ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester City Council unanimously approved a $1.7 million loan Tuesday night to transform the Kresge Building on East Main Street into a boutique hotel. The last business there was a Family Dollar.

“I see vacancy — an unwelcoming center to our community — and that’s all going to change,” said Patrick Dutton, the owner of the Kresge Building at 176 E. Main St.

The project is part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, for which the state gave the city $10 million. The city distributed the funds across five different projects across Main Street.

“The old Family Dollar is being developed into a boutique hotel — it’s a 28-room hotel — (which) will also include a restaurant and will add to the vitality of downtown and will also provide more spaces for folks who are attending conventions at the convention center,” said Dana Miller, the Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Rochester.

The building where the Metro Market used to be is owned by the city. That will be demolished and turned into a pathway between Main Street and Division Street. Miller says it will be called The Commons.

“(It) will also have space for chairs, tables seating for the restaurants — some of the buildings will have openings into the courtyard area. That commons is something we are developing to go along with the hotel,” Miller said.

Some neighbors have mixed feelings about the project.

“I would love to see these buildings redeveloped; they’re sitting vacant. But I think they could just be used for something better like free housing — some sort of food distribution center. education center — rather than a boutique hotel,” said George Fling, a neighbor.

“The downtown core needs revitalization badly. It doesn’t have that right now with all the businesses and all the storefronts gone and people moved to the suburbs and other areas. I think there’s nothing but good that can come out of it,” said Nathaniel Wilson.

Those redevelopment plans are now one step closer to happening in the near future.

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