By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service
Nearly six years ago – on Feb. 29, 2020, to be exact – David Vasciannie welcomed the community to an open house at the City Centre to weigh in on his idea of converting the former Batavia Armory at 235 State St. into a senior housing and commercial facility.
That project is back in the news today in the form of a request by a Rochester real estate development group official to have City Council rezone the property from an R-1 Residential District to a P-5 Planned Development District.
City Council members, at Monday’s Conference Meeting, agreed to send the request from Scott Procious, president and chief executive officer of Rochester Management, to the City Planning & Development Committee for review.
Rochester Management and Vasciannie’s DaVas LLC are partnering on the project. A Batavia resident, Vasciannie also is the president/CEO of STEVE General Contractor in Caledonia.
Vasciannie said DaVas LLC owns the property and the armory bunker. He said he is working on finalizing an agreement with Rochester Management.
“I’m not capable of going into it (in detail) right now but it’s all going to develop very quickly and very soon. There’s some major stuff that’s going to happen there,” he said.
According to a Jan. 21st memo from City Manager Rachael Tabelski to City Council, the proposed project revolves around the redevelopment of the 6.12-acre parcel just north of the New York State School for the Blind property into a “large-scale multi-family senior housing and commercial development.”
According to the description submitted by Trevor Haut, project manager for Passero engineering/architecture of Rochester, the project includes the construction of a four-story, 113-unit (maximum) multi-family residential building with a 24,750-square-foot footprint, along with parking, utilities, circulation and stormwater facilities.
Haut wrote that two existing buildings on the site will be renovated – a 12,000-square-foot community center and a medical/wellness building. Furthermore, site development will include the installation of 185 off-street parking spaces, pedestrian connections, site lighting and landscaping.
“That’s one of the goals – to keep the two existing buildings useful to more than just the residents of the new build,” he said.
A dedicated stormwater management area will be constructed or reconfigured I accordance with the current New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requirements and city of Batavia standards, Haut wrote. He added the project includes the creation of a public park and designated private amenity areas for residents.
To make this happen, the property needs to be rezoned to the P-5 classification, which permits mixed-use residential and commercial development.
When asked about a timeline, Vasciannie said, with a laugh, “I’m approaching year 10 on the purchase of the armory, so my goal is sooner rather than later.”
Was there a public meeting on the proposed changes to the state street site?
Will more development be to the site?
Please hold a public meeting with all neighbors being notified!
I strongly oppose this project. the change in zoning would open the door to more commercial development. It will devalue our properties and add to the congestion that already exists on State Street. Please do not go forward with this until the opinions of the good neighbors who reside here are heard.
Pingback: City of Batavia Planning and Development Committee tables recommendation for State Street senior housing project – Video News Service