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Historic Piano Works mall in East Rochester going up for auction
The Piano Works property in East Rochester, once home to the largest piano manufacturing operation in the world, will be up for auction. (Photo provided by SQ/FT Brokerage)
The Piano Works property in East Rochester, once home to the largest piano manufacturing operation in the world, will be up for auction. (Photo provided by SQ/FT Brokerage)
Historic Piano Works mall in East Rochester going up for auction
Listen to this articleThe Piano Works mall in East Rochester, a complex that once housed the world’s largest manufacturer of pianos, is going up for auction.
Bidding on the 7.9-acre parcel — which includes 250,000 square feet of commercial space across two buildings — begins at noon on Feb. 23. Minimum bid is $2.5 million.
Built between 1904 and 1906, the poured concrete structures once were home to several piano makers, including the Foster-Armstrong Co., American Piano Co. and, after a series of mergers, the Aeolian American Co. During World War II, workers produced airplane parts for the Canadian Air Force.
Manufacturing operations shuttered in 1985 and the property at 333-349 W. Commercial St. was later converted into retail and office space under the name The Piano Works.
Now the broker marketing the property believes some of the space may be perfect for additional uses, including apartments.
“There’s always going to be first-floor retail and services,” said Derek Ritter, president and managing broker at SQ/FT Brokerage, which is also a tenant at Piano Works. “We’re looking for someone who can propel it out of the ’90s and into today, sort of a Fairport cannery-type of thing.”
Michael Kuskin has owned the property since 2017. Occupancy is at 85.1 percent, according to the Crexi online listing.
“It definitely can be elevated with some capital investments,” Ritter said.
The property is not listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places but listing references the potential of preservation-based funding.
The listing went live last week and local and out-of-town investors have inquired, with several already signing confidentiality agreements, Ritter said.
“We’re excited about the listing because of its rich history,” he said. “I’ve been a part of a number of commercial auctions and the interest is pretty impressive.”
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