1st Quarter 2002
ECONOMIC & BUSINESS
Eastman Kodak Company Dividend-- Eastman Kodak Company announced that employees will receive a Wage Dividend payment equal to 2% of their 2001 pay. The Wage Dividend, estimated at $32 million, will be paid on April 5 to approximately 29,800 employees in the United States. In the Rochester area, approximately 24,000 employees will share in an estimated Wage Dividend payment of $26 million. Last year, Kodak paid a $55 million Wage Dividend to 32,800 employees. The payment was equal to 3.5% of 2000 wages and salaries. (1/24)
Xerox Corporation-- Xerox Corporation reported fourth-quarter revenue of $4.3 billion, 13% lower than fourth-quarter 2000, including a 26% revenue decline in its developing markets operations. Fourth-quarter earnings were 15 cents per share, excluding restructuring charges. For the year, Xerox reported a 2001 net loss of 43 cents per share of $293 million. Revenues in 2001 were $16.5 billion, compared with $18.7 billion in 2000. (1/28)
Xerox Corporation Employment-- Xerox Corporation announced it will eliminate some 500 jobs in Monroe County by March. It will cut approximately 300 salaried workers by March 24, and eliminate 230 union jobs by March 17. The local reductions are part of an ongoing more than $1 billion restructuring begun last October. (1/24)
Bausch & Lomb Inc.-- Bausch & Lomb reported fourth quarter net sales during the period were $452 million, down from $465.1 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2000. Full year 2001 reported revenues were $1,711.9 million, down 3% from the 1,772.4 million reported in 2000. The company reported a net loss of $8 million, or 15 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $5 million, or 9 cents per share, in the prior year's fourth quarter. Full year 2001 reported net earnings were $21.2 million, or 39 cents per share, compared to $83.4 million, or $1.52 per share, in 2000. Reported earnings from continuing operations were $13.1 million, or 24 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2001 compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $6.4 million, or 12 cents per share, in the prior year. For the full year, reported earnings from continuing operations were $42 million, or 78 cents per share, as compared to $82 million, or $1.49 per share, in the prior year. (1/24)
Paychex Inc.-- Paychex Inc. announced net income of $67 million, or $.18 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended February 28, 2002, an 1% increase over net income of $66.4 million, or $.18 diluted earnings per share, for the same period last year. Total revenues were $242.8 million, a 6% increase over $229.3 million for the third quarter last year. For the nine months ended February 28, 2002, the Company reported record net income of $205.9 million, or $.54 diluted earnings per share, a 10% increase over $187.1 million, or $.50 diluted earnings per share, for the same period last year. Total revenues were $710.6 million, an increase of 11% over $641.2 million for the same period last year. (3/19)
Area Unemployment-- According to the state Labor Department, the Rochester area's unemployment rate was 5.3% in December, up from 5% in November and 3.7% in December of 2000. The 5.3% for December translates to 30,100 jobless people in the six-county region. The number of people employed in the Rochester metropolitan area in December of 2001 was 532,300. The statewide unemployment rate in December was 5.8%. The Rochester area lost 12,400 jobs - or 2.3% - between January 2001 and January 2002. The area unemployment rate in January was 6.3%, up from 4.5% in January 2000. According to state figures, Rochester lost an estimated 7,600 manufacturing jobs as well as 3,400 jobs in the service industries. (1/18, 3/6) Monroe County's traditional Big Three, Eastman Kodak Co., Xerox Corp. and Bausch & Lomb Inc. dropped 3,050 employees from their local payrolls in 2001. The three companies were responsible for most local layoffs in 2001. As of December 31, Kodak had 23,600 local employees, down from 24,600 the previous year. Xerox's local staffing fell 13,350 to 11,500 in 2001. Bausch & Lomb's local workers totaled 1,300 at the end of 2001, down from 1,500 the previous year. Losses at the Big Three were offset by the addition of 301 local employees at several area businesses. (3/15)
Area Airline Travel-- AirTran Airways, the nation's second largest low-fare air carrier, will start service from the Greater Rochester International Airport in March of 2002. AirTran Airways will serve 19 of the 25 top U.S. destinations for Rochester with 324 flights a day to 36 cities throughout the eastern United States. New York state will provide $2 million for infrastructure and other capital improvements at the airport. In addition, the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce worked to secure passenger commitments from local businesses to spend between $2 million and $3 million on AirTran service in the coming year. (1/23)
Area Senior Housing Update-- Local developers plan to start building more than 1,000 senior-living housing units in the local market within the next year or so, at an estimated cost of more than $118 million. The new projects are in addition to more than 600 units that have been built over the last year or are being finished. The new projects include: $21 million Baywinde Senior Living Community in Penfield, the proposed 430-unit St. Ann's Community in Webster, $9 million Episcopal Senior Life Communities project in Gates, $12 million Legacy at Park Crescent in Greece and the proposed 172-unit Cloverwood project in Pittsford. The US Census Bureau expects that by 2025 the elderly population in the United States will jump nearly 80%, compared with a 15% growth of working-age adults and children. (3/22)
Area Home Sales-- According to the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, single-family home sales rose 3.1% in December compared with a year ago. The median price of a house in 2001 jumped 9% to $94,000. The volume of house sales in the region was $1.32 billion in 2001, up from $1.28 billion in 2000. According to the association, the number of houses listed for sale in January was 1,799, a 49% increase from 878 in December. The number of accepted purchase offers rose 7.5% between January 2001 and January 2002. The median price of a house in January was $89,000, up 2.3% from January 2000. The association expects a 3% increase in sales in 2002. Single-family home sales rose 24% in February compared with a year ago. Homes listed for sale, however, fell 18% from January and 10% compared with February 2001. Year-to-date closings were up 5% from last year. (1/5, 2/14, 3/15)
Area New Construction-- According to the Rochester Building and Construction Trades Council, last year the area spent $957.4 million on construction projects, 15% less than the $1.13 billion spent in 2000. Nonresidential construction in Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Ontario, Orleans and Genesee counties was down 23%. (1/25)
Area New Vehicle Sales-- According to the Rochester Automobile Dealers Association, November 2001 sales of new vehicles in Monroe County were up 6% from a year earlier and used-vehicles sales rose 23%. New-vehicle sales were 37% less in November than in October and used-vehicle sales were off 6%. Car sales were affected by zero-percent financing deals, which began in September. Area dealers sold 3,095 new and 2,013 used vehicles in November. (1/9)
Area Exports-- Based on preliminary results of an annual survey conducted by the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce Inc., the Rochester area is expected to record a 9% to 11% decline in export volume for 2001. The year end total for 2001 is estimated to be in the range of $13.2 billion to $13.5 billion, down from $14.8 billion in 2000. Rochester's nine-county region has more than 4,000 exporting firms. Some 85% employ fewer than 200 people. Rochester's top markets in 2001 were Canada, Germany, Japan and Mexico. (1/18) According to survey results, international sales were $13 billion, a decrease of more than 12%. The top market last year was Canada. (3/16)
Area Bankruptcy Filings-- Rochester-area bankruptcy filings increase 26% between 2000 and 2001. During 2001, 4,929 petitions were filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York, a 21% increase from 3,899 in 2000. There were 3,965 Chapter 7 filings in 2001, 140 of which were businesses. Under Chapter 7, the property of an individual or business is liquidated and the money is used to help pay debts. Federal legislation to reform bankruptcy laws is still pending. (1/15)
OFFICE
Henrietta-- The County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency approved a $188,000 package of tax breaks and incentives for accounting firm Eldredge, Fox & Porretti. The firm plans to build an office at 180 Canal View Boulevard. The $3.5 million project will create 12 jobs over three years. The firm will relocate from its current space in Brighton's Corporate Woods office park. (2/20)
Penfield-- Linden Oaks Management Co. Inc. has broken ground on road and utility construction for the multimillion-dollar medical campus expansion planned at the Linden Oaks Office Park. Linden Oaks Medical Campus is a proposed four building site that will include approximately 200,000 square feet of space. It is located off Route 441 near Interstate 490. Linden Oaks currently has 18 buildings and 579,000 square feet of class A office space. The first building is expected to be completed by October and is 65% leased. The building will be located in both Brighton and Penfield. The 50,000 square foot facility is estimated to cost $3 million. The new road and infrastructure work for the site is estimated to cost $460,000. (1/18)
Perinton-- Global Crossing Ltd. announced it will not move from its offices downtown into a new building in the Woodcliff Office Park. Originally they planned to move more than 800 employees from 10 area locations into the new 120,000 square foot building. The telecommunications firm plans to file a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to reject the Woodcliff Office Park lease. The company announced plans to cut approximately 1,600 jobs and close more than 70 offices. Most staff reductions are expected to come from administration and sales with salary cuts among senior leadership and selected managers. (3/13)
Rochester-- The owners of Village Gate Square plan to convert empty retail space on the second floor into seven offices. The renovation is expected to cost approximately $500,000. The South Goodman Street property was previously renovated in 1984. (3/16)
Rochester-- Downtown Investors Group LLC purchased the building at 222 Andrews Street for $290,000 from CS Business Systems Inc. around the first of the year. The developers expect the cost of renovating the two-floor, 13,000 square foot space to reach $100,000. DocuLegal LLC, founded by two of the five partners from the Downtown Investors Group, leased the first floor of the Andrews St. property. Document Strategies Inc. has leased the second floor. (2/22)
RETAIL
Batavia-- The Genesee County Planning Board recommended site plan approval for an Applebee's restaurant on Route 63. The recommendation came with modifications for rezoning a neighboring residential property that would be part of the restaurant parking lot and compliance with town restrictions relating to signs in the commercial district. The site is on the west side of Route 63 in front of BJ's Wholesale Club. (2/15) The Town Planning Board has approved the preliminary site plan for the proposed 4,740 square-foot Applebee's restaurant on Lewiston Road. They also passed a recommendation for the Town Board to rezone part of the property at the future site from residential to commercial. Benderson Development, the company overseeing the project, still needs final site plan approval and a building permit for the project to proceed. (2/21)
Canandaigua-- The town Planning Board has granted final approval to the proposed 57,000 square-foot Tops grocery store. Benderson Development, which is buying the 11-acre site and leasing it to Tops, still needs easements for storm drains and must fulfill a handful of other conditions before they can break ground on the project. A final lighting plan still needs to go through town engineers MRB Associates. Benderson officials also plans to build a 4,738 square-foot restaurant at the site. (1/23)
Greece-- Lowe's Home Improvement Center and local developer Dale Scutti have received most of the approvals needed to build the proposed 163,000 square-foot Lowe's store at 3160 W. Ridge Road. One zoning variance remains. In the next couple of months, Lowe's will demolish the former Chuck E. Cheese's, Ames discount store and Hoyts Cinema building to make way for the new structure. Value City Furniture, Marshalls and Bally's will remain in the plaza. (12/29)
Greece-- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is seeking Town Board approval to construct a 4,600 square-foot store on a vacant parcel at Center Place Drive and Buckman Road. Krispy Kreme needs to obtain a special-use permit and zoning "relief" from the town on two conditions. Current zoning does not allow a fourth free-standing restaurant to be built in that development and town code prevents any kind of restaurant from going where Krispy Kreme wants to open. If the project is approved, it would then have to go before the Planning Board for site approval. (1/24)
Greece-- The Restaurant Group is seeking approval to open a Perkins restaurant in the Stoneridge Plaza. The 5,770 square-foot restaurant will be located in the former Key Bank branch building. The group is currently seeking five variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals for additional parking and sign placement. Upon approval, the project will then need to go before the Planning Board. The Greece location would be the fourth in Monroe County. (1/17)
Greece-- The Vision Automotive Group has agreed to purchase the remaining Ford Auto Collection dealerships at 90 W. Main Street in Avon and 4545 W. Ridge Road in Greece. Ford recently put $2.4 million into a renovation at the Greece dealership. Vision plans to build a new facility at the Avon site in the next couple of years. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. (3/21)
Farmington-- Soper Powersports, a Kawasaki motorcycle & ATV shop, plans to open on 6.3 acres of land across from Wade's Market on Route 96. The parcel of land is assessed at $205,700. The property includes a 6,800 square-foot Quonset-shaped building behind a house that Soper says will be removed. The town will require Soper to pay for the installation of a sidewalk and outdoor lights on his land along Route 96. Soper wants to be open for business by mid April. He expects to have seven full-time employees. (1/11)
Henrietta-- The Syracuse-based Raymour & Flanigan furniture chain has agreed to buy the now-empty Builder's Square building at 400 Jay Scutti Blvd. for $7.5 million. Raymour & Flanigan has borrowed $9.4 from Charter One Bank for the acquisition and refurbishing of the 70,000 square foot facility. Raymour & Flanigan plan to move the staff & services from their current location, a 52,000 square foot building at 420 Jefferson Road by the end of 2002. (12/26)
Henrietta-- Wegmans Food Markets Inc. has submitted a letter of intent to request rezoning for a 30-acre parcel of land on Calkins Road, which is residentially zoned to build a superstore. The company has agreed to buy the land from the Monroe County Fair and Recreation Association, pending town approval. The application for the 130,000 square-foot store - one of the largest in the area- includes a proposal for another 75,000 square feet of additional commercial space. The Planning Board would begin review of the concept plan if the Town Board approves the rezoning. The proposal will be a two-phase development. Wegmans would construct the grocery store first and then the additional commercial buildings. Wegmans already has two stores in Henrietta. A smaller store at East Henrietta and Calkins roads would close with the new store's opening. (1/22)
Irondequoit-- According to papers filed with the Monroe County Clerk's Office, the sale of Irondequoit Mall to a group headed by The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S. closed last week at a purchase price of $90.6 million. The 824,000 square foot has about 80 tenants, leaving 40 empty store fronts; including all but three in the Food Court. Madison Marquette Realty Services, a Minneapolis-based group took over management of the mall in early December. (2/28)
Penfield-- The Planning Board has approved the site plan for Aldi's grocery store at Penn-Fair Plaza, near the northeast corner of Routes 250 and 441. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring on the 15,200 square-foot store. Aldi's, a German-owned no-frills grocery chain, already operates stores in Batavia, Brockport, Canandaigua, Geneseo, Greece, Lyons, Rochester and Webster. (2/17)
Penfield-- The Planning Board has granted approval for a single family home at 1229 Bay Road to be converted into a 3,000 square-foot jewelry store. The store will be called West and Company Jewelers. (1/15)
Perinton-- APD Engineering will present a proposal to turn the vacant 2,800 square-foot building at 7328 Pittsford-Palmyra Road into a new restaurant. Charlie's Restaurant is proposed as a 90-seat restaurant and catering business. Developers have met with the Historic Architecture Commission because of proposed changes to the outside of the building, which is in a historic district. The developers were not named in the application. (1/16)
Perinton-- Mamasan's Restaurant owner, Le Thi Be Walters is seeking permission to open another restaurant in a converted church on Route 96 in the Bushnell's Basin hamlet. The old church, which most recently operated as a jewelry store, was built in the 1830s and was converted to commercial use in the 1980s. Walter is proposing to move the church on the property and expand it. She has purchased several parcels for expansion and parking. Any changes to the exterior must be approved by the town's Historic Architecture Commission, since the entire hamlet is designated a historic district. (3/9)
Pittsford-- Pittsford Plaza Cinema is reopening under new ownership on March 22, approximately a month after it closed. Conrad & Linda Zurich have signed a lease with Wilmorite Property Management Inc. to take over the six-screen movie house, which currently seats 2000. The Zurichs plan to add three deluxe auditoriums in September with stadium seating, extra-wide high back chairs containing cup holders, digital surround sound and giant screens. The Pittsford cinema closed Feb. 20 after Wilmorite moved to evict Entertainment Film Works, the previous owners for failure to pay rent. (3/21)
Rochester-- The Grill at Water Street will move from 175 N. Water St. to 550 East Ave. and become the Grill at Strathallan. It will replace Sabrina's at the East Ave. hotel. Owner, Mike Tadich, plans to offer room service and Sunday brunch and will reopen Hattie's, the Strathallan's ninth-floor lounge. The Executive Chef, kitchen and dining room staff will go to the new location. (1/15, 1/18)
INDUSTRIAL
Batavia-- The Planning Board approved an amended site plan for Automotive Corp. of LeRoy to build a new factory in Gateway Industrial Park off Route 98. The Planning Board stipulated that Automotive Corp. have town engineers further review the plan and make sure there is proper drainage, grading and erosion control on the property. The original plan was to construct a 100,000 square-foot facility on a 7.1 acre parcel. The size of the building has been increased to 147,000 square feet. The project will cost an estimated $6.5 million to $7 million. Employment will increase from 110 to 150 after Automotive Corp. relocates from LeRoy. Construction is expected to start in April and should be completed this fall.. (2/21)
Brockport-- The Allied Group has purchased the former Owens-Illinois complex on Owens Road and renamed it Sweden Industrial Center. Terms were not disclosed. The company plans to convert 100,000 square feet of the facility into freezer storage for customer Agrilink Foods Inc. The remaining 500,000 square feet of space will be used as dry storage. (2/12)
Canandaigua-- Canandaigua Wine Co. (CWC) is considering a plan to more than double its Ontario County headquarters with a 42,000 square-foot expansion. The expansion would allow CWC to consolidate 115 employees from other area sites with the current 90 employees already working at the 235 N. Bloomfield Road site. CWC has applied for to the City Planning Commission and Ontario County Planning Board for site plan approval. (3/15)
Farmington-- The Sposato Companies of Liverpool has purchased the complex located 1100 Collett Drive from a partnership involving the Eastman Kodak Company and Farash Corporation. Unisys, which leases and occupies almost all of the 70,000 square-foot office and call-center complex, will remain its tenant. The facility, built in 1986, was previously occupied and partially owned by Eastman Kodak. Unisys has leased/occupied the building since 1995. (1/7)
Geneva-- Gov. George Pataki announced plans to create a 74-acre technology park alongside the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in the city. Facility construction will start with a 20,000 square-foot incubator research building an a 30,000 square-foot building to house various tenants. The first phase is expected to start by the end of next summer, cost $7.5 million and create 200 jobs with an average salary of $50,000 per year. Within 15 years, the park could include 375,000 square feet of building space used by private companies, academic researchers and government agencies. (3/21)
Henrietta-- Getinge/Castle, a manufacturer of medical and surgical sterilization devices, is moving its manufacturing facilities on East Henrietta Road to those of its Swedish-based parent company Getinge AB in Sweden. The move is expected to cost about 100 jobs. The company employs 450 people locally. Officials say layoffs are expected to begin as early as March and will stretch through the rest of the year. (1/16)
Henrietta-- DT Industries Inc. is closing its plant on South Winton Road by the end of April. DT Industries bought the former Hansford Manufacturing Corp. plant in 1996. The company did not say how many jobs would be lost with the closing of the plant. (1/25)
Manchester-- The owners of Great Lakes Kraut Company want to turn the factory's 103.5 acre property on Clark Street into an industrial park. The project requires that the Village of Shortsville annex the land, which is in the town of Manchester, to give businesses access to water and sewer services. The village has already annexed the factory's new access road and anticipate the entire property to be annexed by mid 2002. Great Lakes must submit a site plan review to the town Planning Board before the complete annexation can take place. Site reviews of each of the 8 to 12 parcels within the site would take place as part of the review. The Planning Board will then give its recommendation to the Town Board. If the Town Board votes in favor, the Village Board would vote to accept the land. Great Lakes would handle management and development of the industrial park, selling or leasing parcels to other businesses. (1/7)
Perinton-- PaeTec Corporation received a $100,000 grant last month to retain 245 existing jobs and to create 220 new jobs. The grant, approved by the New York Public Authorities Control Board and authorized by the Empire State Development Corporation, is part of a $250,000 package. Earlier this year, PaeTec received $150,000 to pay for the company's new corporate headquarters in Perinton. PaeTec expects new workers to be hired from the Rochester area to fill high-tech positions in telecommunications and engineering. (1/10)
Rochester-- The new 30,000 square-foot headquarters for Vaccinex Inc. opened in the former H.J. Meyers & Co. space at 1895 Mt. Hope Ave. The headquarters has four large laboratories, several specialized labs and more than five times the space as Vaccinex's initial home in the University of Rochester Medical Center. (3/6)
West Bloomfield-- WWWEnterprise Inc. will move from Brighton to the former Power Enterprises building located at 3567 County Road 37 by the beginning of February. Renovations have been more extensive than anticipated at the 5,000 square-foot building. The company obtained a use variance by the town Zoning Board of Appeals in June 2001 to operate the business in the agriculturally zoned area. The building, formerly used as a John Deere dealership, will provide the company with three times as much space as it now occupies at 100 White Spruce Blvd. WWWEnterprise was created in August 2000 as an expansion of a 4-year-old e-commerce business that sells skin care products to dermatologists. (1/7)
RESIDENTIAL
Brockport-- Developer Donald Hibsch plans to begin clearing the land for the first phase of a planned 64-unit housing project off East Avenue. The 22.8 acre site, called McCormick Place, still needs final approval from the state. The project must be approved by the New York State Canal Corp., a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority, because it will border the Erie Canal. Approval is also needed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation because federal wetlands are involved. A tributary of Brockport Creek runs through the area. Hibsch agreed to build a bridge over the creek onto East Avenue as an access road during construction. The proposed entrance to the new development will be off East Avenue. (1/6)
Canandaigua-- Ontario County has approved plans submitted by developer Richard Struzzi, of Rochester-based Home Properties to build between 28 and 32 houses in the Old Brookside housing development. The homes would be built on a new road to be called "Vista Lane." The road would be an expansion of an existing road called Old Brookside Lane, built when the project began in the 1970s. The county's approval is a necessary first step because the project is within 500 feet of a municipal boundary and because the county is part-owner of the city sewer plant. The city may give final approval for sewer service because the new line to the development would accommodate some homes in the city, taking pressure off the existing sewer line on Baker Drive. The City Council originally opposed the project until the developer agreed to a second entrance off West Avenue and a change in the design of its sewer line. (3/7)
Fairport-- After more than five years of vacancy, the Crosman building will be given to the Brighton-based Baldwin Real Estate Corp. in exchange for $50,000 and the guarantee that the building will be turned into an affordable 21-unit senior housing complex. Baldwin Real Estate was awarded $194,000 per year, for ten years, in federal tax credits by the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Those tax credits can now be sold to large corporations with tax liability in exchange for capital with which to rebuild the Crosman building. The Greater Rochester Housing Partnership has contributed $1 million in construction financing, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York has contributed a $134,000 loan, and the county of Monroe HOME program has supplied $450,000 in loans. In addition, the village of Fairport has approved a PILOT agreement (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) that will keep the project's taxes at a flat $5,000 for a 30-year period, saving an estimated $20,000 annually. The Fairport Urban Renewal Agency has also secured project-based rental assistance for 10 of the 21 units. Those occupying one of the 10 apartments which are rent supported will pay 30% of their adjusted monthly income in rent. The remaining single bedroom apartments will cost $385 per month, including heat and hot water, and the remaining double-bedroom apartments will cost $420 per month. (1/10)
Farmington-- Developer Mark Epling of Pooler Enterprises in Victor has submitted a proposal to build a cluster of single family houses along County Road 41. The proposal calls for 80 parcels to be placed on 42 acres on the south side of County Road 41 just west of County Road 8. An additional 38 acres would be left undeveloped. The smallest lots in the proposal would be 15,000 square feet, or about half an acre and the largest lots would be about 20,000 square feet. Lot sizes would average 260 feet deep and 100 feet wide. In addition to the 38 acres, a rectangular piece of land in the middle of the development would be undeveloped. The rectangular land would border 23 of the lots. The homes would cost approximately $150,000 and would add $3 million to the Farmington tax base. (1/13)
Farmington-- Rochester developer Carmen Laviano has received preliminary approval on a 106-acre development of businesses, single-family and senior housing on the west side of Route 332. Laviano's project called Carmen Commons, would bring 57 single-family homes north of Mountain Ash Drive on about 21 acres, with lot sizes ranging from 13,600 square feet to 27,500 square feet. The homes would likely sell from between $130,000 to $170,000. Plans also call for up to 65 senior townhouses or apartments, and up to 380,000 square feet of commercial business on land across Route 332 from the Farmbrook subdivision. The residential development could be completed within three years. Laviano wants to begin construction of 13 single-family homes by mid-to-late summer. (3/14)
Farmington-- Housing Opportunities Inc., a not-for-profit developer wants to build a 32-unit apartment building for senior with incomes under $20,000 and a 32-unit townhouse complex for seniors with income between $15,000 and $32,000. Both buildings would be on the east side of Elizabeth Way on eight acres owned by Victor businessman Primo DeFelice. The land is zoned for multi-family use. Housing Opportunities would buy the eight acres before construction begins, probably in 2004. Rent for the townhouses would be in the range of $400 to $500 per month. Rent for the apartments would vary based on occupants' income. (2/15)
Greece-- Housing Opportunities Inc. has received approval to begin construction of townhouses at Canal Place. The Rochester-based, nonprofit developer plans to break ground for the construction of 40 low-income townhouses at the end of March. The complex will be built along the Erie Canal on a 6.2 acre plot, east of Long Pond Road, between the canal and the Gates-Greece town line. The construction will cost about $4.6 million. The layout consists of 10 buildings with four town homes each for family's with an income range of $18,000 to $32,000 a year. (2/14).
Greece-- The town is proposing to rezone 830 acres of land from industrial to residential on properties that stretch between Manitou and North Greece roads, North Greece and Flynn roads, and Kirk and Island Cottage roads. The move is an integral part of the town's plan to eradicate all industrial lands north of West Ridge Road and allow low-density housing in the largely rural northwest. The town zoned the land industrial because a railroad ran straight through the properties. The rail line has not been used since at least the late 1970s. (3/1)
Irondequoit-- Passero Associates, P.C., acting as agent for Rural Opportunities Inc., has asked the Town Board to rezone two parcels of land on Brower Road so it can build a 75-unit senior complex on the site, which is near St. Cecilia's Church. In 1998, the town's Planning Board rejected a proposal by the Turkish Society of Rochester to build a mosque on the same site. (1/21) The Planning Board has granted preliminary site plan approval for a 64-unit independent living facility for seniors Brower Road. The Town Board rezoned the parcels of land from single-family residential to multi-family senior housing in March. At least 13,000 or 25% of Irondequoit's 52,000 residents are age 62 or older. (3/27)
Livonia-- The town's Joint Planning Board is reviewing preliminary drawing for two proposed subdivisions, a 64-lot subdivision off Longview Boulevard and for an 80-lot subdivision off Shelly Road. The board asks property owners to reveal what could be built on the land if fully developed. The developers are currently only seeking approval for a 16-lot subdivision off Longview Boulevard, part of the Cambridge Heights community; the Shelly Road project is currently only for up to nine lots. According to recent census data, Livonia's population grew 7.9% from 6,752 to 7,286 from 1990 to 2000. (1/26)
Macedon-- The Planning Board has approved a proposed 56-unit senior citizen apartment complex to be located on 5.1 acres of land behind Macedon Commons. The $4.3 million project was proposed by Providence Housing Development Corp., a nonprofit organization affiliated with Catholic Charities of the Rochester Diocese. Providence has asked the Town Board for tax abatements from the town to offset the cost of the rental of the units. Providence will apply for $1.9 million in state funding and raise money through low-income tax credits to build the complex. The project will include 46 one-bedroom apartments and 10 two-bedroom units. Tenants would be over 55 years old and their income must be no more than $18,500 for a single tenant or $21,150 for a couple. Rents would range from $265 to $540 per month, depending on income. (3/5)
Penfield-- Mark Crane, owner of the Mark's Pizzeria chain, has proposed converting the former church at 2107 Five Mile Line Road into eight apartments. The church building, dedicated on June 29, 1843, was last operated by Crossroads Antique and Crafts Cooperative, which went out of business a year ago. Part of Crane's plan includes removing the stain glass windows, which would be donated to the town or a historical group. The building code requires the removal of the windows because occupants would not be able to open them in case of an emergency. (3/5)
Penfield-- The town Planning Board has approved a 10-lot, 9.7 acre subdivision at 1420 Scribner Road proposed by Pridemark Homes Inc. The land is owned by Jacob and Gladys DeVuyst. (1/15)
Rochester-- Costanza Enterprises plans to spend between $3.5 million and $4 million on renovating the Temple Building to include penthouses, apartments, offices and a restaurant. The Costanza family has owned the 14-story building since 1983. Under the plan, the lobby will be renovated to accommodate a restaurant. Floors 2 and 3 will be turned into units for people who want to live and work at the same address. Apartments will be constructed on floors 4 through 7 and on the top floor. Floors 8 through 13 are approximately 80% occupied with offices. Those floors may be renovated into apartments if office occupancy drops. The basement will be turned into a tri-level garage that will accommodate about 75 vehicles. The entire building will be wired with optical cable, which can accommodate high-tech communication and security systems. Construction is expected to begin within the next month. The interior demolition began 18 months ago. Apartments should be available this summer or fall. Rent is expected to be about $1 a square foot, with apartments ranging from 900 to 1,450 square feet. (2/1)
Rochester-- North East Area Development will partner with the city to market up to 13 new homes in the Webster Avenue-Grand Avenue area. City Council is expected to approve the sale of nine city-owned parcels on Webster and Grand for the Home Expo program. In addition to the Beechwood neighborhood, houses will be built on another 11 city-owned properties scattered throughout Rochester. Those sites have not been finalized. (3/18)
Victor-- The Planning Board has granted final approval to developer Mauro Polidori to build 19 homes on 57 acres of land on the west side of County Road 9, just south of the Monroe County line. Construction, which includes an access road into what will be the Falcon's Nest development from the county road, could begin within two months. The development complies with the town's density overlay district, which stipulates a maximum of one unit per three acres of land in the most rural parts of town. Lot sizes range from 1 ½ to 6 acres. Homes in the upscale subdivision will cost more than $400,000. (3/3)
Webster-- The town Planning Board is reviewing a proposal from Legacy Development to modify the 17-year-old plan for Willow Point on the Bay, a complex of townhouses on Bay Road. Developers want to move the individually lotted townhouses closer to Bay Road and away from wooded slopes leading down to the Irondequoit Bay. Legacy hopes to build 72 more units in all. The Willow Point project has become the subject of some controversy because of a related proposal to build a dock on the bay with room for 99 boats. (2/19)
OTHER
Brighton-- Monroe County Legislature approved the issuance of $16 million in bonds for construction of a 410-student residential facility at Monroe Community College. The legislation permits the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency to issue tax-exempt bonds on behalf of the Monroe Community College Association, Inc., a nonprofit group that will be responsible for repaying the bonds. The legislature cleared the way for construction by leasing 6.4 acres of the north section of the Brighton MCC campus for a dormitory. (1/9)
Canandaigua-- The town plans to open a new park with soccer fields and another ice rink on 34.8 acres between County Road 30 and Buffalo Street Extension. The land adjacent to the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center will be donated by a former member of the town Planning Board. The town needs to subdivide the property off a 250-acre farm before it accepts the donation. Plans call for a series of sports fields and a road across from Old Brookside Lane that would connect Buffalo Street Extension with County Road 30. (2/6)
Canandaigua-- Ontario County lawmakers voted to build a 276-bed jail at the estimated cost of $28.75 million. The 160,000 square-foot facility will be paid for with a $17 million cash payment the county got last year for selling the rights to its long-term payments under the national tobacco settlement. The county has an additional $1.4 million to ad to the project from a reserve. It will borrow the remaining $10 million, with taxpayers paying the bonds over 20 to 25 years. Half of the building, which will be located off County Road 46 in Hopewell, will house inmates. The other half will provide areas for special programs, mechanical rooms and office space. Construction could begin next month, with the jail to open by fall 2003. (3/8)
Chili-- A 110,000 square-foot regional training facility on Scottsville Road has officially opened. The $13 million facility is the final phase of a two-phase $26 million project. The first phase, an outdoor fire training operation, opened in 1999. The new training/emergency preparedness center was built on the former site of the city's fire and police training center. The building provides office space for city, county and college training staffs, multiple classrooms and specialty training rooms for hazardous material, emergency medical, police operations and crime and fire scene investigation. Under an agreement with the county, MCC will manage the facility. The school will also conduct police, fire, probation and fire training classes. MCC's dean of public safety programs, Michael Karnes, said operating costs for the facility are about $1.5 million year. The exact number of trainees using the facility has yet to be determined. (1/31)
Gates-- The Gates Historical Society has purchased the historic Hinchey homestead for $201,000. The Hinchey homestead, formerly called the Hinchey House, is a 13-room, 1870s farmhouse that, along with a barn, occupies a three-acre plot at 634 Hinchey Road in the heart of Gates. It has received state landmark status and has been listed on the federal registry of historical places. The society's conversion plans would allow the homestead to retain much of the 1870s interior and furnishings. (1/27)
Lyons-- The Wayne County Board of Supervisors formally accepted a $750,000 state grant that was announced in October. The grant will be combined with $250,000 in local money to supply a total of $1 million for an Amtrak passenger station. County officials are negotiating with representatives of the DeWolff Partnership in Rochester to serve as lead consultants on the project. If the negotiations are successful, DeWolff would work with Barton & Loguidice of Syracuse and Gannett Fleming of Philadelphia to design and build the facility. (1/26)
Penfield-- Canandaigua National Bank & Trust is negotiating to buy the former Penfield Tavern at 1816 Penfield Road from owner Gregory Parker. The bank intends to demolish part of the building's back section. The core of the building, which dates to roughly 1890, would be preserved and refurbished in the bank's plan. The building is located in Penfield's Four Corners, which refers to the intersection of Five Mile Line and Penfield roads. (3/5)
Pittsford-- A citizens committee is recommending a new community center be built on a 5.8 acre village property along the Erie Canal; a plan that is estimated to cost about $10.3 million. The proposed community center would include space for a number of programs including a wellness center, various sports programs and a senior center. In formulating its recommendation, the committee did consider trying to keep a community center at its current location in Spiegel Center at 35 Lincoln Ave. either by improving the current building at a cost of about $1.3 million or building an addition at a cost of about $6.9 million. The committee decided after looking at current and future space and program needs, even an addition wouldn't be adequate to serve those needs. (2/6)
Riga-- Plans are under way to build a $2 million town hall / town court complex. Plans call for a 14,000 square-foot, V-shaped building with a 120-seat town court in the east wing, a 40-seat meeting room in the west wing and multiple town offices in both. Approximately $500,000 of the $2 million cost will be for land purchase, sewer installation and landscaping of the 3.5 acre plot. Construction costs will total approximately $1.5 million and could begin in spring 2003. The complex could open in spring 2004. (2/27)
Rochester-- Rochester City Ballet has agreed to purchase the former Doyle Security Building at 546 S. Clinton Ave. from the owner, Michael Cooper, a financial consultant, for $415,000. Board director Nancy Sands estimates that it will cost an additional $300,000 to renovate the facility into a dance complex. The 20,000 square-foot South Wedge site would provide the troupe with a permanent home that would eventually include four dance studios, office space and a small dance stage. The company currently leases studio space on North Goodman Street. (2/28)
GENERAL
Chili-- The state Department of Transportation is seeking to buy 8-to-10 foot wide strips of land in front of 41 properties along Union Street and Buffalo Road. Final plans for the $3.4 million project are expected to be completed by year's end. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2003 and be completed in summer 2004. Plans include creation of four left turn lanes and sidewalk additions to the Buffalo Road/Union Street intersection, reconfiguration of and addition of a right-turn land at the Attridge Road/Buffalo Road intersection, extension of sidewalks along the north side of Buffalo Road to Roberts Wesleyan College and construction of a retaining wall on the northeast corner of Buffalo Road/Union Street intersection to separate traffic from the historic Old Tavern/Stage Stop building, which sits a few feet from the roadside. The plan aims to reduce traffic accidents at Buffalo Road and Union Street, improve traffic flow, and improve surface drainage in the area. (2/17)
Fairport-- The village will spend $9 million in capital improvements in 2002. The projects include proposed renovations to the Fairport Fire Department's headquarters, to Liftbridge Lane, and the Fairport Municipal Commission as well as numerous smaller projects. (2/14)
Greece-- The town is proposing changes to its zoning code to allow few living units, a term used to define individual living quarters, per acre for operations such as assisted-living facilities and more units for senior apartments and condominiums. The zoning changes would decrease living units from 12 to 10 per acre in a single-family residential area and increase units from 15 to 20 per acre in a multi-family residential zone. In 2000, the town approved a special zoning district for senior housing that would allow for different services, such as apartments and assisted-living homes being built on one piece of property. (1/6)
Rochester-- The City of Rochester plans to revamp West Ridge Road from the Veterans Memorial Bridge to Hanford Landing Road at a cost of about $16.8 million. The plan includes purchasing houses, businesses, adding and eliminating roads, and building a new pedestrian bridge. The two-year project, which could begin as early as next year, is supported by both neighbors and business leaders. The plan needs state and federal approval before it can begin. (2/11)
