Ken Mistler working on project to bring new live theater to downtown Batavia

Posted by Howard Owens on April 22, 2009 - 10:58pm
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There may be a theater, possibly a dinner theater, in the future of the former Carr's Department Store location, if owner Ken Mistler can line up appropriate funding through the BID.

Mistler does not have many specifics on the proposal at this time, but has been working on putting together the project for several weeks.

In response to an e-mail, Mistler said:

I do not have any exact plans until the Engineers get back to me... Engineer hopes to give me my plans/answers early next week.

In a comment on The Batavian, Mislter acknowledged that he paid only $10,000 for the Carr's building, but has spent a good deal of money renovating it.

  • $214,000 on the Jackson Street façade
  • $22,000 on replacing windows
  • $87,000 on the back façade, which helped preserve the structure
  • $58,000 on new roofs
  • $42,000 on the front façade
  • $150,000 on repairs from leaks due to broken pipes (the elevator and dry wall were damaged)
  • $20,000 on a new sprinkler system
  • $15,000 on heating and air conditioning

In another comment, he said:

I offered Old Navy 4 years free rent on a 7-year lease. After 4 attempts they finally replied. They are not currently seeking any type of retail location in your (our) demographic. Now I will look toward entertainment.

Posted by Peter O'Brien on April 23, 2009 - 9:02am
Dinner Theatre is viable in Batavia? Good luck to him but I wouldn't put my money into it.
Posted by Gabor Deutsch on April 23, 2009 - 9:24am
If I had the money I would open a pawn shop.
Posted by Gabor Deutsch on April 23, 2009 - 9:26am
I think that 4 years free rent on a 7-year lease will attract some type of Business eventually.
Posted by Howard Owens on April 23, 2009 - 9:40am
Gabor, you can get the money through the city -- the loan program. And there are several vacant store fronts downtown.
Posted by Mark Potwora on April 23, 2009 - 10:30am
Thank you Mr. Mistler to replying to my questions on the Carrs building...Its nice to here a progress report on whats happening with all those buildings on Main St...Good Luck...
Posted by tonette stone on April 23, 2009 - 7:33pm
Thank you for thinking big and outside the Batavia scenerio.

A few years back I tried to open a daycare in the downtown area, I earned the microloan but the condition to receive it meant having the license for the daycare. I couldn't get the license for the daycare with out the money from the award.

A year or so later, I wanted to open a children's entertainment center. Offering a variety of children's events, films, arts & crafts, a place to hold parties, have a DJ with family dances, etc. The loan committee turned me down indicating we had too many of these in town. We wanted to bring Halloween Parties, Christmas Events, visits from Jolly ole St. Nick back to the City. Instead of folks driving into Rochester or Buffalo they could enjoy some of the fun right here.

I participated in the Public Market the first year. Hoping to attract children and families to my business of Noah's Ark Animal Workshops, Face Painting, and to build on my husbands 30 year old business of DJ as the Boogie Man. Families just were not in the majority so I couldn't do it the second year (which ended quickly anyway)

Its nice to see someone is taking on the entertainment aspect missing in Batavia. Having grown up in the Buffalo area, working at Shea's Performing Arts Center and General Cinema Theaters, I truly miss the first class professional entertainment that the venues attracted. Sure we also had community groups who put on plays, and high school and college performances, but we had Broadway Shows brought in by Albert Nocciolino and Ed Smith. Even back a few years here in Batavia, big name music acts were brought in by Ramblin Lou.

I am sure folks would love to have entertainment where they could go in an relax and enjoy a dinner and theater performance by Broadway performers. We sure have enough hotels to house the folks.

It amazes me though how many buildings are empty and when you ask about renting them, the owners want to make up for all the time the building set empty. Seems kind of basic to me, rent the building for something vs. leaving it stand open and no money coming in....duh! No brainer you would think.

Good luck with your endeavors! Keep plugging away, and watch out for the dream squashers (Batavia has alot of them!)

Tonette
www.noahsarkworkshop.com/tonettestone_s5580
www.freewebs.com/facepaintingbytonette
www.waynetheboogieman.com
Posted by Russ Stresing on April 23, 2009 - 8:11pm
214,000
22,000
87,000
58,000
42,000
150,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
=$618,000

That's a staggering expenditure on a property assessed at $40,000. I'd buy a ticket to a show.

Tax Map Parcel No.: 84.049-1-22
SWIS Code: 180200
Mailing Address Owner Name: 105 of Batavia, Inc.
Address Street: Main St
Address Number: 101-103
Municipality: City of Batavia
Building Square Footage: 0
Year Built: 0
Property Classification: 481
Property Assessment: 40000
Sale Date: 2003/12/10
Sale Price: 1
Deed Book Number: 828
Deed Page Number: 962
Road Frontage(Feet): 46
Lot Depth: 100
Acres: 0.1
Number Street(mail): 27 Edison Ave
City State Zip(mail): West Babylon, NY 11704
Parcel Area(Sq.Ft.): 4754.59370885613
Parcel Perimeter(Feet): 296.476217804634

Property Address 101-103 MAIN ST Section, Block Lot # 84.049-1-22

Description Tax Rate Taxable Value Tax Amount
NYS MEDICAID MANDATE 3.628440 40,000.00 145.14
COUNTY OF GENESEE 5.920085 40,000.00 236.80
CITY OF BATAVIA 10.024640 40,000.00 400.99
BID01 Busi.improv.district 4.260034 40,000.00 170.40
City School District 22.628377 40,000.00 905.14
Richmond Library 1.495276 40,000.00 59.81
Total $1,918.2
Posted by Gabor Deutsch on April 23, 2009 - 8:38pm
I cannot afford any more debt then I already owe so a loan at this time is not feasible. Just knowing that the opportunities are there makes one think about it .
Posted by Tom Gilliatt on April 24, 2009 - 7:49am
Anyone ever walk around town and see all the For Sale signs around WOW there is tons of them on just about every street I go on even mine so my question is Who is going to go to this theater and other projects Batavia has???

I guess you have to be a little guy like me to see the BIG picture!!!

It is funny to watch the YouTube videos posted on The Batavian of these rich people they seem so confident and sure of them selfs.

FOOLS

But good luck to those that deserve it.