Pictured is a rendering of the Gateway Lofts project meant to transform the former Chautauqua Hardware Factory into a 110-unit, multi-family affordable housing complex. Submitted file photo

During a special meeting of the city’s planning commission, multiple members of the team that are working on the large-scale Gateway Lofts project in the city presented the project to the commission for a second time.

The Gateway Lofts Project is designed to renovate the Gateway Center, which is the former Chautauqua Hardware factory, into a 110-unit, multi-family affordable housing complex, which will be anchored by supportive wrap-around services. The $67 million project is a collaboration among Community Helping Hands, the YWCA of Jamestown, and Southern Tier Environments for Living, and has been in the works since 2020.

Lindsey Haubenreich with the Phillips Lytle law firm presented the project to the commission the first time in mid-February and was among those presenting it in more detail at Wednesday’s special meeting.

“After our meeting on Feb. 18 we did meet with planning staff and went through the project as well,” Haubenreich said. “They had a couple of questions and comments … And after that meeting we did provide the city with a full set of site plans … which were approved in 2020.”

Haubenreich said the project is an adapted reuse project, to reuse a part of the already existing Gateway Center. Based on the efforts of the organization doing the project, Southern Tier Environments for Living, the building is now designated as a contributing structure on the state and national historic register, allowing for the structure to be saved, restored and revitalized.

Some exterior residential structures will be demolished as a part of the project, to put in a playground and additional green space.

“The project will be a complement to the city’s highly successful Chadakoin River Walk,” Haubenreich said. “It won’t yet connect but we have had some discussions with the city about the extent of their opportunities in the future, we would be willing to discuss that further.”

Joe Gibbons, who is one of the project’s architects, then presented on some of the more architectural parts of the project. This includes a lot of interior work, such as replacing all of the windows. The project will be an all electric project, following a state mandate, Gibbons said, leading to an all electric building.

Some vinyl fencing will be seen with the project, for some protections and barriers to help protect turtles, which was a previous concern with the earlier project. Seating areas will be in the back and around the building on the outside, and some site signage will also be included. Gibbons also discussed lights in the parking lot and around the building, and the creation of some internal courtyard areas for residents.

Site drainage has been revamped, connecting to a new culvert, and the previously approved plans had three connections to the already existing culvert, and the new connection will not have to change much. Some variances are requested for the number of parking spaces, with the amount required being 251, and some of the first floor footage may change as well, with 140 parking spaces planned. The parking area set back is also back by half of a foot, not meeting the five foot requirement, and these two variances already existed in the original 2020 project.

It was noted that the previous planning commission had wanted more green space for the project compared to parking spaces.

Services that will be included in the building are a furniture store, St Susan’s Kitchen, the Chautauqua County Mental Health Association, and some vacant spaces still open with some interest from a pharmacy and some others.

A concern regarding the project complying with the city’s housing projects was addressed, along with another infill housing project by STEL that is planned down the road a ways.

Following the presentation, members of the planning commission had time to ask a few questions, and it was noted that some things included in the project now are improvements to the original in 2020.

The project is still focused on a March 21 deadline for an application for a $2 million grant for some more additional funding, following project approval. Construction is planned for the first quarter of 2026.

Some questions included potential bus stops and transportation for residents without cars, the tax assessment amount for the project, the construction process, and the amount of material that will need to be removed from the site, with truck travel routes, along with a few others. Hopeful site plan approval is planned for the next planning commission meeting.