The closure of Sweet Betty's in Le Roy has opened up an opportunity for a pair of businessmen looking to bring back a family-style restaurant into the ground-floor space and convert the empty 4,500 square feet on the upper floors into market-rate apartments.
Dustin Beardsley, representing himself and his partner, Gabe Dean, presented the plan to the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday night as part of the process to obtain a special use permit for the apartments.
Beardsley, who is from the Stafford/East Bethany area, and Dean, who lives out of state, already own a 10-unit apartment complex for college students in Brockport and see Le Roy as a great place to do business.
"We came across the space and thought it was a nice, interesting location in a great locale," Beardsley said. "Le Roy is a great location, kind of like a smaller booming little city. We're hopeful everything passes and then we can be part of that."
Sweet Betty's closed last month and the sale of the property by Gabrielle Keister to Beardsley and Dean is contingent on the partners obtaining the special use permit for the apartments.
Beardsley is a commercial contractor.
In the application for the project, Dean called the 4,500 square feet of space on the upper floors "a blank canvas."
The plan is to construct three two-bedroom and one one-bedroom higher-end apartments.
"We have studied the market demand in the area; it is extremely high," Dean wrote. "We also own other rental properties in the local region and understand the need for housing. We feel this would be a great opportunity to provide four living spaces right in the heart of Le Roy on Main Street and in the commercial district, adding to the local economy."
Beardsley said they will seek a qualified operator for the restaurant space but are open to operating the restaurant themselves if necessary.
"Sweet Betty's was a nice spot for families," Beardsley said. "All of the families could go in there, bring their kids, it wasn't overly expensive and nobody has to dress up, so that's really our intention, to keep something along those lines."
With the county planning board's recommended approval in hand, the Le Roy Planning Board is expected to consider the application on Nov. 15.
