January 22, 2025
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Batavia City Council gives OK to demolish 135-year-old downtown building

With Tin Shop on demolition row, city plans to salvage as much as possible

By David Petesch
The Tin Shop building at 106 N River St. in downtown Batavia was built in 1890, and has been vacant for several years. The city purchased the building in 2017 and is looking to relocate or demolish it.

The Tin Shop building at 106 N River St. in downtown Batavia was built in 1890, and has been vacant for several years. The city purchased the building in 2017 and is looking to relocate or demolish it. (David Petesch)

Batavia City Council members authorized the demolition of the historic Tin Shop building downtown at their Jan. 21 meeting. Although City Council gave its blessing to eventually demolish the building, city staff will continue efforts to relocate and repurpose the building before calling in the wrecking crews.

The Tin Shop building at 106 N River St. in downtown Batavia was built in 1890, and has been vacant for several years. The city purchased the building in 2017 and is looking to relocate or demolish it.

The Tin Shop building at 106 N River St. in downtown Batavia was built in 1890, and has been vacant for several years. The city purchased the building in 2017 and is looking to relocate or demolish it. (David Petesch)

The Tin Shop is a two-story wooden structure at 106 N. River St. built in 1890 that has been vacant for several years.

The Tin Shop is classified as “contributing” to the city’s downtown historic district, therefore the city must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow for relocation or demolition of the building.

Community and Economic Development Director Scott Buening submitted the COA requests on behalf of the city and presented them at the meeting, where he detailed the building’s recent history and failed redevelopment attempts.

The city purchased the building in 2016 as part of a $1.25 million acquisition of property on both sides of River Street between State and Franklin streets, for a development project that was eventually terminated.

Since 2018, the city has tried to market the property to developers to no avail. The city proposed a rehabilitation project for the building in 2024, but after reviewing several proposals, the project was deemed financially infeasible.

The building was used briefly by the Toy Drive for storage space, but has been vacant for several years and is in poor condition.

Buening said the city will continue to try to market the building to be relocated or salvaged, and assured council members that the COA approval would not mean immediate demolition of the building.

The City of Batavia is planning to demolish the Tin Shop building (right) at 106 N River St. and the adjacent parking garage (left) at 112 N River St. downtown.

The City of Batavia is planning to demolish the Tin Shop building (right) at 106 N River St. and the adjacent parking garage (left) at 112 N River St. downtown. (David Petesch)

At the Jan. 21 meeting, City Council members approved of COAs to demolish both the Tin Shop and the adjacent, city-owned garage at 112 N. River St in one 9-4 split vote.

Aldermen Leah Leman, Kevin Malone, Sarah Vogelsinger and Mark Uher voted no and Alderman Abby Beck was absent.

When the city does decide to demolish the building, demolition contracts will have to be reviewed and approved by the City Council. While costs have not been determined, demolition is estimated to cost about $100,000.

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