​​​​BUFFALO, N.Y. — ​The Marine Drive Apartments in downtown Buffalo are getting an entirely new apartment building, rather than refurbishing the existing property.

The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority says the 72-year-old apartments need new construction after a physical evaluation of the seven current residential towers.

"Often, when cities revitalize obsolete public housing, it is the residents who suffer. That will not happen here," said BMHA Executive Director Gillian D. Brown. "Mayor Byron Brown, the BMHA Board, and I remain committed to the promise of keeping all 616 affordable units on this site. Every current resident will have the opportunity to live in the revitalized Marine Drive Apartments."

Mayor Byron Brown says the first phase of new construction will take place on the development’s surface parking lot, with an anticipated start by early 2024.

"I’m committed to a transformation of Marine Drive that preserves affordable housing for existing and future residents while providing a high quality of life in a burgeoning neighborhood on our waterfront," Mayor Brown said. "I believe Buffalo’s waterfront can be a model for equitable development. After months of in-depth analysis, the development team is now presenting to the residents its vision for the best way to achieve these goals. I look forward to hearing the feedback from residents and working with them to create a shared vision for the transformation of Marine Drive."

Mayor Brown said the project will create hundreds of construction jobs.

Tentative plans call for the first group of residents to relocate to new units in late 2025. The existing towers will be demolished as they are vacated to clear the way for the next phase of construction. Current residents will then be able to move directly from their current apartments to their new units.