Landmark Society selects 2020 Five to Revive projects

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The Landmark Society of Western New York Inc. has chosen five properties for revitalization.

The annual Five to Revive identifies opportunities for targeted, strategic revitalization. The list of properties draws attention to key priorities for revitalization in Western New York.

“The Landmark Society staff is dedicated to working collaboratively with owners, municipal officials and developers to facilitate investment, foster rehabilitation and carry out our mission to protect the region’s unique architectural heritage,” said Landmark Society Executive Director Wayne Goodman.

Local projects include:
• Clarissa Street Corridor, Rochester
• Williams Opera House, Attica, Wyoming County
• 692 Joseph Ave., future home of the Joseph Avenue Arts & Culture Alliance, Rochester
• 67-89 Canal St., Rochester
• Neighborhood Hardware Store, locations throughout the region

“In such revitalization projects that previously appeared on the list as the Eastman Dental Dispensary, Holley High School, Sampson Theatre, Perry Downtown Block and Parrott Hall in Geneva, the Five to Revive initiative is proving to be very successful and continues to demonstrate that preservation and adaptive reuse are key strategies for revitalization in Western New York,” said Tom Castelein, chair of the Landmark Society Five to Revive committee. “Our goal remains to return these important historic resources to places of prominence in their respective communities, as economic and social assets that spark even more investment and revitalization.”

The Clarissa Street Corridor is located in Rochester’s Third Ward, now known as the Corn Hill neighborhood. Current and former residents have been working to revive the corridor and preserve its stories for some time.

The future home of the Joseph Avenue Arts & Culture Alliance is located in Rochester’s northeast quadrant and was built in 1928 as a synagogue. The congregation left the building in 1961 and it has been vacant since.

The Canal Street location is a large, brick industrial building in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and East House and MM Development Advisors have partnered on a proposed redevelopment project that would adapt the building into a mix of supportive and affordable housing units.

The Neighborhood Hardware Store is a project that would tackle the disappearance of small, independently-owned hardware stores throughout the region. The Landmark Society is seeking to highlight the often family-run hardware stores that continue to provide quality service to the communities they reside in.

In 2019, the Landmark Society selected Highland and Cobbs Hill Reservoirs and 6 Madison St. in Rochester, as well as projects in the town of Gaines and village of Dansville as its Five to Revive. Additionally, the Landmark Society highlighted the adaptive reuse of historic houses of worship.

The Landmark Society is one of the oldest and most active preservation organizations in America, serving nine Western New York counties. It was formed in 1937 to protect the unique architectural heritage of the region and promote preservation and planning principles that foster healthy and sustainable communities.

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