The Hammondsport school district has reached an agreement to sell the former Glenn Curtiss Memorial School to a developer who has big plans for the property.
Hammondsport Superintendent Kyle Bower said the district has accepted a $302,000 bid from architect Robert Lack of Long Rock LLC.
Lack hasn’t closed on the property yet.
Lack says after speaking to community members, he feels the best fit for the area is to develop the former school into residential space ― either high-end apartments or condominiums.
He said the need for condos and apartments in the area stems in part from “people looking to downsize” from large homes for retirement.
Lack’s firm has worked on recent projects ranging from Dandy Mini Marts in Campbell and Big Flats to major work on the Deane Center for the Performing Arts and an expansion at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Wellsboro, Pa. Lack said it’s the historical significance of the Curtiss school that made the project appealing.
The building - located on Bauder Street - “holds a lot of value historically with Glenn Curtiss and the community,” he said.
He has no plans at this point to make any changes to the exterior design of the building. Lack said the designs of the Art Deco period in which the 78-year-old school was built are under-appreciated.
“Fifty years from now, we’ll look on these buildings the same way we look at Victorian (architecture) today,” he said.
Lack said he’s considering the possibility of trying to add the building to the historical register.
“That’s definitely on the table,” he said.
Historic designation carries tax benefits for developers through a New York state historic preservation program.
Besides developing the interior of the school into apartments or condos, Lack is planning to turn the gymnasium into community space of some kind.
He’s also hoping he’ll be allowed to subdivide the eight-acre area to create lots for single-family residences to tie the former school building back into the neighborhood.
Lack said it’s too early at this point to talk about the cost of the project.
“It gets very costly trying to bring modern wiring and plumbing and heating into a building like that,” he said.
He promised more information about the project, including renderings of the completed site, would be available soon.
The next step after Lack closes on the property is going through the permitting process for the redevelopment, which could take several months.
After that’s completed, Lack said his firm would be ready to begin work immediately.
The school has been up for sale since it closed in July 2010.
A planned sale to the Town of Urbana fell through after voters rejected it in May 2011.
A later bid to turn the school into an arts center failed after local artist Simon Sananas couldn’t raise enough capital for the project.
The Hammondsport school district has reached an agreement to sell the former Glenn Curtiss Memorial School to a developer who has big plans for the property.
Hammondsport Superintendent Kyle Bower said the district has accepted a $302,000 bid from architect Robert Lack of Long Rock LLC.
Lack hasn’t closed on the property yet.
Lack says after speaking to community members, he feels the best fit for the area is to develop the former school into residential space ― either high-end apartments or condominiums.
He said the need for condos and apartments in the area stems in part from “people looking to downsize” from large homes for retirement.
Lack’s firm has worked on recent projects ranging from Dandy Mini Marts in Campbell and Big Flats to major work on the Deane Center for the Performing Arts and an expansion at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Wellsboro, Pa. Lack said it’s the historical significance of the Curtiss school that made the project appealing.
The building - located on Bauder Street - “holds a lot of value historically with Glenn Curtiss and the community,” he said.
He has no plans at this point to make any changes to the exterior design of the building. Lack said the designs of the Art Deco period in which the 78-year-old school was built are under-appreciated.
“Fifty years from now, we’ll look on these buildings the same way we look at Victorian (architecture) today,” he said.
Lack said he’s considering the possibility of trying to add the building to the historical register.
“That’s definitely on the table,” he said.
Historic designation carries tax benefits for developers through a New York state historic preservation program.
Besides developing the interior of the school into apartments or condos, Lack is planning to turn the gymnasium into community space of some kind.
He’s also hoping he’ll be allowed to subdivide the eight-acre area to create lots for single-family residences to tie the former school building back into the neighborhood.
Lack said it’s too early at this point to talk about the cost of the project.
“It gets very costly trying to bring modern wiring and plumbing and heating into a building like that,” he said.
He promised more information about the project, including renderings of the completed site, would be available soon.
The next step after Lack closes on the property is going through the permitting process for the redevelopment, which could take several months.
After that’s completed, Lack said his firm would be ready to begin work immediately.
The school has been up for sale since it closed in July 2010.
A planned sale to the Town of Urbana fell through after voters rejected it in May 2011.
A later bid to turn the school into an arts center failed after local artist Simon Sananas couldn’t raise enough capital for the project.
