A year after a five-alarm fire gutted Rochester's former Tent City building, developers are moving ahead with plans for Gardner Lofts, an 88-unit affordable housing project at Lyell and Dewey avenues.
The building will include a 6,400-square-foot ground floor commercial space. All of the residential units are one-bedroom apartments. Outside amenities include a memorial, flagpole, an eternal flame and seating for a grill and outdoor kitchen area.
The project was previously approved before the fire destroyed much of the building, leaving only about a quarter of the structure standing. The new plans retain much of the original design. Preference will be given to veterans through a partnership with Soldier On, a private nonprofit organization.
There are 114 parking spaces set aside for the development, including six electric vehicle charging stations and nine American with Disabilities Act parking spaces. To pull in additional parking, the four existing tax parcels along Dewey Avenue will be combined into a single 2.4-acre parcel.
The fire that destroyed most of the former Tent City building was first reported the evening of July 31. The four-story building was mostly demolished shortly after due to the extensive structural damage. One firefighter suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze.
Tent City was a megastore opened in 1959 that was in operation for about four decades, mainly selling tents and outdoor gear. The building was previously a warehouse.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: A year after Tent City fire, 88 apartments to rise on site
