After what’s approaching a two-year lag in the Ellicott Station apartment project in downtown Batavia, there is apparently an interested sponsor in the process of working with the state Office of Homes and Community Renewal and Ellicott Station LLC, property owner Sam Savarino says.
Savarino confirmed Friday that the LLC “has been actively working with another entity to sponsor the project.” Two sources who asked not to be identified, including one close to the project, have disclosed that the sponsor is PathStone Development Corporation.
When asked for comment about this apparent development, Batavia Development Corp. Executive Director Tammy Hathaway said “Personally, PathStone has been my first choice from the initial notice that the current owner could no longer continue the project’s development.”
“Knowing the property will continue to be restricted to affordable housing guidelines, PathStone is the operative organization as they come well-equipped with decades of experience in housing development and management,” Hathaway said Saturday.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski could not confirm that PathStone is taking on the Ellicott Street complex left uncompleted in summer 2023, but she said she would “welcome a professional housing organization like PathStone’s to take over the project, finish building and rent to quality tenants,” she said.
“Supposedly it was discussed at a county housing meeting, I was not in attendance, but had some city staff there,” Tabelski said. “I haven’t been contacted by PathStone’s CEO or HCR lately.”
The Batavian also called and emailed PathStone President Jason Sackett for comment, with no reply by publication.
Ellicott Station was on its way to completion with four floors up, tenants selected by lottery, and grant funds, PILOTS, tax credits and exemptions in place by the state, Genesee County Economic Development Center and HCR.
Later in 2023 Savarino Companies closed for business due to a financial battle with the state Dormitory Authority and stopped work at Ellicott Station, and GCEDC performed a clawback of exemptions and tax credits, claiming that the company didn’t abide by its contract obligations.
Savarino still maintains that GCEDC’s action is what disabled the project and prevented it from continuing.
