Run down, shuttered and uninhabitable. The Hotel Cadillac sits in stark contrast to the restored and rebuilt downtown that exists just around the corner.
“The building has been on the radar for quite some time,” said Erik Frisch, the city’s deputy commissioner for neighborhood and business development. “There have been various proposals that have come and gone.”
But now: “We have a really solid project that's going to bring some much-needed affordable housing to the downtown marketplace.”
Victor-based CSD Housing is partnering with the YWCA to renovate and restore the century-old art deco building on a distressed section of Chestnut Street.
Plans are to create 42 apartments with a small, ground-floor commercial space.
“We've got a strong market,” Frisch said. “Especially here in the downtown area, housing can't get built quickly enough.”
The Cadillac closed in 2018, having racked up a host of code violations while providing substandard housing to people living on the margins.
CSD’s planning is in the early stages. Cain describes the project as mixed income, and says details on the affordable units and the extent of YWCA involvement is being worked out.
The YWCA provides supportive and other housing options with roughly 1,000 units in the Greater Rochester community, helping women and families move from homelessness to long-term stability. What population the remade Cadillac might cater to is another question.
“The property is a bit constrained when it comes to the historic nature of it,” said Robert Cain, director of real estate development with CSD. “It only yields one bedrooms and studios as a result of the requirement to maintain the corridors of the former hotel.”
A big part of the equation is financing. CSD is seeking state assistance, with the backing of the city. The company is also applying for historic tax credits.
“What we're ultimately striving toward is an inclusive community that speaks and works towards a lot of different community-based populations in the Rochester area,” Cain said.
CSD has an agreement to buy the property but has yet to close.
Initial estimates put renovation costs at nearly $19 million. But that figure is certain to change.
“The rich history of the property is alluring,” Cain said, “combined with how transformative the redevelopment of it can be for the community.”
