Update: The variances passed the Batavia City Council, overriding the Plan Commission’s vote, and clearing the way for the project to be built. Only Alderman Kevin Botterman voted against it.
Monday night, Feb. 20, 7:30pm, the Batavia City Council will vote to finalize Zoning Code amendments to allow Shodeen’s LLC to build their massive, 81-ft tall (at River St), 6-story, 186-unit apartment complex, providing zero parking spaces for their tenants, on over 3/4 of the block at Washington and Wilson in downtown Batavia.
Since they will not hold a referendum to determine whether or not the citizens of Batavia want this built (with the aid of $14 million in General Obligation bonds, backed by your tax dollars), the only way they will know what you want is if you contact them. Please take the time to email your opinion on the project to the Mayor and City Council before Monday night. This is your vote. If you don’t speak up, they will feel justified in voting however they please. The Contact button is at right.
Pictures of the project:
View looking east across bridge from west side
Size at River and State ; current parking deck in corner
Developer’s drawings
More information can be found on the City of Batavia website (http://www.cityofbatavia.net/658/Washing…)
and the City Council “Downtown Redevelopment” page at this site.
Batavians for Responsible Government 
This project is just getting shoved down our throats. It looks horrible and will change the downtown forever in a bad way! You wonder why the rush and why the city is so eager to do something without a referendum. So sad and uncomfortable.
I am against this construction, it looks hideous and it couild very well create issues that could destroy the ambience of downtown Batavia. Why should my tax dollars pay for the contractors profit? I’ve seen what he’s done to Geneva, he has other properties sitting empty, he should fill them first. This could very well drive me out of the valley all together, I don’t know how this could be approved or thought of as being a good fit. The renderings show that it does not come close to fitting into the landscape, looks awful. I sincerely hope the City of Batavia votes it down.