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A long-vacant stretch of Batavia’s riverfront is poised for a major comeback.
City officials advanced a redevelopment agreement to transform the former Pamarco factory at 190 S. Water Street into a new downtown headquarters for growing software company QT9.
The plan calls for Manhattan Real Estate Ventures, LLC to renovate the 100-year-old industrial building into modern office space, bringing dozens of employees downtown while preserving and reusing one of the city’s historic structures instead of tearing it down.
Here’s what to know:
Historic factory repurposed: The former Pamarco site, vacant since operations moved to Batavia’s industrial park, would be adaptively reused as a roughly 40,000-square-foot office facility rather than demolished, preserving the industrial character along the river.
QT9 relocating headquarters: QT9, a global software company currently based in Aurora, plans to move its U.S. headquarters to Batavia, bringing about 60–70 employees initially, with projections topping 100 jobs as the company grows.
City incentives: Batavia plans to provide about $1.87 million in TIF reimbursement to the developer after the building is occupied, helping close the financing gap on the roughly $12 million redevelopment project. City consultants concluded the project would not be financially feasible without this assistance.
Projected downtown impact: In city documents, officials say bringing a major employer downtown will boost foot traffic for restaurants and shops, improve the appearance of a long-neglected property, and help spark additional redevelopment in the surrounding area.
Construction would begin after financing and final approvals are secured, with occupancy targeted before the end of 2028. The item moves to City Council for final approval on February 2.
According to QT9’s website, the company provides QMS, MRP and ERP software to give businesses tools to “streamline operations, enforce compliance and scale efficiently with a single connected system.”
Read more in this blog post from Alderman Jim Fahrenbach and this city memo document.
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