Can a $20 million plan save an old decrepit hotel in Rochester from demolition?:
https://www.democratandchronicle.com...ster-nletter65
"The owner of the decrepit Richford Hotel building in the heart of downtown is putting forward a plan to save it from being demolished.
In late August, the city of Rochester declared the high-rise at 65-67 Chestnut St., vacant since 2000, “dangerous and/or unsafe and a public nuisance” because of a slew of property code violations that have gone uncorrected and scheduled a hearing Sept. 28 to weigh the possibility of tearing it down.
Now the hearing has been adjourned until Oct. 12 so the city can review a proposal by owner Midtown Reborn, LLC, to turn the circa-1915 Richford into the Richford Lofts, a mixed-use property with 64 market-rate and affordable loft-style apartments, office and retail space and a rooftop patio overlooking Parcel 5 and downtown.
Through a spokesperson, Midtown Reborn, which has owned the building since 2015, said it has hired developer Patrick Dutton — whose other downtown projects include the recently restored Glenny Building, the Capron Street Lofts and Woodbury Place — to lead the effort, which has an estimated price tag of $20 million.
“Our team has dove into this project and are working diligently with Midtown Reborn, LLC, to deliver an exceptional repurposed building that will stand the test of time for this community,” Dutton said in a statement.
In its own statement, the city said it will insist on a defined timeline and confirmed financing for the project and immediate fixes to safety hazards.
The nine-story structure, which sits at Elm Street near the also vacant Hotel Cadillac, made headlines in April 2022, when during high winds, some metal siding panels covering the original brick façade peeled away and crashed to the street. No one was injured.
“It may have been the best thing that could’ve happened to this nearly 110-year-old building,” Dutton said of the incident. “It exposed a beautiful natural brick façade underneath, revealed several original window openings that were previously covered up, and it jumpstarted a thoughtful discussion with the State Historic Preservation Office regarding this historic building.”
Previously, Dana Miller, city commissioner of neighborhood and business development, said 65-67 Chestnut is not a designated building of historic value. According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, it is within the East Main Street Historic District, but Miller said that would not prohibit its demolition.
And in its statement, the city said it “prefers to work with property owners and
come to a mutual agreement but will not hesitate to pursue demolition proceedings where warranted.”
The inside of the building is a wreck. Photos posted to the Rochester Subway blog back in 2016 showed the structure to be in a state of extreme decay, with collapsed ceilings and walls and exposed mechanicals. It also is loaded with asbestos."
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