BUTLER, N.Y. — The Wayne County Industrial Development Agency (WCIDA) has announced that Westbury Lumber Company, a distributor of hardwood lumber for cabinets, flooring, and building materials, will now take over the abandoned Butler Correctional Facility.

Butler Correctional Facility was owned and operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services from 1989 through 2014 as a minimum and medium security campus, which is located in Butler and comprised of approximately two hundred acres of property. The facility closed after budget cuts from the state and a staffing crisis. 

The decision was made on August 27th, following years of interest from Westbury Lumber’s owner, Jason Smith, whose adjacent operations have been running in Butler for two decades.

Westbury Lumber plans to repurpose much of the 201-acre facility, focusing on expansion and storage. Jason Smith, owner of Westbury Lumber, emphasized that the redevelopment will support the company’s growth from its high-end Northeast markets into global markets.