Holley awarded $50K grant for new roof on Odd Fellows Hall

Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from April 2019 shows the former Odd Fellows Building in Holley’s Public Square.

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley Development Corporation has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization Grant Program to put a new roof on the Odd Fellows Hall, located at 89 Public Square.

Dan Schiavone, president of Holley Development Corp., announced the funding today. The grant was made possible by the National Park Service Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Fund and is a partnership between the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Landmark Society of Western New York.

The Odd Fellows Hall was built in 1890 building. It is at the northeast corner of the historic Public Square.

“It is the hope of the Village of Holley Development Corporation that this grant will ensure the preservation of this historic component of the Public Square,” Schiavone said. “It is also our hope that a new roof will attract potential developers who might further renovate and bring new life to this very important building.”

The building in 2019 was named to the “Five to Revive” list by the Landmark Society, an annual list that tries to bring funding an attention to important sites in the region.

The village has been working to save the building and find a developer for the site. Holley wants to avoid another scenario where the building is bought and then left to sit empty, gradually deteriorating, Schiavone said.

That LDC owns the building, which was given to the LDC by the previous owner who bought it at the county tax foreclosure auction. The owner bid online from Florida. She saw it as an investment, but no tenants or new buyers emerged.

The village stepped in, not wanting to see the building fall in disrepair and have to be torn down.