‘It would have been a shame to see it knocked down.’ – Roger Hungerford, developer of project

Charlie Spencer, project manager of the restoration of Bent’s Hall for LeChase Construction, shows how the second floor has been reinforced. Spencer said the Bent’s project is the most challenging of his 12-year career in construction

MEDINA – In hindsight, Roger Hungerford might have thought twice about purchasing Bent’s Hall.

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” Hungerford said. “What I expected to be a several million dollar project turned out to be much more. Still, it is on a key corner of my hometown and I knew I could develop multiple businesses within it that would result in it being economically rebirthed.”

Bent’s Hall was built in 1864-65 by well-known sandstone builder and Medina native, Patrick O’Grady. Built at the height of the Civil War and the Lincoln presidency, it is one of the oldest surviving opera houses in the United States.

It was named for a local farmer who owned the property and had the structure erected. For many years it was a prominent venue for concerts, plays, shows, commencements, elections and other public functions. P.T. Barnum and “Buffalo Bill” Cody were among the hundreds of touring performers who entertained on Bent’s stage.

With the advent of movies, the opera house as a performance venue gradually fell into disuse. Over the years, Medina Elks Lodge had quarters on the second floor and beginning in 1970, the first floor became home to the first of several banks, the last of which was Bank of America.

By the early 2000’s Orleans Renaissance Group had taken an interest in the building, particularly the third-floor opera house, and began correspondence with Bank of America to take it over. In 2010, BOA announced it was leaving Medina and agreed to donate the entire building to ORG.

“We immediately set out to determine the condition of the structure and what might be needed to restore it, and to do an extensive study of its history,” said Chris Busch, president of ORG.

They completed some basic engineering assessments of the structure and discovered the building was in severe distress. It was in need of substantial and extensive structural remediation, Busch said.

The most pressing need was the rapid deterioration of the main beam carrying the entire Main Street façade, most notably the southeast corner of the building. The beam had deteriorated to a point where the corner was visibly shifting and in danger of collapsing. With help from the Preservation League of New York and a “Seven to Save” designation, ORG was able to secure funding to address that issue, stabilize the façade and prevent collapse temporarily.

“However, we were fully aware that there was an enormous amount of additional structural work that would be needed in the future,” Busch said. “This project had only scratched the surface.”

‘We’ve watched the project unfold with untold gratitude and joy. Bent’s Opera House is arguably the most important building on Main Street and certainly one of the top five in Medina.’ – Chris Busch, president of ORG

ORG had also begun developing concepts for adaptive reuse of the structure in the hope a developer could be found to complete the restoration. ORG is a 501(c)3 arts and cultural organization and did not have the resources to undertake a project of the magnitude required.

There have been about 20-25 construction workers at Bent’s for more than a year. “It’s like a city inside here,” said Tessa Hartway, director of marketing for Talis Equity. Contractors have been doing demolition, structural repairs, framing, plumbing and electrical work.

ORG arrived at the conclusion that what might be the best use for the venue would be an event center with restaurant and hotel space or office space. In seeking a potential developer, the most obvious choice would be Roger Hungerford.

“His love of the community and its history are well known, and such a person would have more than just a business interest in the Bent’s project,” Busch said. “It would be a labor of love for his hometown.”

Tessa Hartway, director of Marketing for Hungerford’s medical technology venture capital firm, Talis Equity, said they never intended to be involved in historic restoration.

“It just evolved,” she said.

Bent’s Hall is a dominant structure at the intersection of routes 63 and 31 in Medina’s historic downtown business district.

A conversation was initiated with Hungerford and the sale of Bent’s Opera House came to fruition in 2016, Busch said.

“Since then, we’ve watched the project unfold with untold gratitude and joy,” Busch said. “Bent’s Opera House is arguably the most important building on Main Street and certainly one of the top five in Medina. But its historic significance goes far beyond our community. The people and events appearing on that stage were of vital importance to our nation’s history and culture – not just one person or one event as is usual for any given place – but dozens. As such, this preservation effort by Roger Hungerford is without equal. Among the many historic places in Western New York, Bent’s Opera House is among the few that matter most.”

Since buying the building Hungerford has discovered it is an engineering nightmare. A structural engineer said a section of the building (the southeast corner) was within a decade of falling into Main Street.

“However, the repurposing things we are making it into are a delight,” Hungerford said. “It would have been a shame to see it knocked down.”

This stairway was built in Bent’s Hall for construction purposes, and will be replaced with a grand stairway when renovations are complete.

Hungerford praised the talents of builder Patrick O’Grady. O’Grady lived in a sandstone home at the corner of Catherine and West Center Street. Within two blocks of the former O’Grady home, Hungerford is restoring an 1865 Medina sandstone mansion, as well as his former 1922-built high school. The mansion is to be a bed and breakfast guest house and the high school will be higher-end loft apartments.

“O’Grady was an incredible builder,” Hungerford said. “I can’t account for how he got those huge beams at Bent’s Opera House up three floors using horses and pulleys.”

Hungerford said their first effort in restoring Bent’s Hall was a design phase which started three years ago, and getting approval from the New York State and Federal Historical Restoration Agency approvals. Actual restoration work has been ongoing for a year and a half.

Le Chase Construction was selected by Hungerford’s team to be the general contractor. Charlie Spencer of Clarendon is project superintendent.

“This is the most challenging job of my career,” Spencer said. “I’m honored to be involved in this project, but I wake up in the night thinking about it. This is a great community and Roger is a great client to work for.”

He said their plumber was working outside and two girls stopped by, handed him a bottle of water and said, “Thank you.”

The second floor will be a boutique hotel with 10 rooms.

Recently, media were given a tour of the building by Hartway; Lisa Tombari, director of Talis Historic Restoration; and Kaitlyn Delamarter, marketing associate and graphic designer with Talis Equity.

Hartway said they have uncovered evidence of restoration from all periods from the 1940s to the 1970s, some of which have contributed to the decline of the building.

Delamarter said the history of the building had disappeared over the years, and they want to bring it back.

“We could write a novel on the lessons we’ve learned here,” she said.

While masonry restoration continues outside, work continues inside. All the floor joists in the building have been reinforced or replaced. The entire roof structure, including new steel beams, have been installed, a process which took six months.

“The things we’ve done should last 100 years,” Spencer said.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: The rafters have been reinforced with wood and steel.

Hungerford has also purchased the 10,000 square foot building adjacent to the 20,000 square foot Bent’s Hall. A corridor will connect the buildings.

On the first floor of Bent’s, there will be a farm-to-table restaurant called Harvest. Chefs Lionel Heydel and Jose Ocasio have already been hired and are planning their menus for a late spring 2020 opening.

Next door, a gourmet food store is planned.

A grand stairway will lead to a boutique hotel on the second floor.

An elevator is being built where the bank vault used to be. A dumbwaiter will accommodate catering staffs to transport food and drink to the third-floor Bent’s Opera, which will be an event space.

Spencer said all the time-consuming things are behind them, but there is still a lot to be done. No firm completion date has been identified yet.

Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series on the redevelopment projects in Medina led by Roger Hungerford and his companies, Talis Equity and Talis Historic Restoration.

The door is open for the many construction workers who have been working to save the Bent’s Opera House and transform it into its new purpose as a restaurant, hotel and events center.

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Photo by Ginny Kropf: Roger Hungerford looks at a poster in his office describing the renovation of a barn on his property on Mountain Road in Middleport, which he had turned into an elegant guest home. Hungerford is undertaking the renovation of several historic properties in Medina.

MEDINA – A transformation is taking place around Medina.

Companies have moved in. A hotel is being built, and new businesses are opening.

But in the middle of Medina, another transformation is occurring – a historic one.

And behind it all is a Medina native, born and bred, who when he sold his company chose to invest in his hometown.

Roger Hungerford has stepped up to renovate and essentially save several local landmarks, including Bent’s Hall at the four corners in downtown Medina, the Luther (Stonehurst) Mansion at West Center and Prospect streets and the former Medina High School on Catherine Street.

Hungerford said he has three sides – a family side, a business side and a charitable side.

His family consists of wife Heather Farnsworth, a young daughter and three grown sons.

On the business side, Hungerford and his brother Bill went to work for their father Van at Sigmamotor after college. When Van was approaching retirement and decided to split the company, five businesses were spun off from Sigmamotor. Bill founded American Sigma; Gerald Hilger, who was vice president of sales at Sigmamotor, started Cormed; Frank Bernard became president of Sigmamotor; and a former electronic technician at Sigmamotor started a circuit board company in Akron.

Roger, in 1982 at the age of 31, started Sigma, a company which he would expand to the former skating rink on West Center Street Extension. When an even bigger facility was needed, Roger moved into a small part of the former H.J. Heinz plant, later the home of Fisher Price. When Fisher Price announced in 1995 they were leaving, Roger bought the entire building with the intent of renting out space he didn’t need. He calls it, “The best real estate deal I ever made.”

“I paid $1 million with $125,000 down, with the intent of renting out what I didn’t need,” Hungerford said. “I had five years to pay it off, but Fisher Price needed storage space and I agreed to rent space to them. My annual payment on the building was $192,000, and they paid me $400,000 a year in rent.”

The former Medina High School will be converted into apartments.

In 2009, Roger had become a leader in his field and entered into a relationship with Baxter Medical Products to sell them 40 percent of his company and lend his technology in correcting some defects in their infusion systems. Three years later Baxter purchased the remaining 60 percent of Sigma International General Medical Apparatus.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Medina native Roger Hungerford, founder and CEO of Talis Equity, and his managing director of historic properties, Lisa Tombari, sit in the lounge area of his office in the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue, Medina. Hungerford owns the Olde Pickle Factory, which was the former H.J. Heinz plant. He did extensive renovations to modernize the building.

Ironically, Roger said his father had an association with Baxter 50 years earlier, when they tried to buy Sigma and Van refused to sell.

Since selling Sigma, Roger has become a major partner in Talis Clinical with the Cleveland Clinic. He says they have taken the technology way beyond advanced.

“My top priority now is to turn Talis Clinical into a successful, large-scale business that could be four times bigger than when I sold Sigma,” Roger said.

He is also in the beginning stages of establishing a second medical technology company at the Pickle Factory with Jason Maine of Brockport.

“This building will never get sold,” Roger said. “The jobs we create will stay here in Medina, and Jason agrees with me.”

As far as the charitable side of Roger, he is a generous donor to many causes in the area, often anonymously.

Because of his career, Roger has had the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally, something he said has only made him appreciate his hometown even more and realize what a great place it is to work and raise a family.

Roger said he is hopeful for the projects he is undertaking in Medina because of all the significant development in the village by other business owners.

“If we didn’t have those people, things would be way tougher,” he said.

The Luther (Stonehurst) Mansion at West Center and Prospect streets will be converted into a boutique hotel and event center.

Recently, Roger hosted his 1969 classmates at their former alma mater on the occasion of their 50th class reunion.

One classmate was heard remarking, “The things Roger is doing in his hometown will impact the village and its residents for decades, maybe centuries.”

His wife said Roger was encouraged by the look of hopefulness on classmates’ faces as they realized parts of Medina were going to be saved.

Orleans Hub will feature some of the Hungerford’s projects in upcoming articles. The second story in the series will focus on the efforts to save Bent’s Opera House in downtown Medina.

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‘Let this statue serve as a representative for the boys who fought for the freedom and liberties for us and future generations. And let it be a symbol of peace.’ – Lynne Menz

MEDINA – A bronze statue, made to represent the young men who trained in Medina and then went off to war, was dedicated on Saturday, culminating a 13-year effort to create a monument for local residents who trained to be soldiers at the site.

The Armory opened in 1901. In 1977, it was closed by the National Guard.

Agnes Pescara of Rochester takes a picture of the names of World War II veterans who trained at the Armory, including her father, Garry Pescara. Her brother Gerry Pescara of Albion would later serve in Vietnam.

“I think it’s absolutely amazing,” she said about the monument. “I will always be proud of my father and brother for what they did.”

The names of 550 soldiers are on the monument. They trained at the site and served in the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Incursion in 1916, World War I, World War II, and the Cold War from 1947 to 1977.

Local veterans Glenn Whitmore, left, and Dan Anderson raise the American flag. The monument includes three flag poles. The New York State flag and POW/MIA flag also are usually displayed.

Lynne Menz thanks the many supporters of the project. Her late father, Bill Menz, had the vision for the monument and pushed to get it done.

Families look over the monument on Pearl Street in Medina following an hour-long dedication ceremony on Saturday.

The late Bill Menz pushed to create the monument and statue. He trained at the building in 1953, when he joined Company C of the 174th Armored Infantry. He was promoted to corporal before transferring to active duty in 1956 to the US Army National Guard. He would come back to Medina and work about 40 years in construction as a plasterer/mason.

When the Armory closed, Menz was on the committee that helped it find a new use as a YMCA. Menz, who died at age 86 on July 16, 2018, wanted the community to know the building’s historical role in preparing soldiers to fight on behalf of the country.

He teamed with his friend John Fuller to create a sandstone monument in front of the Y that listed 550 soldiers who trained at the Armory and were then deployed in wars. Menz and Fuller cut the stone and built the monument.

But it wasn’t done. Menz wanted a bronze statue of a soldier on top. He pushed for nearly a decade to raise the $65,000 for the statue. He was able to see it in pieces at the foundry before his death.

Lynne Menz pushed the project following her father’s death, working out the details to have the statue moved from the foundry to Medina and then be installed atop the monument. She also had the statue in Medina’s Parade of Lights for its public debut on Nov. 24 last year. The 7-foot-high statue then spent the winter inside the YMCA.

On April 17, it was installed atop the monument. It was officially dedicated on Saturday to help kick off the fourth annual Orleans County Heritage Festival, which continues until Sept. 15.

“Let this statue serve as a representative for the boys who fought for the freedom and liberties for us and future generations,” Lynne Menz said. “And let it be a symbol of peace.”

Charlie Nesbitt, a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War and later a state assemblyman, said the statue and memorial will tell the story to future generations of the Armory’s role in training soldiers.

He praised the late Bill Menz for not wanting the building’s original purpose to be lost to the community, to honor the sacrifice of the young men who served from the local small towns.

“On this day we honor those who came before us and the vision of Bill Menz and the committee,” Nesbitt said.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley said the statue stands strong and resilient like the soldiers who trained at the Armory. He praised the 13-year effort from volunteers to make the monument a reality.

A Patriot Guard Rider holds an American flag during the ceremony.

Cathy Fox, secretary of Company F Memorial Committee, would later become the group’s co-chairwoman. Fox’s father Robert Raymondjack and grandfather, Vincent Raymondjack, are listed on the monument among the names of 550 soldiers.

Cathy Fox said Bill Menz made the project a mission.

“This monument wouldn’t be here without the passion, insight, perseverance, dedication  and hard work of one man: the chairperson of the Company F Memorial Committee, Bill Menz.”

Fox said 12 of the men listed on the monument were killed in action.

Since the bronze statue was put in place in April, some of the additional work at the monument included five Medina sandstone benches, including this one with the flowers on top. The benches were made by Jordan Rath, a mason in Medina.

The five benches by the monument will have plaques to recognize the contributors to the project.

There will be bronze plaques on each bench.

One plaque will be for Bill Menz: “In honor of William A. Menz for his dedication to preserving our military history.”

Another plaque will note Carl Petronio, a member of the National Guard, who made a large donation early in the fundraising process that gave the effort strong momentum.

Medina VFW Post 1483 will be recognized for a $10,000 donation to the project.

Bob Waters, original member of the Armory Action Committee and Medina Sandstone Society, also was a key supporter of the project and to finding a new use for the Armory.

“Bob Waters had pride in this community beyond measure,” Lynne Menz said. “His support for assembling a team of leaders to preserve the Medina Armory and make it into a community center for generations to enjoy is a benefit to us all.” Talis Equity donated anonymously in honor of Waters.

Another plaque will be in honor of all the contributors at large from the community.

“This community has an incredibly generous spirit so we are acknowledging all contributors that supported the creation of this monument,” Menz said. “It took a village and you came through.”

Cathy Fox holds a “Contributors’ List” that will be displayed inside the YMCA in the very near future.

Brian Porter of Pendleton created the bronze statue and was recognized with a “uniform,” a white sweatshirt with an image of the monument. Bill Menz wore a sweatshirt with the monument for several years. Porter gets an updated version of the sweatshirt, showing the monument with the statue on top.

The statue weighs 1,400 pounds.

Local dignitaries observe the playing of “Taps.” The group includes Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Medina Sandstone Society President David Miller, former State Assemblyman Charles Nesbitt, State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and County Legislator Don Allport.

Jim Freas served as master of ceremonies of the dedication and gave the welcome message.

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MEDINA – Four Ohio bicyclists stopped in Medina for the night Thursday on a tour riding the Erie Canal towpath from Albany to Buffalo.

Two of the riders, Dave Knight of Grove City, Ohio, and Peter Toomey of Rocky River are both veterans and they often contact an American Legion  when they are passing through a town. Yesterday, Glen Whitmore, commander of the Butts-Clark American Legion Post in Medina, got a call from the cyclists asking if they could camp on the Legion grounds for the night.

Whitmore said yes and arrived at the post to wait for their arrival.

The pair, along with fellow cyclists Buck Hickman of Dresden, Ohio, and Candace Lipton of Brunswick have been riding together since they met a decade ago at the Great Ohio Bike Adventure.

“There were 3,000 people there, and it was karma that we met,” Hickman said.

All retired, all but Toomey recently rode the Greenbriar Trail in West Virginia. It was Toomey who suggested they ride the Erie Canal trail.

“I have stayed in Legions in Ohio and Texas and had wonderful experiences,” said Toomey, who was a master sergeant in the U.S. Army. He was been riding bicycle steadily since 1982.

Cyclists Dave Knight of Grove City, Ohio, and Peter Toomey of Rocky River, Ohio arrive in Butts Park, where they camped for the night with two other friends on their trip along the Erie Canal.

Knight is a Navy veteran of eight years. He started riding bicycle in the early 1950s when he was looking for a fun way to exercise.

After arriving at the American Legion Thursday afternoon, they discovered there wasn’t much lawn available to them, and Whitmore suggested Butts Park.

The riders have a vehicle with them, which tows a small trailer with their camping equipment and supplies. They take turns driving each day, while the other three ride. They drove from Ohio to Albany and began their ride back west along the canal trail.

“We thought we’d start at the farthest point and see how far we can get,” Lipton said. “Then if we don’t make it all the way back west, we won’t have so far to go if we want to come back and finish the trail.”

They camp out each night, as long as weather is good. They did spend one night in a hotel when it was raining. They look for facilities called Warm Showers, which is someone who opens up their home to travelers for the night.

Near Syracuse, they stayed at a Warm Showers home whose owners raised hops. They visited the Griffin Hill Brewery and ended up harvesting hops with their hosts.

“It was great fun meeting so many wonderful people,” Toomey said.

From left, Buck Hickman, Dave Knight, American Legion commander Glen Whitmore, Peter Toomey and Candace Lipton chat in Butts Park, where the cyclists camped for the night. The Ohio cyclists are riding along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo.

On Wednesday, Hickman and Lipton, who arrived first in their Suburban, waited at the park for Knight and Toomey, who spent time at the Culvert on the canal to take pictures. The historic landmark is listed in Ripley’s Believe it or Not and is the only place in the world where a road goes under a canal.

The brewery, culvert and Cohoes Falls have been highlights of their trip, the riders said.

The bikers had a beer at the Legion and supper in a downtown restaurant Thursday night.

“We’ve not run across anybody on this trip who hasn’t been hospitable,” Lipton said.

They don’t know where their next adventure will be, but they’ll probably discuss it on the drive back home, Toomey said.

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