‘Top of the Park’ Stevens Block Opens, Other Projects Slated
By Martha Slater

The partners of Huntington Way LLC (Brooks and Susan Barron and Jack McKernon) held an early evening open house Wednesday, Dec. 13 to celebrate the official opening of Top of the Park. This three-unit condominium complex was created in the 19^th-century Stevens Block building, next door to the Huntington House Inn on the east side of the Rochester Park.

Back at the time of the Civil War, the building was a general store, and in recent years has been divided into apartments. It now features central air conditioning, a central vacuum system, and an elevator connecting all three units with each other and the basement level, where there are individual garages for each unit. Each of the two-bedroom units includes a gas fireplace surrounded by Verde Antique marble, which is also used in the bathrooms.

Two of the units are for sale, with a two-bedroom priced at $475,000 and a one-bedroom at $395,000. Two of the units can also be rented through the Huntington House, with a two-bedroom going for $425-$475 per night (depending upon the time of year) and a one-bedroom from $395-$425 per night.

Renovations to the building were designed and built by Jack McKernon’s company, the McKernon Group of Brandon. Known for their renovation projects on historic buildings, they also have a branch in Glens Falls, N.Y. McKernon project manager John Conley said the Top of the Park project took about nine months to complete.

Local contractors who worked on that project include Ray Harvey of Harvey’s P & E in Rochester, who supplied materials and equipment for digging out the foundation; Mark Pelletier of Stockbridge, who did the plumbing and heating; and Terry Severy of Rochester, who installed the sprinkler main. Mark Wilbur of Wilbur Electrical did the electrical work.

Top of the Park is the first of four contiguous Huntington Way LLC construction projects slated in that area of the village. Three years ago, the partners also bought the building next door to it (on the corner) from the Harvey family, as well as the former Cole house, and the former Delisle duplex, both on Park Row.

Barron told the Herald that the partners have made plans to eventually turn all three buildings into condos, with the Delisle building at a somewhat lower price range from the others. Right now, all three buildings still house long-term rental units.

"We’ve done work already on the house on the corner, and also on the Cole house," Barron said. "Actually, we’ve done all we’ll be doing there for a while. We may still decide to continue with them as long-term rental units, but we haven’t made that decision yet."

In addition to their participation in Huntington Way LLC, the Barrons and McKernon, along with Bill Becker and Robert Dean, are stockholders in the Huntington House Inn, which is also for sale.

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