CANANDAIGUA, NY -The Ontario County Chamber of Commerce’s downtown Canandaigua home will be listed for sale and the business organization will be seeking a new home, according to an announcement from the organization’s board of directors and President and CEO Ethan Fogg.
The property at 113-117 S. Main St., which is owned by the Chamber, has been its home for nearly 30 years.
The Chamber and its board have determined that the organization, its members and the community can be better served from a new location where the Chamber can focus more exclusively on member services and regional engagement, while creating an endowment for the future, according to officials from the business group.
The board has been critically assessing its real estate for some time and various considerations including the Chamber’s expanded scope and offerings – and market opportunities including those presented by the development of the neighboring The Central on Main outdoor dining area – make this the right time to transition to a new home.
Fogg said in a statement that a meaningful part of the Chamber team’s work as conveners and connectors is done in communities, across the region.
“We have been evaluating our property, our operations and our path forward for some time,” Fogg stated. “This strategic decision allows the Chamber to be more agile, more resilient and more attentive to the needs of our members and the communities we serve. We are a community partner in every sense of the word and we look forward to the new opportunities this move will unlock. I’m very excited about what this means for the future – for the Chamber and for the increasing potential of downtown Canandaigua.”
A year ago, the Canandaigua and Victor Chambers merged into the Ontario County Chamber. The Ontario County Chamber will continue its 114-year legacy of serving communities and members across eight counties, with the mission to cultivate relationships that drive personal, professional and economic prosperity in the Finger Lakes region.
The property will be listed with local realtor Andy Griffith, who is a past board chair of the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce and called this a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a highly attractive property in the heart of downtown Canandaigua.”
“I was involved in the original sale of this property to the Chamber decades ago and I’m thrilled to support the Ontario County Chamber in its next stage of serving our community from a facility that meets their modern service and programming needs,” Griffith stated.
Michelle Pedzich, chair of the Ontario County Chamber of Commerce stated, “As part of our comprehensive strategic planning process, we have determined that selling our building and conservatively investing the proceeds will position us for a more sustainable and agile future. This will allow us to focus on continuing to provide and expand our value to our members and our community in Ontario County and the seven other counties in the Finger Lakes where we provide services.”
The Chamber is evaluating properties in Canandaigua for its future office, meeting and partner space.