WCA Home may have new tenant | News, Sports, Jobs

The WCA Home was closed in 2023.

There is a potential tenant for the shuttered WCA Home, according to Fredonia Trustee Jon Espersen.

During his regular report at last week’s Board of Trustees meeting, Espersen briefly mentioned a meeting he had with WCA officials about the possible new tenant. He did not name the interested party.

“They are going through zoning before they want to make an announcement,” he told the OBSERVER Tuesday. Asked to elaborate, Espersen replied that he thinks permits will be necessary for the building’s new use.

Some secrecy surrounding the proposal is probably not surprising, given the outcry that resulted over the initial WCA Home reuse plan. Dennis Rak wanted to house migrant workers that he employs. However, people who live near the Temple Street facility blasted the plan and it never happened.

The WCA board announced the closing of the long-term care home in January 2023 for financial reasons. It put the property up for sale in April 2023. Rak’s proposal came that August.

In March 2024, Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson reported that a veterans organization was interested in using the home for vets who need assisted living care. That proposal has also not happened, with nothing reported about it since.