Renovation work on the future home of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau could begin in early spring, said Chamber President Tom Turnbull.
The chamber completed the purchase of the property at 8276 Park Road, Batavia, on Friday.
A request for construction bids on the project should go out in the next couple of weeks.
The chamber anticipates spending $900,000 on the project, which involves totally renovating and reconfiguring the building into office and meeting space suitable to the needs of the chamber and tourism bureau.
The location was selected in a large part because of its proximity to the Batavia exit for the Thruway and the concentration of hotels in the area.
The chamber purchased the building for $275,000.
The cost will be reduced a bit because of significant donation to the project by U.S. Gypsum.
Ray Dunlevy, a Gypsum executive in Oakfield and a member of the Chamber's board, came forward and said Gypsum would donate all of the drywall for renovation.
Nearly every current wall will come down inside the building, and new walls will go up, so it's a significant contribution to the project.
Turnbull really doesn't know the exact value of the donation. He said maybe $4,000 to $6,000.
"Everyone I talk to, and I'm not a contractor, says, 'that's worth thousands of dollars,' " Turnbull said.
The project's architect, Ed Smart, has been in touch with the general manager for Gypsum in Oakfield, Jim Perry, and Turnbull said Perry's message to Smart was, "Just tell us what you need."
The drywall is manufactured in Aliquippa, Pa.
Turnbull said nobody asked Gypsum for a donation. Dunlevy spoke up at a meeting and made the offer.
"It shows what a good community partner they are, just stepping up," Turnbull said. "They volunteered it and it's wonderful. It's going to help the project quite a bit."
File photo.
