SALAMANCA — A Main Street property has been receiving a makeover during the past year, but a recent demolition has opened up new possibilities for the project already in progress.
The ongoing project to renovate 79 Main St. is the latest piece of the dream William “Billy” Canella has been developing for many years: to bring more life back to Main Street.
“Nobody told me that I had to do this,” he said. “I just wanted to do it because I think it will be good for us.”
A Salamanca native and Seneca Nation Councilor, Canella said he has wanted to help revitalize his hometown’s Main Street for several years. He said recent efforts by the city to encourage renovating Main Street properties are not related to his plans.
“This was in the works from the get-go,” Canella said. “Even before this got demolished, I was already trying to do stuff.”
Although Canella’s project had been in the works for about 18 months, the October 2017 demolition of 77 Main St. next door, known as the Torge building, opened up new possibilities with the now exposed outer wall that wasn’t originally meant to face the elements.
After engineers checked the structure and gave Canella the OK — “they said it was in great shape,” he said — a crew from Fiske & Sons repaired the wall and corners to make them safe and waterproof. Canella said the next step is to paint the bricks.
“There’s only a little bit left that they have to do here and then the painters will be in,” he said. “It’s going to be painted to probably match the front’s color.”
Once waterproofing and painting the wall is complete, Canella said he’d like to use the space as area for local business to advertise and to display art of the area’s culture.
“It could a painted mural with some kind of cultural piece on top with some advertisements underneath,” he said. Canella said he believes the empty lot where the Torge building once stood could be used for parking, “which is beneficial for us because Main Street needs a parking area.”
Canella said a major factor in this venture was receiving a loan through the Seneca Nation of Indians Economic Development Company (SNIEDC).
“By utilizing that program, it made it so that I could purchase this,” he said. Canella said he wanted to get into real estate for many years. “The SNIEDC program helped me realize you can do these things through the Nation.”
SNIEDC’s mission, according to its website, is “to provide financial services and working capital support to new and existing native businesses, corporations, partnerships and joint ventures in which enrolled members of Seneca Nation of Indians own majority interest and are active in the conduct of business.”
Although Nation offices occupy the street-level space, Canella said if the storefront is vacated he would like to turn it into a positive place for kids to hang out, possibly an arcade. He said other ideas include a take-out restaurant or a retail store.
“That’s in the works, but nothing is solidified yet,” he added.
However, the work at 79 Main St. may not be the only project Canella does downtown. He said he wants to focus on putting opportunities in the community for kids to get involved in that aren’t drug or alcohol related.
“I’ve been a lifelong resident here, and my investment is with our community,” he said.
(Contact editor Kellen Quigley at kquigleysp@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Kellen_Quigley)
