Jeremiah's Tavern owner sues over Irondequoit building's landmark status
Even before it was formally proposed, a plan to put a Jeremiah’s Tavern at 690 Titus Ave. hit a major roadblock last fall when the Irondequoit Historic Preservation Commission voted 5 to 1 to give landmark status to the circa-1926 brick building, preventing it from being altered without the commission's OK.
Now its owner, Jeremiah’s owner Jeff Reddish, has filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court to have the commission’s decision set aside, arguing it is unlawful because the panel did not explain its reasoning or cite supporting evidence. Instead, the filing reads, the commission “simply parroted the language of the section of the Town’s ordinance its vote was purportedly based upon” — that because of its "unique location or singular physical characteristics," 690 Titus “represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood.”
The suit states that if the landmark designation holds, Reddish will be forced to abandon the $4.32 million project, sell 690 Titus and a number of neighboring properties and find a place “where his investment and his restaurant would be more welcome. This is not a threat; it is simply a fact of economic life in these times.”
It was 2018 when he decided to develop and open a fifth Jeremiah’s in Irondequoit (the others are in Rochester, Gates, Henrietta and Penfield) and bought 690 Titus — which is adjoined by the vacant Cooper Deli — and five houses clustered around the corner of Cooper Road, the focus of a lot of community nostalgia.
He had not approached the town with a proposal to tear them down and put up a 7,000-square-foot pub when nonprofit grassroots organization Helping Irondequoit Plan for Progress, or HIPP, applied to the commission for the landmark designation after trying unsuccessfully to pin down Reddish about his plans.
His legal challenge, filed March 29, says that because of the small size of 690 Titus (4,500 square feet over two floors) and nearly century-old vintage and associated shortcomings (including not being ADA-compliant), retrofitting it not only would be prohibitively expensive but “a nightmare.”
It also asserts the Jeremiah's project would have been within town zoning requirements, needing only site-plan approval and demolition and building permits, and that Reddish had no reason to assume “there would be any legal impediment" to putting up his restaurant and bar.
During the October hearing’s public comment period, all but one of the speakers argued in favor of preservation and in making their cases sprinkled in fond memories of 690 Titus, which started as a grocery store and now is home to Titus Tavern.
Representing HIPP, chairperson Ann Burns noted that 690 Titus “has been at the heart of Irondequoit’s commercial and social fabric for almost 100 years.”
The suit counters: “While those memories are to be cherished, they are not evidence which justifies a historic landmark designation.” It goes on to argue that the structure is “a hodgepodge of various architectural styles and construction materials,” has been modified throughout the years “without regard to any architectural style or aesthetic considerations” and is “functionally obsolete.”
Meanwhile, on Dec. 1, 2022, as the result of “many years of deferred maintenance” predating Reddish’s ownership, a parapet along the roof of the old Cooper Deli building collapsed, the filing states. After making emergency repairs, Reddish was notified that because of the building's landmark status, the work violated the town code, and he was issued a summons to appear in Town Court April 13.
Prior to the commission’s vote, Titus Tavern owner John Giehl, who also owned Cooper Deli at one time, struck a fatalistic tone when asked about the possibility of 690 Titus being razed.
“I would love to be there for whatever number of years,” said Giehl, whose lease expires in July. “But I’m a realist, too. (Reddish) bought it, and whatever happens happens. Progress is usually a good thing.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated Jeff Reddish is the founder of Jeremiah's Tavern. Jeremiah's was founded in 1978 by Eugene Ziegler and David Crosby. They sold it in 2006. Reddish is the current owner.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Jeremiah's Tavern sues over Irondequoit NY building's landmark status
