$140M Canandaigua lakefront plan unveiled
Developers last night unveiled a long-awaited plan that would remake the north shore of Canandaigua Lake and carry a price tag of more than $140 million, a scope of 37 acres and the potential for a 10 percent surge in the city's population.
The ambitious proposal for Canandaigua's long-dormant lakefront - the result of three years of behind-the-scenes discussions - includes residential and commercial development that would stretch from Booth Street to Muar Street between Routes 5 and 20 and Lakeshore Drive. Because of the approval process with the city and necessary infrastructure improvements on the land there, the project would take 10 to 12 years to fully materialize, though optimistic players guess at getting the first structures up in a few years.
Before the city could realize the financial benefits of such substantial development, it would need to make a significant investment - an estimated $20 million to replace sewer lines and water service, and make other infrastructure improvements to the property.
Initial designs split the development into two corridors:
The south portion, which faces Lakeshore Drive and looks out over Canandaigua Lake, would see most current structures razed to make way for the heart and soul of the development: retail shops, townhouses and apartments.
The north portion, which runs along Routes 5 and 20 and includes Parkway Plaza, would be altered to include a facelift to the plaza, plus 21,000 square feet of new retail space.
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<td>Fast Facts:
Project cost: $140 million - that includes $20 million in infrastructure improvements that would be paid by the city.
Project area and location: 37 acres east to west between Booth and Muar streets and north to south between Routes 5 and 20 and Lakeshore Drive.
Phase One (Lakeshore Drive)
14 interlocking townhouse buildings totaling 150 units
17 individual liner townhomes
Six three-story apartment buildings totaling 30 units
Two three-story mixed-use buildings with 100 apartments over retail space
Three four-story mixed-use buildings with 77 apartments over retail space
67,000 square feet of retail space
854 parking spaces (some in garages)
Phase Two (Routes 5 and 20)
100,000 square feet of existing retail space (Parkway Plaza and nearby shops).
21,000 square feet of new retail space
About 534 parking spaces.</td>
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"The north shore of Canandaigua Lake is the jewel of the region," said key player George W. Hamlin IV, president and CEO of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. "This city has been here for 220 years. ... And it just keeps clicking because this is the chosen spot. There's something magical about this place."
The southern swath would include 374 residential units of townhouses and apartments and 67,000 square feet of retail space. None of the structures would exceed four stories - most would reach no higher than three - and five of the 11 apartment buildings would retain retail on the first floor, which has been a sticking point for the City Council in the past.
A grassy courtyard rimmed by retail boutiques would take center stage roughly midway on the north side of Lakeshore Drive. The cultural boost of such a gathering spot would be the key to sparking a more rapid development, said Richard Crossed, chairman of Conifer Realty and part-owner of Parkway Plaza.
"What became clearly evident to us was that we needed to reinforce and bring (Kershaw) park back into the site," said Thomas Barton, principal of Barton Partners, the Philadelphia-based architectural firm that drew up the plans.
Barton spoke of a vibrant and exciting community that would not be limited to the fair-weather summer crowd, but keep its vitality year-round. The courtyard is the key to that excitement, he said, drawing a steady stream of "informal" performing artists, such as magicians, jugglers and musicians.
Making that courtyard - and the retail shops and a few residential units that wrap around it - the top priority, the builders could hit a "critical mass and kick-start" the development of the outlying properties by generating a community buzz, said Barton.
"We want the kind of place where you can go downstairs and have a drink with your buddies without having to get in your car," he told city officials gathered at the Hurley Building.
Also on hand at the unveiling last night was mystery man David Genecco, the fruit and vegetable wholesaler who has been buying up properties along Lakeshore Drive, one after another, for the past few years. Between them, he and Crossed own 95 percent of the property slated for the project.
Mutual visions
After the council meeting, Hamlin described the serendipity that brought Genecco to the table and really set the ball rolling.
"It hasn't been about the money but about the beauty of the place," he said.
A third-generation resident of Canandaigua, Genecco said he started buying the properties on Lakeshore Drive as an investment but, guided by a friend, eventually saw the bigger picture. That was when he called Hamlin.
"I saw an opportunity and seized it," said Genecco. "That's all. I knew the stumbling block in the past was that the landlords weren't able to decide what was good and what was not good."
It so happened that Hamlin and others were hashing out a vision for the Canandaigua lakefront. In meetings with Wegmans Food Markets CEO Danny Wegman, Constellation Brands CEO Richard Sands and others - meetings that led to the creation of the New York Wine and Culinary Center, according to Hamlin - the crew discussed ways to bring the lakefront up to its potential.
"It turned out that I had the exact same vision as what they had without knowing they had it, and without them knowing I had it," said Genecco.
So Hamlin got them all together and set to work. And what made it work was that the players involved live in Canandaigua and have a vested interest in bettering the community, Hamlin said. Genecco played the key role of assembling eight different properties under one ownership, buying up pieces long held by the Boyce family, for example, which dated back to the days old Roseland amusement park.
"I was the guy that knew everybody on a personal level," said Genecco.
While development of the site along Lakeshore Drive has been an unattainable goal for so many since Roseland Park sold its last ticket to the carousel in 1985, Hamlin said the group he has been working with faced no real hardship.
"I'm a little surprised that there weren't any hurdles," he said. "Every once in a while you get lucky. And the stars just align."
'A big step'
Still, the project will require about $20 million of infrastructure improvements - things like sewer and water lines will all need to be dug up and replaced. Also, the Lakeshore sewage lift station, which is located on the west side of the projected development, would have to be moved elsewhere. Built in 1978, the station is already scheduled for a major overhaul in 2008.
No problem, said Hamlin. With an increase of more than $150 million in assessed value on the tax rolls, the development will easily compensate for the cost.
Jose and Willy's at 20 Lakeshore Drive and its neighbor, Finger Lakes Premier Properties at 22 Lakeshore Drive, are the only two properties on the proposed site that are not owned by either Genecco or Crossed. Plans call for those structures - along with other restaurants, the mobile home parks and virtually any other establishment between Booth and Muar streets along Lakeshore Drive - to be demolished.
Without making any commitments, council members last night gave developers' plans a warm welcome.
"We are taking a big step," said Mayor Ellen Polimeni. "And I certainly feel it will create a sense of place for Canandaigua."
Ward 3 Councilman Rich Russell commended the group for coming before the council with such a complete and impressive plan "right out of the box." Ward 4 Councilwoman Marge Anthony gave it a "thumbs up." Ward 1 Councilman Travis Nixon was a bit more reserved: The project showed more residential units than he had expected but it still looked to him like a good mix.
Barton and others said it was too early to put a price tag on the living units. Those numbers will be driven by the market, Barton said, though he expected a range that would include affordable homes compared to other lakefront properties. Still, Nixon said, "My biggest concern is that we're pricing the middle class right out of Canandaigua. I can almost not afford to live in my own ward."
On the other hand, at-large Councilman Jim Terwilliger was nothing but emphatic in his praise.
"There could have been an infinite number of possibilities," he told Hamlin and company. "I couldn't be more pleased with the concept you brought us."
As for the housing, the project's architect, Barton, said there would be a healthy diversity: upstairs flats for younger professionals, easy-access townhouses with garage parking for the empty-nesters or young families. Rather than cost, Barton emphasized the promise of social interaction, walkability and access to the lake.
Instead of building a wall of homes that block the lake view for the public north of Lakeshore Drive and creating an elite community, the buildings would be constructed perpendicular to the street to allow more viewing lanes of the lake and more flow in and out of the community.
The courtyard itself would be like an extension of Kershaw Park on the other side of Lakeshore Drive, said Barton. Plus the styling of the townhouses over the retail structures space - the look of the buildings purposely borrow from Main Street - would make a more personable space, he added.
"The common theme here is the community of interest translating this into something that is good for the community," said Hamlin.
The group hopes to file a site plan with the city within the next 30 to 60 days. Developers are seeking rezoning to what is called a Planned Unit Development that would allow review of the entire parcel as a whole versus individual lots with different zoning, a move Hamlin said would also lock in the design of the project for years to come.
Philip Anselmo can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 322, or at panselmo@mpnewspapers.com.