Labor union purchases medical offices for rapidly growing training programs Plumbers hope to add 80 new apprentices

By Jonathan D. Epstein NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER

The local plumbers labor union has bought a former West Seneca medical office building to house its growing technical and jobs­training program. United Association of Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 22 paid $1.15 million to acquire the 35,405­square­foot, single­ story brick building at 120 Gardenville Parkway. The 1,500­member union bought it from Rochester­based Excellus Health Plan, parent of Univera Healthcare, the longtime owner. The 7.6­acre property, located near Union Road and the Aurora Expressway, is twice the size of the union’s current facility, at 3651 California Road in Orchard Park. About 90 percent of the union’s current location is used for training apprentices and journeymen to work in the union’s plumbing, steamfitting, HVAC and welding trades. As the training program has increased in size and become more technologically complex, the union has “just grown out of space,” said business manager Mike McNally. The union’s training budget, which is funded by its members, is currently $1.2 million and McNally said officials expect to increase that by 20 percent. There are currently 150 apprentices in the five­year program – up from 100 a decade ago – and the goal is to add another 80, he added. That requires more space for technology and equipment. “It’s just been a steady pace,” he said. “We have just steadily grown and obviously increased our training available not only to journeypersons but also apprentices, having highly skilled people coming out of the apprentice program.” The building, which had been subdivided into medical clinics, will be adapted for training union members in various fields, with a strong emphasis on welding and HVAC services. McNally said the union will spend an additional $3 million to gut and remodel the entire building to meet industry standards, with 51 welding booths to certify workers in 17 processes. “If you want something, and you can’t find it, you have to create it, and that’s what we’re doing – creating that highly skilled individual,” McNally said. The union expects to relocate to the new site late this year.

“The training of skilled tradespeople in our region is critical to the Buffalo area’s economic health, so reuse of a health care facility for this purpose was absolutely perfect,” said David Schiller SIOR of Pyramid Brokerage Company, who represented the seller in the transaction. Meanwhile, Schiller and his son, Ben Schiller of Pyramid, are now marketing the union’s former offices. The 16,700­square­foot industrial warehouse, near Route 219, includes office space, a training room and an exhaust and air filtration system.

email: jepstein@buf news.com