Batavia still assessing options for historic Tin Shop building

Batavia city officials this week could decide the fate of a 135-year-old building in the city’s downtown.

The Tin Shop is a two-story wooden structure at 106 N. River St., built in 1890 and has been vacant for several years. It is classified as “contributing” to the city’s downtown historic district, therefore the city must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to allow for relocation or demolition of the building.

At the Jan. 14 committee of the whole meeting, members recommended approval of the certificate to demolish the Tin Shop and the adjacent garage at 112 N. River St.

Community and Economic Development Director Scott Buening told committee members the Tin Shop is in poor condition due to a leaking roof and lack of use.

The city purchased the building in 2016 as part of a $1.25 million acquisition of property on both sides of River Street between State and Franklin streets.

Structures on the west side of the street along the river were torn down to construct a parking lot and make way for a planned mixed-use development by Shodeen Construction, but the project eventually was nixed.

Since then, the city has attempted to market the property to developers to convert it to mixed-use residential and commercial space, as well as include the property in additional redevelopment plans, none of which has panned out. Earlier this year, the city also proposed a rehabilitation project for the building, but after receiving several proposals, decided the cost was too high.

The building was used briefly by the Toy Drive for storage, but has been vacant for several years.

Buening said the city has submitted multiple requests to developers to convert the building into something useful, but redevelopment costs weren’t feasible. He said the city will continue to try and market the building to potential buyers who want to relocate or refurbish it, and will resort to demolition only if a suitable one cannot be found.

The COA requests will go before city council at its Tuesday, Jan. 21 meeting for possible final approval.

While exact costs have not been determined, the demolition is estimated to cost about $100,000.