There are to be public hearings in each the city and county this week on the application and use of a $2 million Restore NY grant.

The city's hearing is during a conference session at 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Board Room, second floor, City Hall.

City Council's intended use for the grant is for the Carrs Reborn project in downtown Batavia. Cities with a population less than 40,000 can apply for up to $2 million, and it is available for projects to “demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitate/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial and/or mixed-use buildings.”

The former C.L. Carr's site, with an expansive footprint within Main and Jackson streets and is owned by Ken Mistler, is expected to accommodate several upper-floor apartments and business/office use on the ground floor.

City Council is expected to vote on the grant submission during its business meeting to follow. The group is also to vote for support of a county-led Restore NY grant application to offset the $33.5 million Healthy Living campus project on Main Street, downtown Batavia. Work has begun to construct a new Healthy Living campus alongside GLOW YMCA, and the fitness facility at 207-209 East Main St. will eventually be demolished to make way for green and parking spaces.

It will take much investment for the entire plan to unfold, and Genesee County’s Ways & Means Committee has agreed to proceed with an application for a $2 million Restore NY grant to help with the costs.

Before anything else can happen, a public hearing must be conducted about the project to demolish 207-209 and 211 1/2 (rear) on East Main Street. Led by the county, the grant is available for “projects to demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitation/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial, and/or mixed-use buildings.”

The county has set two public hearings for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia. In addition to one about the Restore NY grant, there is a hearing about a local law to expand the residency limit beyond Genesee County to open the pool of candidates for Genesee County Sheriff's Office correction officer vacancies.

Rendering of future Healthy Living campus in downtown Batavia, submitted by Rochester Regional Health.

As some go up, others must come down.

That’s the nutshell version of construction in downtown Batavia. Work is being done to construct a new Healthy Living campus alongside GLOW YMCA, and the fitness facility at 207-209 East Main St. will eventually be demolished to make way for green and parking spaces.

It will take much investment for the entire plan to unfold, and Genesee County’s Ways & Means Committee agreed Wednesday to proceed with an application for a $2 million Restore NY grant to help with the costs.

Before anything else can happen, a public hearing must be conducted about the project to demolish 207-209 and 211 1/2 (rear) on East Main Street. Led by the county, the grant is available for “projects to demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitate/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial, and/or mixed-use buildings.”

The hearing was set for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

The project has already passed historic preservation and environmental reviews, and has a developer, said Ed Flynn, director of planning at LaBella Associates. Having those items taken care of “I think will make it a competitive project,” Flynn said.

An important goal of Restore NY is to revitalize urban centers, rural areas, and disadvantaged communities. It is anticipated that upon completion, the projects funded by Restore NY municipal grants will attract individuals, families, and industrial and commercial enterprises to the municipality, according to the resolution.

“It is further anticipated that the improved community and business climate will result in an increased tax base, thereby improving municipal finances and the wherewithal to further grow the municipality’s tax and resource base, lessening its dependence on state aid,” it states.

Populations of less than 40,000 can apply for up to $2 million in grant funding. Since the City of Batavia meets that stipulation, Flynn suggested going for the entire amount.

Genesee County will be assisting with the administrative portion of the grant and applying on behalf of the city. The $2 million would go towards a $33.5 million Healthy Living project between Bank and Wiard streets downtown.

The future site is to be a 78,000-square-foot integrated medical and wellness facility. It's to include state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a new pool, an indoor track, a teaching kitchen, a children’s adventure room play area, plus 22 exam rooms and two medical procedure rooms for primary care, telemedicine appointments, behavioral health and crisis intervention support, cancer prevention, chronic illness, and community education services.

Rochester Regional Health, United Memorial Medical Center and YMCA officials have said the site will serve as a one-stop-shop for many health concerns and fitness goals, and there will also be a drop-in childcare center. 

For prior coverage, go to Healthy Living.

Illustration: File Photo of future Healthy Living campus rendering.

If Healthy Living officials were happy about a groundbreaking ceremony, imagine how they feel to finally see Phase I of the project begin.

Take a walk just east of the YMCA building, and you will see the tear-down of Cary Hall, which once housed Healthy Living programs. Rochester Regional Health and GLOW YMCA officials have worked for years on a plan for the new facility, and look forward to the ensuing progress.

“We've got the demo of Cary Hall coming down now. And it’s moving along nicely, and we expect that to last probably another week, week and a half, till we get everything down,” United Memorial Medical Center CEO Dan Ireland said Tuesday. “And then the next phase will be — that's really the enabling phase — getting that done, and getting the parking lot graded out, and then starting to really get to work on the foundations for the new building.”

Last month, Ireland, GLOW YMCA CEO Rob Walker, and about 100 others gathered at 213 East Main St., Batavia, at the site of a future 78,000-square-foot facility. Defined as an integrated medical and wellness facility, it's to include state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a new pool, indoor track, teaching kitchen, a children’s adventure room play area, plus 22 exam rooms and two medical procedure rooms for primary care, telemedicine appointments, behavioral health and crisis intervention support, cancer prevention, chronic illness, and community education services. The site will serve as a one-stop-shop for many health concerns and fitness goals, and there will also be a drop-in childcare center.

Despite supply chain issues for other projects — roofing material, steel and concrete — this project is on track for a scheduled late 2023 completion date, Ireland said. Knowing how construction projects can go at times, he said the timetable could change at some point, but materials have been available so far.

“This is different than all of the other construction projects I’ve been involved in; it’s a funny mix of, you just don’t know what’s going to get delayed,” he said.

That second phase -- building the infrastructure for the new site -- will likely begin in September, Ireland said.

“Right now, we're just waiting on some paperwork. With that next phase, you'll start seeing foundations getting framed out,” he said. “So the demo contractors are on there now, and the contractor that's going to actually do the construction will transition onto the site. We're still looking at late 2023 completion at this stage of the game. And again, I always use caution on all my projects these days … not everything's been ordered yet. So, obviously, just getting started on the build phase, we will have to be working on that, firming up that timeline, and making sure we don't have any delays with supplies or other parts. I guess roofing material is one of the big things that all my projects are looking at challenges.”

Ireland is also overseeing construction for the Batavia medical campus on Route 98. Sessler Environmental Services of Rochester, the contractor for Ellicott Station, is doing the demo work, and RP Oak Hill Building Company will be doing the construction for the Healthy Living campus. The project has taken nearly seven years of hurdles to get to this point.

“I know Rob (Walker) and I are thrilled about this. And, in fact, I was off-site yesterday, and he sends me a picture of the demo getting underway. He's like, ‘it's finally here.’ So that's kind of where we're at,” Ireland said. “We tried to minimize any impact of traffic on the lot. Thankfully, most of that area's not highly traveled, and we'll be able to not impact people too much, as far as in and out of that campus, and then inside of the lot.”

Top and remaining photos show the beginning phase of demolition for Cary Hall, which formerly housed Healthy Living. Photos by Howard Owens.

Over the last six-plus years, plans — and hopes — for a new and improved Healthy Living campus have certainly been put to the test.

A zoning change, suggestions for less cement and more green space, lighting up Wiard Street and rethinking an entry/exit from Summit Street, plus the constant push to raise money for the $33.5 million project may have given pause but never a fullstop since 2016.

Officials and community members celebrated Monday what United Memorial Medical Center CEO Dan Ireland described as making “this vision a reality.”

Ireland and about 100 others gathered at 213 East Main St., Batavia, one of the parcels between Main and Bank Street that will be the future 78,000-square-foot facility.

“This is a pivotal and historic day in our community’s health and wellness journey,” Ireland said. “We are breaking ground on an innovative, forward-thinking model of integrated health and wellness that will transform downtown Batavia. From a healthcare perspective, this facility and model of care that it represents will exemplify how healthcare can evolve to support the healthcare needs of the community today and for the next generations.”

“The Healthy Living Campus is the future of health care, where medical and wellness programs are integrated under one roof. It’s made possible through our community partnerships, and it’s helping patients get all the care they need and deserve in one place. 

He recalled the high level of effort it has taken during the past nearly seven years of planning, collaboration and diligent work to reach this point. He credited Rochester Regional Health’s staff teams, community partners, GLOW YMCA and “most importantly you” for arriving at the day shovels were symbolically plunged into the earth.

Not only was the event about a new facility, but also about an “innovative and integrated” system of what and how care is delivered. Meal planning, building healthy habits, assessing mental and physical health, and taking preventive measures for well-being are just some of the services to be offered.

Add in state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a new pool, an indoor track, a teaching kitchen, and an adventure room play area for children.

Top it off with 22 exam rooms and two medical procedure rooms for primary care, telemedicine appointments, behavioral health and crisis intervention support, cancer prevention, chronic illness, and community education services, and the site is a one-stop-shop for many health concerns and fitness goals, officials said. There will also be a drop-in childcare center.

“Today is not just a celebration of a new building or clinic, it’s the celebration of a community coming together to reimagine health and wellness of the future and transform our downtown," Ireland said. "It’s celebrating you and your friends and neighbors who have worked tirelessly over seven years to advocate, plan and collaborate to make this vision a reality. Without your voices, your ideas, your support, we would not be here today at this milestone. We are embarking on this exciting new chapter of health and wellness in Downtown Batavia.”

The project’s birth was a few city managers ago, when talk of an expanded Healthy Living campus at times seemed pie-in-the-sky for some. Seeing it finally come to fruition is “a big load off our minds,” City Council President Eugene Jankowski said.

“I’m excited to see this project begin,” he said. “There were a lot of setbacks, and it’s really easy to call it quits.”

He thanked all involved for remaining steadfast on the journey and “moving forward to positive outcomes” in the city’s future.

Robert Walker, CEO of GLOW YMCA, remembered picking up the phone back then and becoming engaged in the concept. Almost seven years later, this plan “has truly changed the path of both organizations,” he said.

“Your leadership and support have impacted me tremendously,” he said.

He cited the YMCA’s mission statement: To develop the spiritual, mental, and physical wellness of all people in an atmosphere of Christian fellowship and thanked individual and collective community members for their determination to come together, strive for improvement, and see this project through.

“The GLOW YMCA and Rochester Regional Health Healthy Living Campus is a place for children, adults, and families from all walks of life in our community to come together and improve their lives — spirit, mind and body,” Walker said. “The state-of-the-art campus will not only be a benefit for the health of our residents, but also for the health of our local businesses, transforming downtown Batavia.”

Perhaps equally notable to the support for the project is the timing now, in the midst of a post-pandemic, RRH CEO Dr. Richard Davis said.

We’re all about reimagining what healthcare can and must be in the 21st Century, we’re focusing on those strategic themes and talents of literally 20,000 of our team members … delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time, to achieve the right health outcomes for the right value,” he said. “Healthy Living is a shining example of what truly is an innovative model.”

The strengths of two organizations — RRH and YMCA — are being brought together to offer the best of each one alone as an essential service to the city of Batavia, he said.

Officials also included Rob Rodriguez, NYS secretary of state, Senator Edward Rath III, Tom Houseknecht, on behalf of him and his wife Lynn, and Paul Battaglia, chairman of the YMCA Campaign Committee.

“I know when we started this quest in 2016 … many people thought this was an impossible dream. Now … this dream is coming true,” Battaglia said. “Today we’re not just celebrating the groundbreaking of a building, but celebrating the health of our community. This is a transformational project that is going to completely change the downtown area. It’s going to bring people downtown, create excitement and vitality that we believe will have a significant domino effect on the local businesses there. We could not be prouder of this relationship.”

The Healthy Living project was made possible with state, federal and community fundraiser monies, including an NYS economic development health care grant of $11.6 million, a $4.1 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, and ongoing fundraising efforts by more than 50 GLOW YMCA and RRH volunteers.

Officials expect construction to be completed in 2023.

Top photo: Officials take shovels in hand for the symbolic gesture during the Healthy Living campus groundbreaking ceremony Monday at 16 Bank St., Batavia. United Memorial Medical Center CEO Dan Ireland, Rob Walker, CEO of GLOW YMCA and Rochester Regional Health CEO Dr. Richard Davis say a few words during the event. Photos by Howard Owens. Renderings of the project provided by RRH.