Concept drawing of the redevelopment of the former Welch’s Building in the village of Westfield
The redevelopment of the former Welch’s Building in the village of Westfield is moving forward.
The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency Board of Directors on November 18 approved amendments to the project description originally authorized for the project in 2021. The action paves the way for the developer, 2 Portage, LLC, to begin work on the creation of 46 new housing units in the Village’s downtown, while also developing new commercial rental space.
In December 2021, the CCIDA initially approved PILOT/Tax Lease incentives for adaptive re-use of the four-story, 51,000 square foot structure. Those incentives included real property, sales tax, and mortgage recording tax abatements to assist with renovating the building and creating a mix of residential apartments and commercial tenant space. The changes approved Tuesday include all units to be leased at market rate with no tenant restrictions on rents or income. This is an update from the previous project description, which noted that some units would be made available to lease as affordable housing units. Additionally, the total project budget was updated to $19.25 million.
In addition to the initial support provided in late 2021, the CCIDA also approved a $475,000 loan for the project in early 2023, which helped to secure the purchase of the building. The project has also received assistance through an Empire State Development (ESD) infrastructure grant, the Restore NY program, and other ESD sources. The project has also applied for $1 million in assistance through the Village’s recently awarded NY Forward grant it received from ESD, although final determination on that funding won’t be known until sometime in the spring of 2026.
The C.E. Welch Building is located in the French Portage Road Historic District, which is both a local and nationally registered Historic District. Built for Dr. Charles E. Welch in 1909, the building represents a significant contribution to the history of architecture and commerce in the village. Most notably, the building housed the office headquarters of the Welch’s Grape Juice Company.
Once completed, the building will include 46 residential units. In addition, there will be 3,700 square feet of commercial space located in original commercial space at the corner of Portage Road and Main Street. The commercial space will be targeted at a mix of tenants, including a food and beverage/retail operator and other professional service office spaces. The project will create an estimated 70 construction jobs and three post-construction full-time equivalent jobs.
With an estimated 95% of funding secured and incentive agreement with the CCIDA now updated and amended, construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2026, with a completion date tentatively set for summer 2027.
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