Apartments may replace Perinton office buildings

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The Perinton Hills Office Park had a good run in the 1970s and ‘80s, back when suburban office parks were the rage.

Three of the buildings, tucked in a back corner of the development, have not been rented for “nobody remembers how long,” Perinton Supervisor Mike Barker said recently.

A Buffalo-based developer is hoping luxury apartments will do the trick. They could also pump new life into the adjacent Perinton Hills Plaza, which houses restaurants and other retailers. The proposed apartment site is across Route 31 from a Wegmans — expansion plans for which are under consideration by town boards.

A public hearing to rezone the 600-900 addresses in the Perinton Hills park is scheduled before the Town Board for 8 p.m. Feb. 12. The 6.4-acre property is zoned commercial and restricted business but developer Uniland Development Co. is seeking an apartment zoning.

The company owns more than 130 commercial properties comprising 6 million square feet, according to its website. The company manages office, flex and industrial space in the Buffalo and Rochester corridor.

The developer wants to construct a 60-unit residential complex, consisting of five separate two-story buildings with 12 apartment units each. Pending approvals, work would begin in the spring and take about a year to complete.

The Uniland residential team is excited to develop new luxury apartments in Perinton, according to Carl Montante Jr., company vice president.

The developer has completed a luxury condominium project in Buffalo and is nearing completion of a luxury apartment complex in Amherst.

“This apartment community will provide an alternative for residents who wish to remain in town but desire to downsize their home to one that offers a more convenient and low-maintenance lifestyle,” Montante said in an emailed statement.

Questions about traffic patterns will need to be addressed, but the project could be a good fit with existing apartments that all are in walking distance from existing stores and plazas, Barker said.

“It has the potential to be a really good site,” Barker said.

Several businesses had found the office park attractive in its earlier days, according to Mike Doser, director of code enforcement and development for the town. The market since has shifted toward mixed-use properties here and in neighboring towns, Doser said.

The change in zoning may be more appropriate, particularly because of the proximity of businesses and other apartments, Doser said.

Three of the buildings in the park were demolished late last year, Doser said,

“They just kind of outlived the market,” Doser said.