Pictured is a portion of West Main Street in the village of Falconer. The development of Falconer Square has been abandoned. P-J file photo

FALCONER — A Rochester-based developer has pulled the plug on a multi-million-dollar housing project in the village.

Home Leasing CEO Bret Garwood confirmed that plans for what was being called Falconer Square no longer are moving forward. He told The Post-Journal that an unsuccessful push for funding in the form of Low-Income Housing Credits ultimately killed efforts to construct more than 50 multifamily housing units along with 4,300 square feet of commercial space in the heart of the village.

“Home Leasing is extremely disappointed that the project was unable to move forward,” Garwood said. “We did everything we could to try to bring it to fruition in partnership with Falconer but the funding needed is highly competitive and we applied four times over the past three years. We loved working with the local community.”

Home Leasing had sought to re-imagine several lots, mostly located along West Main Street, left vacant due to separate, massive fires that broke out several years ago.

Earlier this year, the family-owned company said it was submitting its fourth application for Low Income Housing Credits, awarded by New York State Homes and Community Renewal and meant to help in the acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing.

Without the funding, Garwood said the Falconer Square project was in a “holding pattern.”

Proposed at 13-37 W. Main St., Falconer Square would have consisted of two, three-story buildings. A 43,000-square-foot building facing West Main Street would have housed 39 one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as 4,300 square feet of commercial and residential community space on the ground floor.

A building facing Davis Street would have consisted of 14 one- and two-bedroom apartments totaling more than 14,000 square feet.

The project had an estimated price tag of $19 million.

Without significant funding coming available at the last second, the Falconer Square development is being abandoned.

“At this point we do not see a funding program that works for the project,” Garwood said. “We think there would have to be a new, additional or substantially changed existing program.”

At their August meeting, members of the Falconer Village Board learned that Home Leasing had again been denied funding. Mayor James Jaroszynski said he contacted the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency to help market the Main Street lots.

‘FORWARD’ THINKING

In September, the Village Board held a public hearing to gauge community interesting in applying for a grant through the recently announced New York Forward. Touted this year by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the program would help “invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities — the type of downtowns found in villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood.”

The state has allocated $100 million for the first round of NY Forward; each of the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils will have the option of recommending two communities for $4.5 million NY Forward awards or three communities, one of which will receive $4.5 million and two will be awarded $2.25 million.

During the Village Board’s public hearing in September, Gregory Peterson, village attorney, said funds will likely go toward building renovations rather than new construction and projects that deal with vacancy rather than new construction.

At least four people spoke during the hearing, two of whom — Danielle and Angelo Marra — said they purchased the former J.E. Servis Plumbing and Heating property at 17 W. Main St. The building is located next to what was the proposed Falconer Square site.

According to the minutes of the public hearing, the Marras said they wanted to see Main Street in the village revitalized and made safer with more lighted areas.

The Village Board later voted to move forward with its application for NY Forward funding.