Utica receives $4 million grant for the Mayro Building renovation project

Edward Harris, Observer-Dispatch
·2 min read

The city of Utica has received a $4 million Restore New York grant that will help revitalize the iconic Mayro Building that sits along the intersection of Genesee Street and Banks Place.

The grant, announced Thursday afternoon, is through Empire State Development.

Officials believe the grant will help to further revitalize downtown Utica.

“Great things are happening in the city of Utica,” Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri said.

An exterior view of the Mayro Building on the corner of Bank Place and Genesee Street in Utica on Thursday, January 5, 2023. Utica Mayor Robert M. Palmieri was joined by state officials and Lahinch Development group to highlight their $4 million award from Empire State Development that will help continue the resurgence of Downtown Utica by renovating the Mayro Building.

What is the Mayro Building?

The Mayro building, which is almost 110 years old, was built by Arthur Maynard and Julius Rothstein and derives its name from a combination of their two last names.

The building housed numerous businesses and restaurants over the years, perhaps most notably being the Utica School of Commerce, which occupied the top floors of the building for over 60 years.

The Lahinch Group — based out of Syracuse — purchased the building in March 2021 for $1.1 million, according to Observer-Dispatch records.

About the revitalization

The redevelopment of the Mayro Building includes 47 market-rate apartments in the upper five floors and restoration of the ground-floor storefronts to their historic design.

The $20 million project also will be underpinned by tax credits through the State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service.

Joseph Gehm, managing member for the Lahinch Group, said the renovations of the building will be deep.

The work will include new plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, as well as asbestos abatement.

A view of several photos of the Mayro Building circa 1915 on the corner of Bank Place and Genesee Street in Utica on Thursday, January 5, 2023. Utica Mayor Robert M. Palmieri was joined by state officials and Lahinch Development group to highlight their $4 million award from Empire State Development that will help continue the resurgence of Downtown Utica by renovating the Mayro Building.

Gehm said demo work will start in about 60-75 days, with about a year of construction following.

The renovations are expected to be completed in the spring of 2024, Gehm said.

“This building is going to get ripped down to the studs,” Gehm said.

Both Palmieri and Gehm said Bank Place should remain open to traffic while the renovations are happening.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica's Mayro Building renovation moves forward with $4M grant