The 5/14 Memorial Foundation has begun the search for a construction management firm to help oversee development of the planned Living Memorial and Healing Center in Buffalo, marking a major step toward building a permanent tribute to victims of the 2022 mass shooting on Jefferson Avenue.
According to an announcement released this week, the foundation issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) inviting construction firms to participate in the development of the memorial project, which is planned for a site along Jefferson Avenue.
The memorial project carries an estimated total budget of $18 million, with construction expected to account for roughly $15 million of the overall cost. The selected construction management firm will support the development of the Living Memorial and Healing Center and help guide the project through planning, construction and completion.
According to the project’s RFQ announcement, the scope of work includes building a facility that incorporates indoor and outdoor commemorative spaces, areas for community programming and educational activities, landscaping and supporting infrastructure.
"The Foundation seeks firms with demonstrated experience delivering complex civic, cultural, memorial and community-centered facilities of similar scale and sensitivity," the release continued.
Construction leaders with experience managing public memorials, cultural facilities and community-focused buildings are expected to be among those submitting qualifications. The foundation has set a March 17 deadline for firms to submit their proposals.
The memorial design, titled “Seeing Us,” was created by designers Jin Young Song and Douglass Alligood following an extensive public design process that began in May 2023.
More than 20 design concepts were submitted during the months-long engagement effort before the final concept was selected.
The design features 10 interconnected pillars that will display the names and photos of the 10 victims who lost their lives during the racially motivated attack at the Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in 2022.
In addition to the outdoor memorial elements, the project also includes plans for a dedicated building that will host educational programming, exhibitions and community gatherings.
Officials say the new space will serve as both a memorial and a place for reflection, dialogue and healing for the Buffalo community and visitors from across the country.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul previously said the center is intended to become a location for education, exhibitions and events tied to the remembrance of the victims and broader conversations about racial justice and community resilience.
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The launch of the RFQ process marks an important milestone for the memorial initiative, which has been in planning stages since shortly after the tragic events of May 14, 2022.
Community members, victims’ families and local leaders have played a key role in shaping the vision for the memorial through a series of public meetings, workshops and design consultations over the past two years.
The Living Memorial and Healing Center is expected to serve multiple purposes: honoring the lives lost, educating future generations and providing a gathering place for community support and healing.
Once a construction management firm is selected, the foundation will move forward with detailed planning and scheduling to prepare the project for construction.
Project leaders say the memorial will stand as a lasting reminder of the victims while also reinforcing Buffalo’s commitment to unity, remembrance and community rebuilding in the aftermath of tragedy.
Originally reported by Spectrum News Staff City of Buffalo in Spectrum Local News.
