osteopathic Medicine ahead of the student housing, so contractors and developers in Buffalo should expect sequencing to shift rather than the underlying plan.
The Planning Board granted a one-year extension for the student-housing project at 443 West Ave., after the developer, Uniland Development Co., faced financing delays. Design and permitting for the project have moved ahead of schedule, and the project scope has not changed.
The players
D'Youville University
A private Buffalo university whose College of Osteopathic Medicine is being housed in the renovated building at 285 Delaware Ave.
Uniland Development Co.
A Buffalo-based real estate developer that holds the approved construction extension for the student-housing building.
Buffalo City Planning Board
The city body that reviews and approves development projects and granted the one-year extension.
The details
The Planning Board approved the extension for Uniland Development Co.'s construction of the student-housing building, which is planned for 443 West Ave. In the meantime, D'Youville is renovating a former office building at 285 Delaware Ave. to house its College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the university is prioritizing completion of that work before the housing project begins. Because the project design and scope have not changed, the extension mainly moves the timeline rather than the plan itself.
Timeline
Spring 2027: renovation of 285 Delaware Ave. is scheduled to finish.
Summer 2027: the College of Osteopathic Medicine building is expected to open.
Next year (2027): officials hope to begin construction of the student housing.
Market Landscape
The Buffalo Planning Board's one-year extension follows a familiar pattern where schedule relief is granted for financing delays while design and scope remain intact. For operators in the local construction market, it signals that approved projects can receive time rather than being sent back for re-review when capital is slow to arrive.
Contractors and subcontractors working on Buffalo university-linked projects should expect the student-housing schedule to slip while the 285 Delaware Ave. renovation takes priority. Developers should plan around financing timelines, since an approved extension preserves the project but does not resolve the capital delay itself.
The takeaway
The key operating insight is that approved Buffalo projects can keep their permits and design while timelines shift, so schedule and cash-flow planning should be revisited whenever financing moves. Operators should track the spring 2027 completion at 285 Delaware Ave. as the signal for when student-housing work is likely to be ready to proceed.
What happens next
Officials hope to begin construction of the student-housing building next year, and renovation at 285 Delaware Ave. is slated to finish in spring 2027.
Further reading
For more context on how local projects like this move through approvals, see Construction coverage in Buffalo.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Buffalo News.
Live Poll
Do you trust local officials to keep major construction projects on track in your area?
