There are to be public hearings in each the city and county this week on the application and use of a $2 million Restore NY grant.
The city's hearing is during a conference session at 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Board Room, second floor, City Hall.
City Council's intended use for the grant is for the Carrs Reborn project in downtown Batavia. Cities with a population less than 40,000 can apply for up to $2 million, and it is available for projects to “demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitate/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial and/or mixed-use buildings.”
The former C.L. Carr's site, with an expansive footprint within Main and Jackson streets and is owned by Ken Mistler, is expected to accommodate several upper-floor apartments and business/office use on the ground floor.
City Council is expected to vote on the grant submission during its business meeting to follow. The group is also to vote for support of a county-led Restore NY grant application to offset the $33.5 million Healthy Living campus project on Main Street, downtown Batavia. Work has begun to construct a new Healthy Living campus alongside GLOW YMCA, and the fitness facility at 207-209 East Main St. will eventually be demolished to make way for green and parking spaces.
It will take much investment for the entire plan to unfold, and Genesee County’s Ways & Means Committee has agreed to proceed with an application for a $2 million Restore NY grant to help with the costs.
Before anything else can happen, a public hearing must be conducted about the project to demolish 207-209 and 211 1/2 (rear) on East Main Street. Led by the county, the grant is available for “projects to demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitation/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial, and/or mixed-use buildings.”
The county has set two public hearings for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia. In addition to one about the Restore NY grant, there is a hearing about a local law to expand the residency limit beyond Genesee County to open the pool of candidates for Genesee County Sheriff's Office correction officer vacancies.
Rendering of future Healthy Living campus in downtown Batavia, submitted by Rochester Regional Health.
