Pleasant St. development site plan OK’d

Property clean up started with park

By Kara Didrich | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – A major project that could transform a large section of the landscape in Livingston Manor has taken a visible step forward, with the recent cleanup of the public park at the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets, and new fencing that surrounds the redevelopment site. Local workers cleared overgrown vegetation just days before last month’s Trout Parade, opening views that drew the attention of residents and visitors who passed by during the event.

“The park is open now,” Project Manager Michael Tucker announced. “We’re going to continue to add landscaping features and improvements as time goes on in order to create a more welcoming space.” Tucker predicted that the project could take from three to five years to complete.

According to Tucker, the cleanup was completed by a local contractor and funded by Livingston Legacy Holdings, the private entity overseeing the redevelopment of the former Keiser industrial property. The property was purchased in 2018 by well-known New York restaurateur Bon Yagi, with plans to convert it to a Japanese cultural and commercial center.

The cleanup follows what Tucker described as more than a year and a half of reviews before local and state boards. Although several minor technical items still remained, he noted that the project has received enough approvals for work to move forward.

Eight to ten of the 11 existing buildings in the complex, including one where the old train station for Livingston Manor formerly stood, are slated for rehabbing as part of the current plan.

All properties to be renovated must be evaluated before any plans can be carried out, Tucker said. This includes converting the former main Keiser building into a Japanese restaurant overseeing a Japanese garden on an adjacent parking lot.

There are also plans for an Airbnb, a village market place, public restroom, meeting center, café and sake brewery, as well as the park which is now open to the public. Landscaping may include the planting of some Cherry Blossom trees in the park.

Tucker noted they have been awarded a grant to partner with the Rochester Institute of Technology. “We brought them in, at the town’s request, to have somebody to do wastewater, and as water quality consultants. And also for our solar project – we’re also looking to put solar on the property,” Tucker said.

Tucker told Manor Ink that a temporary site plan, required by NY State law, also received approval. “It was submitted because of the size and impact of the project,” he said. “We can now build what we need to build, when we need to build it. So we submitted the whole plan.”

The group also owns the laundromat building on Main Street, and plans to keep it open in order to ensure the public continues to have access.

Though Manor Ink stories have reported on the approved blueprints and the transfer of ownership of the property over the years overall, Livingston Legacy Holdings may still have several other plans waiting to be carried through, which will benefit the community, Tucker explained.