The Hubbard's building is coming down: Officials approved a certificate of appropriateness for tearing down the six-building complex at 14-18 N. Batavia Ave., which has been vacant since 2019. City planning staff had recommended denying the request, arguing that tearing down the building without a firm redevelopment plan would leave a gap in the downtown storefront row. The Historic Preservation Commission voted back in October to recommend approval.

Ownership and future plans: According to city documents, Batavia United Methodist Church, which bought the property in 2015, wants to demolish the building and seed the site with grass for now while aiming for potential expansion in the future. The church hasn’t provided building plans or a timeline for expansion have been filed with the city yet.

Demolition on Webster Street: Documents show that Batavia hired Fox Excavating, a Batavia-based company, for just over $200K to tear down the buildings at 330-338 Webster St. The firm will pull out the old foundations, remove the parking lot, and backfill the site. The city bought the property in 2024 planning to put a food pantry there, but later found a different home for the pantry on First Street.