Rochester, N.Y. - Built in 1889 by the old Standard Brewing Company and abandoned in 1986, Genesee Brewing Company now plans to restore it as a visitors center. But the building still got no takers after year of marketing by Genesee officials.
“One developer told me this building is awkward,” said the brewery’s director of engineering, Mark Minunni. “I thought that was a great statement.”
“From the road, it looks pretty nice,’ said North American Breweries CEO Rich Lozyniak. “When you get inside, you see that this really couldn’t be a commercially viable property. I understand people’s desire to keep it here, but the reality is it is falling down.”
It has badly deteriorated, paint is peeling off and many windows closed. Genesee would like to tear it down to provide parking, sightlines, and landscaping for the visitors center. With two-feet thick walls, the windowless first floor looks like a dungeon and smells of mildew and animals.
The upper floors are well-lit by windows, with deteriorating floors and ceilings. Bird droppings cover the floors. Some rooms have low giant ceiling beams, which engineers see as integral to the structure. Some of the floors are oddly-shaped with many levels. All of the rooms have only one entrance and exit.
The structure, however, is a designated historic landmark, eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Genesee needs statistics from the Zoning Board of Appeals. A meeting is set. Local preservationists oppose the application. The director of the Landmark Society said he has seen buildings in worse shape restored.
A restaurant, museum, and a great view of the falls will comprise the visitors center. It would cost about $8 million or more to rehab the structure. The brewery’s good income recently would help fund the renovation.
The brewery submitted its application for the building’s demolition last month. The Zoning Board of Appeals is expected to make a decision next month.