Poised at the western entrance to the historic village of Seneca Falls, the Huntington Building is a circa 1870s three-story structure that experienced innumerable additions and subtractions over the decades. In 2019, Town and Heritage Preservation Commission leaders assisted the owner in a sale of the vacant, former car dealership to Rochester’s Home Leasing, a Rochester housing developer with experience in market-rate and low-income projects.

Propelled in part by participation in a NYS Downtown Revitalization Investment (DRI) process and tasked by the Town and Home Leasing with respecting the building’s heritage and Falls Street facade, HUNT’s designers set out to modernize and rejuvenate the Huntington by addressing the rear of the building and its relationship to the Seneca Canal. HUNT and its project partners also followed State Historic Preservation (SHPO) funding guidelines.

By restoring the former mansard roof and creating another addition, HUNT was able to create a financially viable number of rental units. The design evokes the building’s origin, its subsequent alterations, and simultaneously offers a 21st Century ‘industrial chic’. The 50 unit are divided into four studios, 42 one-bedroom units, and four two-bedroom apartments -- all ADA compliant.

Renovating the Huntington extends Seneca Falls walkability and vibrancy and also paves the way for even further development. Design was completed in early 2020 with occupancy in 2022.