Ed Hogle needed a plan for the several buildings he owns near Buffalo State and Medaille College.

"There are approximately 22,000 part-time, full-time students. Why not build student housing?" said developer Hogle.

However, it costs a lot of money to heat such large buildings.

Steve Young, one of Hogle's colleagues, has used vegetable oil to run his pickup truck for years.

Together they're teaming up.

"We're basically pretty simple guys," said Hogle.

So take a guess at what will heat all 125,000 square feet of this building?

Vegetable oil. The oil is collected from local restaurants like Jim's Steakout.

"They pour it into a drum behind the restaurant for me and I show up in my truck and I hook a hose up to it turn on the pump, pump it right into my tank, and drive away," said Alternative Energy Researcher Steve Young.

The reason for it all?

"I'm basically pretty cheap," said Hogle.

"Petroleum-based diesel fuel releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the vegetable-based fuel, it's somewhere upwards of 80% less," said Young.

Rock Harbor Commons will eventually house 1,500 students over the next five years.

The housing complex will include solar heat panels along with a food court, game room and theatre.

Young uses a biodiesel processor, he built, to convert the oil.

"So biodiesel is actually diesel fuel. You can use it in your fuel oil furnace, your diesel generator, your diesel cars... anything," said Young.

Hogle and Young don't know yet how many gallons of oil it will take to heat the entire building, it will all be trial and error.

"It sure isn't rocket science, it is amazing," said Hogle.

Students are already taking to the appeal of living in a place that runs on on french fry oil.

"It's unreal that are showing up to see what we're doing," said Hogle.

Rock Harbor Commons is located on 31 Tonawanda Street and only available to college and graduate students. If interested you can pick up an application starting November 15th or call 876-0900. Housing is set to open in August 2009.