The former downtown Key Bank location, located on the northeast corner of Second and Main Streets. (google street view)
JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Planning Commission has given its approval to the Jamestown City Center project, which will focus on converting an historic downtown bank building into a multi-use facility that will be used for a dinner theater and banquet space, along with providing residential apartments and office space.
The commission met on Tuesday and reviewed the plans for the project at the former Key Bank building at 200-206 N. Main Street with a representative from LaBella Associates architecture along with project manager Lori Galster. The two were on hand to represent developer Arnold Duke, who owns the property after buying it at auction in 2016.
The commission was required to review the plans because the project involves an adaptive reuse of an existing building that is more than 5,000 square feet.
Architect David Misenheimer with LaBella goes over the site plans of the Jamestown City Center project with the Planning Commission on July 16, 2019.
The center will include office space, eight apartments, a dinner theater on the main floor, commercial kitchen, rental space for banquets, wine tasting lounge, and escape rooms.
The renovation of the four-story, 40,000-square-foot building is expected to cost a total $5 million. Earlier reports and quoted the project at $3.5 million.
Because the building is in the city’s historic district, the state Historic Preservation Office had to review and approve of the renovations.
In addition to private investment, the project will also use $1 million in state aid through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program and $500,000 through the Restore New York Communities Initiative program. The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency also approved a $200,000 sales tax exemption for the project in 2017.
Glastner said with the planning commission’s approval the project can now go out for bid with contractors, in addition to finalizing leases with prospective clients. Portions of the renovation could be completed by the end of this year.
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