American Legion property developers eye March start date
GENEVA — Pine Ridge Construction President Jerry Lariviere and three of his colleagues grabbed dinner at Halsey’s on Seneca Street July 7, then walked over to the Geneva Recreation Complex to watch City Council pave the way for the company’s ambitious plan to create a mixed-used development on nearly 13 acres it is buying from the Geneva American Legion.
It was a good night for the Williamsport, Pa., company, with Lariviere noting that Pine Ridge can move ahead with plans to redevelop the lakefront property on Lochland Road (Route 14) for a hotel, restaurant and brewery and townhouse complex.
“We’re processing right along,” he said. “We’re right on track.”
At the meeting, City Council approved rezoning the land from agricultural residential to Lakefront District, as well as designating planned unit and planned commercial development uses for the parcel.
Lariviere said it’s rare when a property like the Legion’s becomes available, and that Geneva is the perfect place to develop such a project.
“I couldn’t imagine any other community meeting all those (positive) checkmarks,” he said, mentioning the region’s strong tourism economy and proximity to Hobart and William Smith Colleges, among other attributes.
Next up is a date with the city Planning Board for site plan approval.
Pine Ridge, doing business in Geneva as Lakefront Development Corp., plans to get rolling on the project in March 2022. It will encompass two phases, with the hotel and restaurant/brewery construction starting first and the townhouse development of up to 60 residences to follow later in the spring, Lariviere indicated.
The goal, he said, is to be finished in April 2023.
Lariviere said the company is investing approximately $30 million into the valuable piece of lakefront property. He would not disclose what Pine Ridge is paying for the property, deferring that information to Legion officials.
Legion Commander Dale Mosher said the purchase price will be divulged once the property closes.
“Dale and the whole Legion have been good partners,” said Lariviere, adding the city administration has been very helpful, walking them through the many steps of the approval process. “They’ve been very clear about what is expected.”
Lariviere said a hotel chain has not been chosen for the 125-room, five-story hotel to be built on the property.
“We’ve spoken to a number of organizations, including Marriott and Hilton,” he said.
Regardless of who is chosen, Lariviere said the hotel’s architectural features will be designed to fit into the Lochland Road neighborhood, which features, among other properties, Belhurst Castle, its next-door neighbor to the south.
The hotel is the second new lodging facility proposed for the South Main Street/Lochland Road area. Trinity Episcopal Church is being redeveloped into an inn, restaurant and events center, with the project set to come before the Planning Board Monday night for site plan review and a special use permit related to parking. Trinity is proposing to build 25 rooms at its South Main Street site.
Lariviera said there’s room for another hotel in Geneva. He pointed to a feasibility study that indicates the need for additional lodging in the area.
He noted that many Pennsylvanians, including himself, visit the Finger Lakes each year for the wine, the lakes and the food.
“You’re just a short blast up the highway,” he said. “I think we’ve all been up there growing up.”
Lariviera noted that when finished, the development will provide significant tax benefits for the city, county and school district, but did note that the company will seek a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement that would reduce the tax liability on portions of the property.
“We’ve talked with Sage and the city about the PILOT program, using other hotels as models (for tax abatements),” Managing Director Marc Demshock said. “We’ll start discussions and get down to more details in the next month.”
Beyond new tax revenue — the Legion property was off the tax rolls because the organization is non-profit — the hotel, restaurant and brewery will create about 50 jobs, Lariviera noted. Additional positions will be needed to work on the maintenance crew for the townhomes, he said.
As for the brewery, Lariviera said Pine Ridge is in talks with a regional operator who would be opening a second location at the development.
Article written by STEVE BUCHIERE sbuchiere@fltimes.com
July 16, 2021
Original article linked here.