Architect Chris Cooke presents on Prendergast Landing Project to Jamestown Planning Commission (May 16, 2023)

The Jamestown Planning Commission received an update on the Shawbucks and Prendergast Landing projects at their monthly meeting.

Project Architect Chris Cooke presented on the Prendergast Landing project which is located at the corner of Fairmount Avenue and West Eighth Street. The property was formerly owned by The Resource Center before being purchased in November 2021 by Rahsaan Graham under Jade Empire LLC.

Cooke said the first floor will be retail and mixed use space, “..with a cafe in the back corner. This office level here on the second floor will be a WeWork kind of model, which is small offices for start-up businesses. The third floor will be three apartments there used for a mix of short-term and long-term rentals.”

Cooke said an elevator and ramp entry will be added to the back of the building for accessibility. He said Jade Empire is the developer of the project and that they have already worked with the New York State Historic Preservation Office to find information on the building which was built in the 1880s.

Shawbucks owner Kurt Johnson provided an update on his project to renovate the existing restaurant and bar.

Johnson said he was approved to purchase a 25-foot sidewalk owned by the city in August 2021 so that he could build a three-story balcony on the West Second Street side of the building, “Phase one is moving the bathrooms to the back of the building so that the front of the building is visible. We’ll be leaving eight feet of sidewalk on the front and the sides of the building, which is more space between the buildings than the ones around us. So, right now we’ve started relocating the bathrooms into the back of the building. We’ve got our permit, our first inspection.”

Johnson also plans to build an elevator to increase access to all floors of the building. He said the second floor will include event space, restrooms, and a second kitchen. Johnson added that a future phase of the project would be to turn the rooftop into a green space.

Both projects will likely come back before the Planning Commission in June for site plan approval.

Shawbucks

Johnson said the renovations extend to the second floor, “The plan would be for to have public assembly up there so I don’t have to close to the public when I do bands, entertainment. It could be any type of public assembly, weddings, catering, conferences, it’ll be a lot more diversified up there.”

Changes to the front of the building also will make it more accessible. Johnson said his next steps are to continue working on drawings and estimates for the project.

A question had been raised whether the Planning Commission could approve the plan even though the city doesn’t own the property yet. Public Works Director Jeff Lehman said this has been done before, “We can make that a contingency of the approval that the city has ownership. Obviously, like I said it’s in the attorney’s hands, the deal has been reached, city council has approved it, it’s just a matter of the paperwork being signed.”

City Council had approved purchasing 1425 through 1505 Washington Street from Tim Shults for $400,000 at its June voting session.

The Planning Commission also approved the request from Shawbucks’ owner Kurt Johnson to purchase a city right-of-way at 212 West Second Street. This purchase will allow Johnson to build a 3-story balcony for outdoor seating for the restaurant.

The negative declaration and site plan also was approved for Lutheran Social Services Green Home project.

And the Planning Commission continued discussions on the Local Preservation Ordinance with plans to schedule a special meeting specifically to discuss LPO language and details.

Thompson said he believes the city will see a significant increase in sales tax revenue for the second quarter of 2021 relative to 2020.

Council will review a one-year lease renewal for office space with the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. Under the lease, JRC will pay the city $500 a month for 668 square feet of space on the third floor of City Hall. This represents an increase from $200 a month last year.

Council also will review a telecommuting policy for city employees at its work session tonight. The resolution report said the creation of the policy was needed after employees worked from home during the pandemic.

Also on the agenda are a number of special event permit applications for upcoming events. There also is a request by downtown restaurant, Forte, to install a parklet as well as a request by Shawbucks owner Kurt Johnson to purchase a city right-of-way in order to build a 3-story deck onto the building for outdoor seating.

The committee meetings start in person at 6:45pm with the full work session beginning at 7:30pm in the Third Floor Conference room. All meetings are open to the public.