Syracuse, N.Y. – Rick Destito, the entrepreneur who turned a dilapidated former gear factory into a place for artists to live and work, is considering building similar space in a historic building next door.
Destito purchased the soon-to-close City Hardware store next to his Gear Factory artist studios in the 200 block of South Geddes Street for $480,000 on Oct. 2.
City Hardware’s owner, John Calley, announced last month that he plans to close the store on Oct. 17. His family has operated the store for 79 years, the last 38 years at its current location.
Destito has not firmed up his plans for the building, but he’s considering converting its second floor into live-work space, or just residential space, for artists, similar to what he has done at the Gear Factory.
As for the first floor, he said he is going to look for someone who would be willing to reopen the hardware store under a lease agreement.
“It would be turn-key, with an established set of customers,” he said.
If that doesn’t work, he said he will likely lease the space to small businesses or entrepreneurs.
Destito said he will convert the store’s warehouse in the rear of the property into parking for the Gear Factory.
He said he has adequate parking at the moment but will need more after carrying out his plan to create space in the former factory where artists could sell their works directly to the public.
Plywood that is covering up many of the windows on the first floor of the City Hardware building will be removed to give the building more curb appeal, he said.
Like the former gear factory, the City Hardware building has a long history. It was built in 1861 as a machine shop to serve Syracuse’s then thriving salt industry.
Charles Lipe, a 29-year-old engineer and inventor, established the C.E. Lipe Machine Shop in the building in 1880 and rented parts of it to other machine shops.
John E. Sweet, an engineer and teacher at Cornell University, began manufacturing his straight-line steam engine in the building before moving to a new factory next door in 1892.
Destito, who previously rehabbed homes on Tipperary Hill and the Near West Side, bought the old Brown-Lipe gear company building at the southwest corner of South Geddes and West Fayette streets for $144,000 in 2005.
He installed windows throughout the 119-year-old building, replacing cinderblocks that had blocked them off for decades. Then he turned the basement into rehearsal studios for musicians, the first floor and third floors into artist studios, and the fourth and fifth floors into live-work space for artists. The second floor has not been redeveloped.
Destito’s redevelopment of the old gear factory has sparked a resurgence in the neighborhood.
He partnered with Home HeadQuarters to restore a dilapidated building at 1022 W. Fayette St. into apartments and home to a Latin restaurant, Ponchito’s Taqueria/Cantina.
A development team headed by Ryan Benz is turning the former Kemp & Burpee Manufacturing Co. factory at 1117 W. Fayette St. in 38 condominiums.
And the city of Syracuse is transforming a former factory building 1153 W. Fayette St. into the new headquarters of its city and fire departments.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
