Albion Village Board mulls whether to put 121 North Main St. on the market

3-story site from 1890 home to assemblyman’s office, Orleans EDA, Ministry of Concern

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Village of Albion has owned 121 North Main St. since 2002. The village finished off a renovation project for the building that is called the Albion Visitor’s Center.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board is talking about possibly selling the Albion Visitor’s Center, which is an office building at 121 North Main St.

The building has been appraised for $249,900 by David Snell of Snell Realty in Albion. The building has three tenants that pay about $4,000 combined each month.

Some Albion artifacts, including a fire hose cart and a wooden waterline, are on display in the foyer of the building.

The village pays about $1,000 in utilities a month for the building. Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said the building is break-even or maybe even a loss for the village when the time from the village Department of Public Works staff is factored in.

If the building was sold it would be on the tax rolls, generating tax revenue for the village, town, school district and county, he said.

The village has owned the 8,061-square-foot building since 2002. It took over the building that was in the midst of a big construction project. The former Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce was approved for a $585,000 grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development for the renovation. That grant didn’t cover all the costs and the village stepped in to finish the project.

The building from 1890 was in major disrepair before the Chamber and village took on the project. The Visitor’s Center current tenants include Assemblyman Steve Hawley on the first floor, the Orleans Economic Development Agency on the second floor and the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern on the third floor.

There is space on the first floor available from two previous tenants – Bernie Baldwin with MetLife and Crossroads Abstract.

Snell put the value of the property at just shy of $250,000. He compared that to 10 North Main St. in Albion, a residential, business and office building that sold for $240,000 in May 2021. It was listed at $249,900. That 12,540-square-foot building has fewer parking spaces than the 13 for the Visitor’s Center.

Snell also highlighted an 8,887-square-foot building in Medina at 415 West Ave. That one sold for $225,000 in August 2022. It was listed for $259,900. That property has at least 20 parking spots.

Snell said the Visitor’s Center is in good condition and already has three tenants with the chance for at least two more. The building has a working elevator and a prominent location on Main Street.

“This property has a lot of character,” Snell said during last week’s Village Board meeting. “It’s a nice-looking building.”

If the building was listed for sale, Snell estimated it could take a year to sell it. The two buildings he used as comparables were on the market for an average of 366 days.

Mayor Javier said the board is gathering information right now and no decision has been made to try to sell the site.

The three-story building includes an elevator. There are currently two available offices for rent in the building following the retirement of Bernie Baldwin as a MetLife agent and ending of the lease by Crossroads Abstract.