The Buffalo-based non-profit has launched a campaign to purchase its brick-and-mortar location at 2626 Main St., with plans to establish a vital civic campus that empowers the community and continues to build out Western New York’s sharing and repairing economy.
What you need to know:
- The Tool Library has launched a capital campaign to raise $1 million for the purchase and renovation of the historic building it currently rents at 2626 Main Street, which became its new home in June 2023.
- The effort will establish vital civic infrastructure in an architecturally significant building located at a vital crossroads in Buffalo. It’s a commitment to enhancing community resilience and ensuring the sustained effectiveness of The Tool Library’s programs.
- Renovation plans encompass restoring the building’s historic character, installing new exterior signage, improving energy efficiency, reconfiguring the interior layout and enhancing streetscape and site amenities to infuse vibrancy into the surroundings.
- True to The Tool Library’s mission, renovations will serve as learning opportunities for both community members and volunteers. DIY workshops will coincide with major improvements — ranging from masonry to electrical work — providing hands-on experiences for individuals to acquire new skills.
- Renovations will pave the way to a larger and more diverse tool inventory, dedicated space to expand Dare to Repair Cafés to more people, as well as sought-after DIY workshops and educational programs — both of which have long been requested by the community but lacked appropriate space.
- Anticipated completion of the building purchase is slated for this year, paving the way for renovations to begin in 2025.
The vision for 2626 Main Street
The Tool Library is a volunteer-powered nonprofit that provides access to a wide range of tools without the need for individual ownership, promoting sustainability, cost-effectiveness and community sharing.
With members from 80 zip codes across Western New York, the organization empowers people to build the world they want to live in, making it more affordable for people to repair their homes, grow their own food and improve their communities.
“After 13 years of renting, we’re ready to plant our roots at 2626 Main Street and build a space that truly meets our needs and the needs of our community,” said Darren Cotton, the founder and executive director of The Tool Library. “More than four times the size of our previous location, this is more than just a building — it is our home — and a springboard to making sharing, repairing and caring the norm and not the exception in Buffalo and across Western New York.”
Purchasing and renovating 2626 Main Street will bring a multitude of benefits to the organization and the communities it serves. The vision for the building includes:
- The Second floor will become dedicated office space for Tool Library staff, additional office space for a nonprofit incubator, and a three-bedroom apartment which will provide high-quality affordable housing in the neighborhood.
- The First Floor will continue to serve as The Tool Library’s base of operations, but will also be redesigned, reorganized and reconstructed to allow for more inventory, as well as dedicated event and community meeting space for sought-after DIY workshops and educational programs.
- The basement will be transformed into a dedicated on-site workshop for larger stationary tools, as well as a dedicated repair and recycling space to continue to grow a commitment to a circular economy.
- The large 11,000sq/ft parking lot that will help the organization meet its current and future needs by providing flexible exterior storage and outdoor event space for workshops, fundraisers, tool sales and community events, as well as space for future expansion.
- Two unloved and long neglected pocket parks in front of the property provide an opportunity to create an outdoor educational space and community food forest.
“With accessibility at the heart of what we do at The Tool Library, our location across the street from the Amherst Metro Station and at a critical east-west crossroads of four different neighborhoods ensures that even more people have access to the tools they need to thrive,” noted Cotton. “As our permanent home, 2626 Main Street will be a place where community members gather, learn, grow and share.”
About the Tool Library’s capital campaign
The campaign for 2626 Main Street has two distinct phases: acquisition and renovation. As part of The Tool Library’s current 14-month lease, it has retained an exclusive option to purchase the property at the end of the lease for $485,000. The organization anticipates $15,000 in legal and
closing costs, for a total Phase 1 cost of $500,000. Phase 2 encompasses $500,000 in expenses to make critical renovations to the property.
The Tool Library is actively seeking a mix of funding sources — private philanthropy, public funds, corporate partnerships, and individual donors — to realize its vision. Already, the organization has secured $25,000 in predevelopment support from the Paul and Dorothy Borenstein Memorial Foundation and $50,000 in funding from the Cummings Foundation. Additionally, The Tool Library is dedicating $50,000 in organizational equity to support the acquisition of 2626 Main Street.
To support The Tool Library’s campaign to purchase and renovate 2626 Main Street, visit https://givebutter.com/2626