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The Frontier House
The Frontier House

Village of Lewiston begins process of finding suitor for Frontier House

by jmaloni
Sat, Jun 23rd 2018 07:05 am
By Joshua Maloni
Managing Editor
On Friday, the Village of Lewiston emailed Frontier House information to prospective buyers.
Mayor Terry Collesano, on Monday, signed an intent to purchase the Center Street property from Hastings Lewiston on behalf of the Village Board. The municipality is considering acquiring the 194-year-old building and parking lot, obtaining Greenway and grant money to restore it, and then selling it to a private investor.
The email stated, "The Village of Lewiston has issued a Sources Sought document to potential developers of the iconic Frontier House located in the center of Lewiston's business district. On June 18th the Village signed a contract to purchase the building and lot at 460 Center Street for $800,000 and has 120 days to complete or cancel the contract.
"A copy of the Sources Sought document may be obtained at the Village of Lewiston website at villageoflewiston.net or by calling Village clerk, Amy Salada, at 716-754-8271. The response deadline for interested parties is August 8th, 2018.
"The Frontier House has been vacant since 2004 when it last served as a McDonald's. It is one of Western New York's most historic structures and was open in 1825 when it was considered the finest hotel in the United States west of the Hudson River. The four-story building, the highest in Lewiston, sits on nearly an acre of property and has over 17,000 square feet of interior space."
The clerk's office prepared a PDF outlining the Frontier House's history and potential benefits. It reads, in part: "The Village is seeking sources from all qualified parties that will participate in restoring the historic Frontier House, and turning it into a vital part of the Historic Village of Lewiston central business district. The Village will consider restoration or development options that involve commercial, professional, residential or mixed use, and that comply with historical standards for this property listed on the National Historical Register.
"The sources being sought include:
"(A) private developers or restoration contractors who are interested in buying or leasing the Frontier House;
"(B) engineering and architectural design firms with demonstrated experience in design and restoration of historical structures; and
"(C) investors or ownership partners for the restoration or redevelopment of historical buildings."
It also states: "Confirmation of receipt of all Sources Sought submissions will be provided. Those sources that are considered responsive will be eligible for the next round of development communications, including receiving the anticipated RFP(s) for this opportunity. All Sources Sought submissions will be considered to be in the public domain.
"The Village of Lewiston or an independent non-profit company will be the principal for entering into discussions, issuing RFPs, and negotiations or projects and relationships."
As for the history of the Frontier House, the letter further reads, "The Frontier House is constructed of stone from the Bay of Quinte at the Northeastern end of Lake Ontario. Eighteen men worked eighteen months in laying up the solid stone 30-inch walls. Stage coaches once thundered up to its doors when it served as a stop when Lewiston was the center of the 'Great Overland Route Across the Continent.' "
The Frontier House dimensions are listed accordingly:
  • Lot size: 198 by 198 (.9 acres)
  • Building footprint square-footage: 4,318
  • Total interior square-footage: 17,209
  • Basement square-footage: 3,965
  • First floor square-footage: 4,308
  • Second floor square-footage: 4,539
  • Third floor square-footage: 2,916
  • Fourth floor square-footage: 2,708
Interested parties can contact Village Clerk/Treasurer Amy Salada by phone at 716-754-8271; by email at [email protected]; or in person at the Red Brick Municipal Building, 145 N. Fourth St.

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