downtown

The Genesee Valley PennySaver's Batavia office has moved from Ellicott Street to a corner location and Liberty and East Main, Downtown Batavia. The staff was in the office this morning getting the new location set up.  Pictured are Brittany Walker, left, Drew Muehlig, Leanna DiRisio, Becky Michalak, Ethan Biscaro, Chris Harrison (back) and owner Steve Harrison.

It's a big question that figures into any conversation people have about business in Downtown Batavia -- what's the future of Latina's Market?

The empty hulk on Jackson and Ellicott sits like a concrete elephant that obscures any notion of increasing Downtown's business vibrancy.

And conventional wisdom around town is that a trio of lawyers in Buffalo owns it and has no intention of doing anything with it -- they're happy to just let it sit.

"That's (bunk)," said co-owner Vito Gautieri during an interview today. 

Local business man Gautieri is a co-owner and broker of the building that has served as a location for Montgomery Ward, Super Duper and Jubilee as well as Latina's over the past 20 years.

Gautieri said he's trying to lease or sell the 40,000 square foot building (which also has 11,000 square feet of office space above the retail floor).

"We've been spending tons of money trying to find a buyer," Gautieri said. "We've showed it 10 or 12 times in the past year. "

Gautieri's partners are indeed a group of lawyers in Buffalo, but he said they are just as anxious as anybody else to see the building sold or leased.

Don Burkle, director of the Batavia Improvement District, said it's good news if the owners are indeed trying to sell the building, but he's been unaware of any effort to sell or lease the building and that there's never been any response from the current ownership whenever the BID has referred potential buyers.

The BID is very interested in seeing a grocery store go into the location, or maybe it could serve as a retail business incubator, or perhaps a hotel and convention center could be built on the location -- anything that would help downtown would interest the BID, Burkle said.

"(The building) has a lot of potential and any grocery store in that location would certainly enhance downtown," Burkle said.

Gauiteri said the asking price on the location is $1.8 million.

In 2008, the property was assessed at $700,000.

One obvious potential buyer is Ken Mistler, who just opened a new gym and a coffee shop at the corner of Main and Jackson and has a history of buying downtown buildings -- he owns 10 now -- and renovating them.

Both Gauiteri and Mistler confirmed they've talked about the building, but it doesn't sound like there are any ongoing negotiations.

Mistler said he's both concerned about the vacant building and, now that his gym is open, wonders what will happen to parking if anything is opened in that location.

"That's a big vacancy and any possible business that might want to come Downtown looks at that big vacant building and starts asking why?" Mislter said in between signing up new gym memberships this afternoon. "We know it has a negative impact on Downtown when it's such a massive location and it's empty. But I also think, what if it is filled? What is the city going to do about parking? Did you see the parking lot last night -- people were parking down by South Beach and we (the gym) opened only four days ago."

Several weeks ago, I ran into local musician Bill McDonald in the parking lot at Tops, and as it usually does, our conversation ranged from music to all things local. He asked me if I had ever seen the paintings of old Downtown Batavia in the Genesee County Nursing Home. I didn't even know about them.

So yesterday, since I needed to stop by the nursing home anyway, I decided to make a special point of seeking out the paintings and taking a couple of pictures.

The paintings are truly stunning and great art. I'm sure they would be especially appreciated by anybody who remembers Batavia as it once was.

They are the work Patricia Burr, an artist from Elba.

I believe there are eight panels total (forgot to take an exact count). Above is a detail of one panel and two more panels below. 

I'm not sure how the staff at the home would feel about a bunch of people showing up to gaze at the paintings, but they are worth the trip.

I was really pleased with how this picture turned out and I'm glad Don Burkel has given me an excuse to re-run it.  This morning he announced the winners of the BID's Holiday Window Contest, and Valle Jewelers won.

Second prize went to Adam Miller Toy & Bicycles and third prize to Spa at Artemis.

Honorable mentions: C.L. Carr/Mistler Building, Continental School of Beauty, Floral Fantasies and WBTA.

Previously: Downtown Christmas Lights

It's a complaint I heard from Downtown Batavia merchants last winter, and a sore subject that came up at a BID meeting over the winter -- snow piled up along Main Street. Now merchants are grumbling again after the first big snow storm this year.

The big mounds make it exceptionally hard for customers to come downtown, park on Main and walk into a business. Generally, when the snow is piled up like it is, only the driver can get out of a car and then must walk a half a block or more in traffic to the nearest opening to gain access to the sidewalk -- and then walk back to the business he or she wants to enter.

Ken Mistler, who is opening a gym at Main and Jackson in a few weeks, is also concerned about the practice of city public works crews piling up snow right in the middle of the parking lot behind his building. The large pile can take up as many as 20 parking spaces, and with several popular businesses on Jackson, that doesn't leave much parking room left with convenient access to those businesses and the gym.

He said he isn't worried about his customers walking some distance to get into the gym -- they are, after all, into fitness -- but he is concerned that the additional parking his gym requires means that customers of the Jackson Street businesses will find it harder to park and face longer walks.

Those 20 or so spaces are much needed, Mistler said, so he suggested the snow be piled behind the empty Latina's market, not in the middle of the most used parking area off Jackson.

City Manager Jason Molino said the city is constantly reviewing snow plowing and removal procedures, but removal is not a priority during a storm and can only be accomplished as manpower and equipment availability dictates.

"Our first priority, when we have a snow storm like yesterday, is to make sure the thoroughfares are clean, the major arteries in the city are clear, and then the side streets and then we get into snow removal," Molino said during an interview on Friday.

At the BID meeting this summer, Board President John Roche said downtown merchants need to be vocal about letting City Hall know that they want to see snow removal become more of a priority this year.

We'll see what happens.

This evening I wandered around downtown a bit and took some pictures of some of the businesses that have decorated for the holidays.

By my estimation, twice as many people came out to Christmas in the City this year as compared to last, and the smiles were also about twice as bright.

In other words, it was a great evening. 

Thank you to all who stopped by our booth in City Centre.

More pictures below, and several more after the jump.  Merry Christmas!

UPDATE: I inadvertently left one photo out last night which I've added to the bottom of this post -- it's of our long-time reader Dan Cherry taking a picture of his boys outside Valle Jewelry. 

Come on downtown and check out all of the Christmas displays in store windows, such as this one at Adam Miller Toy and Bicycles. The displays will be judged tonight as part of a contest tied into Christmas in the City.

The annual event promises to be a good deal of fun. Dozens of businesses are participating, plus there will be live music, horse-drawn wagon rides, Santa and food (Steve Mullen will be roasting chestnuts outside Larry's Steakhouse).

Stop into one of the local businesses and pick up a program for the event, which contains a schedule of entertainment as well as coupons for 14 businesses.

Rob Crede, manager of The Daily Grind on Main and Jackson in Batavia, serves Jim Kujawski on the first day of business for the new coffee shop and juice bar.

Owner Ken Mistler (pictured below) has been preparing for the opening for months, but characterizes this week's opening as "soft" so any kinks can be worked out.  But soft or not, Rob served a steady stream of customers this morning.

Meanwhile, the gym, Next Level, adjacent to the coffee shop, is moving closer to opening in a few weeks.  More pictures follow the jump.

Mistler stands in front of an in-progress mural by Vinny Del Plato at the top of the stairway leading to the lower-level workout area and men's locker room.

The kids' room, with mural painted by Karen Reisdorf.

The new coffee shop/juice bar at the corner of Main and Jackson opens at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Owner Ken Mistler said he will be on hand throughout the day to provide tours of the adjacent gym, which should open in a few weeks.

One of the unique features of the new shop is that a number of the drinks are named after people and businesses downtown. For example, you can stop in and order The Batavian, which is a strawberry smoothie with banana chucks mixed in and dark chocolate shavings on top.

Most new retail businesses never last past the first year. The owners either run out of cash, mismanage their inventory or pick a poor location. For Kamilla Kabel, though, she had more than a dream. She had a plan and did her research.

House of K celebrated its fifth anniversary on Saturday, and Kabel was all smiles.

"I feel it is an accomplishment," Kabel said. "I set out for a goal. My business plan said for five years of survival and I’ve done it, and (there's) even been a (widespread) financial crisis at the same time."

House of K features designer European fashion for women, and Kabel, a native of Denmark, said her stylish clothing appeals to women of Genesee County as well as drawing customers from Rochester and Buffalo.

"We bring in unique items you can't get any place else," Kabel said.

Kabel moved to the U.S. in 1999 to be closer to Batavian Ben Kabel, whom she met in Copenhagen while he was studying architecture there. They were married in 2000. The Kabels now have two children.

After obtaining a two-year degree in interior design from Monroe Community College and working as an assistant manager at Pier 1 Imports in Amherst, Kamilla wanted to do something that would give her more freedom to visit her parents in Denmark. She told the Daily News in 2004 that she always wanted to own her own business.

Retail was a good choice. The always-effusive Kabel says she loves people and the only bad times she has in the store is when there are no customers to talk with and help find the perfect dress for an afternoon wedding or pick just the right accessory for a designer blouse.

"The high point (of owning the store) has definitely been the customers," Kabel said. "We’ve become friends and I know their lives and they know me."

In a business environment where many naysayers might try to talk people out of starting their own stores, Kabel's advice is simple: "Go for it."

"You have to give it a try or you will always wonder," Kabel said. "You don’t know what lies ahead. You can try and prepare for everything, but you never know, so you’ve just got to go with the flow and change things along the way."

I've always dreamed of owning a powder blue Chevy Bel Air. Earlier this evening, I spotted one of the cars of my dreams at the Tuesday Night Classic Car Cruise downtown. I also saw the Mustang of my dreams, and the Impala of my dreams and the Camaro of my dreams. Unfortunately, no Cadillac El Dorado of my dreams, though.

Next Tuesday night is the last night to catch these classic beauties, if you haven't been yet this summer.

This afternoon, I popped over to the first day of the Downtown Public Market on Ellicott and Center. First stop: Alston's Bone-Suckin Bar-B-Que sauce stand. The sample alone was worth the trip.  Then I had a couple of red hots from the Jackson St. Grill said.

The market closed early today after the National Weather Service sent out a severe thunderstorm warning.

It will open again next Thursday in the same location at 8:30 a.m.

The Downtown Public Market opens in the morning at 9:30 a.m.

Vendors this year include: Lloyd Christ Farms, S & T Christ Farms, J & W Fresh Farm Produce, Nice Farms, Schwab Farms & Watt Farm, Alston’s BBQ Sauce, Genesee ARC (Handmade) Pet Products, Nonna’s Vegetable Plants & Crafts & Pressed Flowers by L. Regatuso, Posy Power Peddler

Jackson St. Grill & Belladessa’s Pizza will serve hots, hamburgers, pizza & refreshments from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

The market runs every Thursday for the season from 9:30 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of Center and Ellicott.

The downtown carnival was crowded this evening when I stopped by.  It runs through Sunday.

Jeff Gillard, above, was honored as the volunteer of the year for the Business Improvement District, and Kent Ewell, owner of O'Lacy's was given the "Spirit of Downtown" award at today's BID annual luncheon.

The Carnival is coming to town. Work crews are busy now on Jackson Street setting up 10 rides for kids of all ages (so long as they're at least 36 inches tall).  The carnival opens Friday afternoon.