The Village of Holley is on a mission to preserve and revitalize the Odd Fellows Building in Holley’s commercial downtown district.
Several years ago Orleans County auctioned off the building in a tax foreclosure proceeding to an online bidder. The new owner did nothing but accumulate back taxes and fines for code violations. So, the Village of Holley hired a private investigator to track down the absent owner, as a first step in getting the historic building in the hands of someone who is committed to its revitalization.
The private investigator discovered that the owner had a PO box in Florida. Armed with her name and address, a village code officer paid her a visit on his own time while on vacation. She agreed to turn the building over to the Village of Holley Local Development Corporation (LDC) in exchange for them paying the back taxes.
The Village also sought the help of The Landmark Society of Western New York in their quest. The Landmark Society is supporting Holley with a grant to fund a study that will outline what needs to be done to save the building. Local officials, members of the LDC, representatives from the Holley Murray Historical Society joined together on Thursday, April 25, to hang a “Five to Revive” banner on the Odd Fellows Building, indicating that the Landmark Society has made revitalizing this building a priority.
Built in 1890, the former Odd Fellows Hall is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Holley Village Historic District. Vacant for the past two years, this two and a half story brick building is at-risk due to neglect and masonry deterioration. Larger and more imposing than its immediate neighbors, this anchor building is a key element in Holley’s downtown commercial district. The Landmark Society listed the building in its 2018 Five to Revive.
“A new owner and a plan for reuse are critical to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Holley,” said Daniel Schiavone, D.D.S., board president of the LDC. According to Holley Mayor Brian Sorochty, the west end anchor building is the last big space in the village square that is yet to be renovated.
Sorochty says there are several possibilities for the future of the building. “Once we have results from the study, the building could be sold to a developer or the LDC could decide to keep the building and do the work themselves,” he said.
Landmark Society Preservation Grants are used to help kick-start preservation projects that can have a positive impact on their surrounding communities. “Preservation and revitalization have become priorities for many communities like Holley,” said Wayne Goodman, Landmark Society Executive Director. “Our efforts are focused on sustaining and enhancing the cultural and economic vitality of Western New York by bringing new life to historic buildings and resources and ensuring they are present and contributing for generations to come. Holley is committed to such revitalization as we have seen in the recent former Holley High School revitalization project and other initiatives.”
Historic Holley High School appeared on the Landmark Society’s Five to Revive list in 2013, and it is currently under development by Rochester-based developer Home Leasing. It will be a mixed-use development that will provide quality senior housing along with Village offices.
The Village of Holley LDC was formed about five years ago as an entity separate from the local government to try to save abandoned homes that were thought to be contaminated due to the Diaz chemical spill. The homes have since been renovated and nearly all have been sold due to these efforts.
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