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.

The free, virtual workshop will take place on zoom at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 15 and the JRC also will have a space at City Hall where people can watch the presentation.

JRC Urban Core Director Frank Besse said the three historic districts in Jamestown include downtown, Lakeview district, and Forest Heights. He said those who choose to participate in the program can receive a tax credit on their New York State income tax, “You come up with a project and you have that project reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office, or what we call SHPO. They approve it and the work is then done. And you will get some paperwork from SHPO that says, ‘Hey, you passed the test,’ and then that is given to your accountant and they do their magic. But basically, you’ll have a credit that’s 20% if it’s a residential property. 20% of the value of the work.”

Besse said there is a $5,000 minimum threshold to trigger that credit. He said if you don’t have a state income tax liability, that credit turns into a refund.

JRC Neighborhood Project Coordinator Mary Maxwell said the City is working on applying to the state to add a fourth historic district on the west side.

She said the Lakeview district, which was approved in 2017, has had $88,000 invested in properties. The downtown district, which was approved in 2014, has seen $27 million reinvested by those taking advantage of the historic tax credits.

Pre-registration is required for the workshop and can be done at PreservationBuffaloNiagara.org. Those who wish to attend the presentation in person, or who want more information, should contact Mary Maxwell at mary@jamestownrenaissance.org or call (716) 708-6964.