Amherst Survival Center Purchases Roosters Restaurant
Beloved Amherst institution will gain fresh life as center’s new home
The Amherst Survival Center announced today that it has purchased the former Roosters Restaurant at 138 Sunderland Road in North Amherst as the site for an expanded center.
Since 1975, the Amherst Survival Center has provided services from the basement of a schoolhouse located at 1200 North Pleasant Street, just ¼ mile south of the new location. In recent years, demand for the organization’s services has more than doubled, straining the limited capacity of its small space.
In response, the center’s Board of Directors formed a Facilities Planning Committee last fall to assess possible options. After exploring over 30 potential sites, the committee identified the former Roosters as an ideal location for center expansion.
“The property meets all of our major criteria including affordability, location and access by public transportation,” said Cheryl Zoll, Executive Director of the Survival Center. “The move will allow us to more effectively deliver basic needs services to our clients over the long term.”
The project will involve renovation of the existing structure as well as construction of additional space in order to accommodate the full range of Center activities. The planning, fundraising and building phases are projected to take 2-3 years in total.
