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The village of Leicester is trying to sell its community building at 3 Mount Morris Rd. after its longtime tenant, the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, ended its lease in June 2020. The 21,000-square-foot, three-story building sits on 2.81 acres near the intersection of Main Street (routes 20A and 39) and Mount Morris Road (Route 36).
The property’s assessed value has stood at $425,000 since at least 2013, county tax records show, though Mayor Barry Briffa said the village had it appraised at about $800,000 after GVEP ended its lease.
The partnership, which provides educational services to 22 different school districts across the region, first leased the building in 1998.
Over the years, the building has housed a number of its programs, including adult, special and alternative education programs and the Geneseo Migrant Center.
Julie Donlon, assistant superintendent for GVEP, said the partnership’s programs and services now operate out of its Mount Morris campus, “which allows for the expansion of and more opportunities for students.”
Briffa said the village bought the property for $1 in the late 1990s and put $1 million into renovating it soon after. Over the past two decades, he estimated the village has spent about $660,000 – much of it in the form of grants - on renovations and other upgrades, including a $350,000 project in 2018 that overhauled the building’s heating system.
The building, which Briffa said was built in the 1920s as a school, boasts a recently renovated gymnasium, is fully handicapped accessible and has an elevator. “It’s a secure building and has a brand new parking lot too – we put that in,” said Briffa.
The village has contracted A.B. Cole Real Estate in Geneseo to list and market the property. Click here to view the property’s listing.
Rental income from the property has, for years, allowed the village to keep its tax rate extremely low. In 2020, for example, the village’s tax rate of $1.65 per $1,000 of assessed value was far and away the lowest in Livingston County. The village of Lima had the next lowest rate at $5.75 per $1,000, which was still more than three times Leicester’s.
Rental income from the property has, for years, allowed the village to keep its tax rate extremely low. In 2020, for example, the village’s tax rate of $1.65 per $1,000 of assessed value was far and away the lowest in Livingston County. The village of Lima had the next lowest rate at $5.75 per $1,000, which was still more than three times Leicester’s.
“Right now we are getting enough income in to balance the budget and we don’t foresee any tax increases in the next two to three years,” said Briffa.
After GVEP made its final lease payment in June 2020, the building sat vacant until November 2020, when the Arc of Livingston-Wyoming started leasing the first floor for $2,902 per month, according to board meeting minutes.
Briffa said the village board decided to rent the space for such a low price because it’s all the Arc could afford.
“The village board decided to be nice to them,” Briffa said. “They really needed this space. They were really squeezed for space.”
Briffa said he’s hoping to renegotiate the Arc’s lease before the village’s fiscal year ends in May.
“Hopefully, we’re going to renegotiate with Arc - that comes up May 15, which is before the budget year ends – and balance the budget that way,” he said. The village has also fielded inquiries from UR Medicine, which has asked about renting space for a satellite medical office, said Briffa.
“That’s something they’ve been thinking about the last couple, three months,” he said.
UR Medicine did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
By MATT LEADER
matt@livingstonnews.com
Courtesy Livingston County News
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