Metro Falls continues creating residential units out of their former commercial office spaces

Rochester, NY For more than twenty years, Todd Clicquennoi, president of Metro Falls Development, LLC has witnessed and participated in each phase of the High Falls District’s evolution. As a young developer learning beside Ben Kendig, he initially managed 208 Mill St. and 4 Commercial St. as Kendig, JADD LLD, and Norry Associates transformed the vacant and deteriorating, circa 1800’s manufacturing buildings into upstate New York’s first loft-style, mixed-use neighborhood.

“Economic development officials continue to describe High Falls as having the best repurposed historic-residential neighborhood north of the George Washington Bridge,” said Clicquennoi, “and that was also true when we were an entertainment district and then a commercial office park”.

Having watched the excited rise and fall of the district’s entertainment effort in the early 2000s, in 2017 Clicquennoi formally purchased two of the original buildings in Kendig’s portfolio. He knew the future was in building a community of office workers and residents. Then, in the dramatic decline of bricks-and-mortar retail and the COVID-propelled shift to remote working, Metro Falls turned full throttle into creating residential units out of their former commercial office spaces.

What Clicquennoi describes as “a mix of listening to our residents and business partners, as well as planning and great timing” resulted in the creation of two luxury lofts in the former Center at High Falls, as well as the total transformation of 208 Mill St. (historic Parazin Building), into strictly residential space.

“The district offers our residents walkable access to downtown’s activity and office spaces from what we describe as a quiet and private ‘urbane’ little neighborhood,” said Clicquennoi.

According to Clicquennoi, the new 208 Mill St. units have “sophisticated finishes, dedicated parking, fitness centers, and more storage than you would find in Manhattan”.  A recent 1,300 s/f loft at 208 Mill rented within a week of its listing, and a second, equally sized unit is near completion.