Village Center Takes on
New Look
Construction Under Way
for New Retail Center

(10/17/2008) By Jim Gill

For a number of years residents and visitors in town were faced with what many people called “the eyesore” referring to the vacant building between Madigans and Five Star Bank. Initially the building was a garage, home of Stride Tool Company, The General Store, then a pizza shop with a workout center in the rear section of the building.

Since Peak Performance moved out a number of business people expressed interest in purchasing the vacant building including most recently a buyer wanting to build a Tim Horton outlet. When the proposed Tim Horton store encountered numerous objections eventually withdrawing their offer, a company called Sprague Development purchased the building closing the sale on August 8th.

The property appealed to new owners William and Kody Sprague for several reasons, potential 12,000 square feet of prime real estate, ample parking, and it is the center place for the Village of Ellicottville. One of the first priorities for the new owners was to have the exterior blend in with the surrounding properties, meetings with the owners, builder and village boards were held in determining the final exterior design of the building. Bill Gugino Builders Inc. are handling the construction work for the entire project.

The finished building will have 4 entrances, one at the front and two on each side, all entrance ways will have porch roofs, in addition the front upper level will incorporate double hung windows. Sides of the building will be a mix of brick and colored concrete and the entire front of the building will be patio area complete with heated patio stones.

Plans call for 4 retail outlets on the first floor, the second floor being added to the building has ample space for up to 8 apartments, offices or additional retail space. There is ample parking on both sides of the building to handle tenants plus numerous retail customers.

All exterior construction is expected to be completed by December; interior work on the proposed 4 retail outlets will follow immediately after.

When completed the remodeled 12,000 square foot building will provide a whole new look for the business area while blending in with the current village architecture, a long time coming but a perfect fit for the community.