1000 Turk Hill RoadFairport, New York

Canalside Commons · A visual project brief

A historic campus is entering a new chapter.

Local ownership. Visible reinvestment. A new opportunity to connect a working historic campus to the Erie Canal.

Explore the story

Conceptual waterfront vision

Final design subject to review and approvals

90K

approx. square feet

canal-front buildings

DEC ’25

local acquisition

connected campus vision

01 · Before → Now

From remote ownership to local stewardship.

The campus remained active, but years of deferred maintenance left aging entrances, inconsistent facades, worn paving and an overlooked relationship to the canal. Since acquiring the property in December 2025, local ownership has moved immediately.

Canalside Commons facade today, after reinvestment — Drag to compare

Before

A functional property with hidden potential.

Industrial character and strong tenants were already here. Cohesion, investment and a clear public-facing identity were not.

Now

A deliberate repositioning is visible.

Dark facades, new glass storefronts, improved building systems and tenant-ready spaces are beginning to establish one campus language.

02 · The façade plan

From service corridor
to storefront address.

A building-wide system, explained in six moves.

Open the façade: Selective demolition — Existing white service doors and adjacent windows are removed. Crews cut through the concrete block beneath selected windows to create larger, more useful openings.

Introduce glass storefronts: Double doors + fixed panels — Existing white service doors and adjacent windows are removed. Crews cut through the concrete block beneath selected windows to create larger, more useful openings.

03 · Work in motion

Visible change is already underway.

Several hundred thousand dollars have already been directed toward paving, facades, HVAC, storefront systems and tenant-ready improvements.

New glass storefront system installed at Canalside Commons — New storefront system
Light. Visibility. A real front door.

Tenant-ready interior improvements in progress — Tenant-ready interior progress

Paving + access

Parking areas and driveways are being repaired to improve arrival, circulation and day-to-day operations.

Building systems

HVAC and tenant-ready improvements are supporting better-performing, more usable spaces.

Storefront identity

Taller glass entries are replacing outdated service-door configurations one section at a time.

Leasing activity

New tenants are leasing improved spaces, adding momentum to the campus repositioning.

Historic fabric

Four original entrances. One preservation-minded restoration program.

The first original wood entrance door has been repaired, stripped, rebuilt and refinished by hand. Three more are planned.

Historic wood entrance door: Existing condition — 01Existing condition

Historic wood entrance door: Repair + preparation — 02Repair + preparation

Historic wood entrance door: Reinstalled + renewed — 03Reinstalled + renewed

1 complete3 to follow

04 · The next opportunity

Hiding in plain sight.

The Erie Canal, canal trail and pedestrian bridge already bring people to the property’s doorstep. The opportunity is to make that relationship intentional.

The Erie Canal, trail and pedestrian bridge at the edge of the campus today — Waterfront today

Conceptual rendering of a wharf-style waterfront destination at Canalside Commons

Conceptual waterfront vision

A waterfront that connects campus and community.

A wharf-style destination could link the historic campus to the trail, bridge and canal, creating a welcoming place to arrive, pause and gather.

Conceptual rendering

Final design subject to review and approvals

Connect

Direct, intuitive pedestrian access between the campus, bridge and canal trail.

Welcome

Docks, seating, lighting, landscaping and wayfinding that feel public, safe and distinctly Fairport.

Activate

A reason for residents, visitors and canal users to pause, gather and support local businesses.

Aerial conceptual rendering showing the campus in its canal context — Campus contextConceptual rendering · Final design subject to review and approvals

05 · The invitation

This is not a finished plan. It is an invitation to shape what comes next.

Canalside Commons has already demonstrated that visible change can happen quickly. With the Village’s support and interest, and coordination with the New York State Canal Corporation/NYPA, the waterfront can become the next chapter.

Revisit the vision

A private reinvestment with public-facing potential.

Adaptive reuse
Canal access
Local activity
Civic identity