VILLAGE OF KENMORE, N.Y. (WKBW) — There’s a battle over historic preservation brewing in the Village of Kenmore, where residents are fighting to save a former church building from demolition to make way for a Shake Shack restaurant.
I cover the Northtowns and caught up with some residents who want the church building preserved.
The former Kenmore Presbyterian Church on Delaware Avenue could be torn down as part of a development plan by Rochester-based owners who want to bring the national burger chain to the village.
Shake Shack has confirmed with 7 News that it has plans to open a location at this site.
However, longtime resident Nancy Anastasia, who has lived in Kenmore her entire life, told me she is opposed to the plan.
"I hate to see a chain come in -- that's not what Kenmore's all about," Anastasia said.
She wants to see the historic building preserved rather than demolished to make way for a fast-food restaurant.
"I hate to see us lose old buildings. I kind of hope we can get it listed on a preservation-- and then they can't demolish it," Anastasia said.
David Brown, another resident fighting the plan, has deep family ties to the village. His great-grandfather built some of the first homes in Kenmore, giving him a personal connection to preserving the area's history.
"The best outcome would be for Shake Shack to abandon the idea," Brown said.
Brown explained the church's history, noting that "in 1924, they built this building around the wooden church while they still had services."
He has created a Facebook page to rally support for historic preservation and hopes the church could be named a landmark to stop demolition and keep Shake Shack out.
WATCH: ‘Horrible, horrible’: Kenmore residents speak out against church demolition for Shake Shack
"Horrible, horrible, and it's the worst time to open a fast food restaurant...I just don't get it," Brown said.
Brown suggested a potential compromise: "I don't know if they could build where the parking lot is and leave the church for another use."
The developer's plan calls for constructing a two-story building with retail space and housing.
“If it were adapted for reuse, they would probably get tax revenue. They never got tax revenue for the last 120 years or so,” Brown said.
The village held a hearing on the matter last month, but the mayor and village board have not made a final decision yet.
Residents continue pushing for preservation options.
"See if we can get the building listed on the preservation list so that it can't be demolished and then move forward from there," Anastasia said.
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