JCC Benderson building to remain open for three years

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo's Benderson Family Building at 2640 North Forest Road will not close in September, as originally scheduled.

Money has been secured to keep the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo's Benderson Family Building open for the next three years.

The JCC Board of Directors announced on May 30 that it had accepted a committee recommendation to operate the building for another three years, instead of closing it by Labor Day.

This decision was made after key benefactors committed $2.25 million to maintain programs in the Getzville building.

This decision means the JCC can pursue the planning, design, funding and construction of a new JCC facility in the Northtowns.

"This plan is a credit to the heartfelt passion and creativity of the JCC's membership, as well as the dedicated efforts of the Lease-Back Task Force," said Alan Feldman, executive director of the JCC. "This plan was made possible due to collaboration with, and the remarkable generosity of, several key JCC and community benefactors."

The Lease-Back Task Force, led by Dr. Kevin Kulick, a past president of the Jewish Federation, operated within the guidelines established by the board of directors, and devised the plan to keep the building open by funding anticipated operating deficits.

The $2.25 million Lease-Back Bridge Plan allows the JCC to sell the Benderson Family Building to the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies and the JCC will then lease the building for up to three years.

Proceeds of the sale enable the JCC to repay its debts, achieving its strategic plan objective of financial stability. The lease-back allows the JCC to provide for membership and program continuity at the Benderson building.

Some $1.8 million of the plan will be funded by several benefactors, including the Benderson family and other donors, who have established a 4:1 challenge grant. It requires the JCC to immediately secure broad community support in the form of both multi-year fundraising and membership commitments.

Specifically, the benefactors will donate $4 for every $1 the JCC raises in the form of upgraded membership commitments and direct contributions, over and above annual membership dues.

To optimize the challenge grant, and to fulfill the JCC's commitment to operate with financial stability, the JCC will need to secure $150,000 in annual pledges for each of the next three years. In addition, it is critical that the JCC stabilize its membership base by securing multi-year membership commitments, officials said..

George Gellman, a longtime JCC and community leader, has agreed to serve as the chairman of the new Northtowns Planning Committee, which will commence the planning process for a new facility within the next several weeks.

The Board of Directors is also committed to improving facilities and operations at the Holland Family Building on Delaware Avenue. The Holland Building Renovation Fund already contains some initial capital for this purpose and additional fundraising efforts will continue.

In addition, the Board of Directors has established a new Financial Oversight Committee with the stated objective of enhancing donor confidence and ensuring the agency's ongoing financial stability. Richard Zakalik, a JCC board member, has agreed to serve as the committee's chairman and will facilitate the committee's efforts with the JCC's professional management to mitigate the risk of future unfunded deficits.