Doing Business Here
Accessibility, strong business resources and distinct commerce areas make the City of Canandaigua the right place to for any business. It’s business friendly focus helps attract a diverse mix of businesses large and small. The area is home to many large businesses who bring over 3,600 commuters to the area each workday including Pactiv, Constellation Brands, Messenger Post Newspapers, Canandaigua VA, F.F Thompson Health and Finger Lakes Community College. In addition to these major corporate citizens, hundreds of small manufacturing, industrial, service and retail businesses call this city home.
Accessibility
Canandaigua is conveniently located between Rochester to the West and Syracuse the East. Two New York State Thruway exits into Canandaigua and well-signed state highways make this community accessible from anywhere.
Highlights:
County Area Transit System (CATS) provides public transportation
Ontario County Industrial Development Agency Airport is located in Canandaigua
The Greater Rochester International Airport is just 30 miles west
The Hancock International in Syracuse is a short 50 miles east
Finger Lakes Railroad, Norfolk Southern and Ontario Central Railroad serve the area
Distance to major cities:
Albany, NY 200 miles
Boston, MA 350 miles
Buffalo, NY 90 miles
New York, NY 320 miles
Rochester, NY 30 miles
Syracuse, NY 50 miles
Toronto, Ontario 200 miles
Washington, DC 350 miles
Business Resources
Downtown Canandaigua Business Improvement District www.downtowncanandaigua.com
Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce www.canandaiguachamber.com
Ontario County Industrial Development Agency www.ontariocountydev.org
Downtown Canandaigua Merchants Association www.downtowncanandaigua.com
Finger Lakes Community College Workforce Training Solutions www.flcc.edu
Small Business Development Center at FLCC www.flcc.edu
SCORE Program at Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce www.canandaiguachamber.com
City of Canandaigua Department of Planning and Zoning www.canandaigua.govoffice.com
Infotonics Technology Center www.infotonics.org
Commerce Areas
Downtown Canandaigua
Four lanes of Main Street divided by flowered medians, lined with 25 foot wide sidewalks and seventy historic buildings – make up the downtown business district. In beautiful repair, the oldest building was built in the 1830’s and the newest in 2000. They house over 200 locations including retail, office, and residential with retail sales estimated at $20 million per year. Footprints range from 500 to 25,000 square feet. Downtown offers competitive rent rates. Traffic through the district approaches 30,000 vehicles per day. Great opportunites for home-grown, expanding or franchised businesses still exist. The City has created two incentive programs for businesses considering locating in our downtown.
Lakefront District
Lakeshore Drive parallels the Northern Shore of Canandaigua Lake. Award winning Kershaw Park bounds the lake on the south side of this median bisected two lane road. The business district borders the road to the north providing breathtaking lake views. The district is largely undeveloped with a few restaurants and small commercial establishments spread along the quarter mile stretch. An anchor marina and windsurfing outlet at the southwest boundary of the district set the tone for future development. At the eastern district boundary a unique gasoline station/convenience store and the Steamboat Landing conference center demonstrate the consideration and care given to development architectural standards by the city. A high end hotel is planned adjacent to the conference center. The Canandaigua City Council is reviewing an application for a Planned Unit Development for the redevelopment of 33.5 acres north of Lakeshore Drive, south of NYS 5&20. This mixed-use project includes 334 dwelling units and 87,400 sq. ft. of new commercial space in addition to the existing Parkway Plaza.
Eastern Boulevard District
Routes NY5 & US20 intersect with Main Street near the City’s Southern border. The properties along this corridor to the East of Main Street have been heavily commercially developed, including strip malls, car dealers, fast food restaurants and large scale grocery and hardware establishments. The Northern boundary of Canandaigua Lake bisects this district with picturesque lagoons, tributaries and woodlands providing a scenic background. Portions of the district are zoned recreational, and Roseland Waterpark draws thousands of visitors. Substantial properties are available for additional development.
South Main Street District
Currently heavily residential, this district connects historic Downtown with the contemporary Eastern Blvd business district and the Lakefront recreational area. City citizens and officials executed an unprecedented planning effort to assure that South Main Street is developed in a way which compliments adjoining districts, maintains our small town image, and reflects the mission and vision of the city. The mixed use metaphor which describes the district zoning is carefully detailed in the City’s Master Plan and zoning ordinances.
Health Care District
The award-winning Thompson Health Systems is the backbone of the City’s healthcare business district. Within the district, and with easy hospital access, are numerous medical service organizations serving every aspect of health maintenance and care. Parrish Street, West Street, Bristol Street and Pearl Street provide the healthcare business district boundaries. The district is undergoing rapid commercial development. Many opportunities exist for additional, complementary community healthcare services.
