Ontario County broke ground Monday on a $24 million culinary arts center along Canandaigua’s lakefront that will bring college instruction, public cooking programs and agricultural outreach under one roof.
The 19,287-square-foot facility on Lakeshore Drive will house Finger Lakes Community College’s Culinary Arts Program, New York Kitchen and an auxiliary office for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The one-story center will be built on about 2.5 acres across from Kershaw Park and immediately west of Muar Street. The Canandaigua Area Development Corporation donated the land to the county.
Plans call for two hands-on kitchens, a preparation and teaching kitchen and a demonstration kitchen equipped for commercial use. County officials said the expanded space is intended to accommodate growth in FLCC culinary enrollment and participation in New York Kitchen classes and events.
The facility will also include a public tasting room featuring New York food and beverage products, an outdoor patio, event space, administrative offices, conference areas and an open gathering space.
Funding includes $11.1 million from the State University of New York, land valued at about $1.76 million from the development corporation, up to $9.38 million from the Sands Family Foundation and up to $1.76 million from Ontario County.
FLCC President Robert Nye said the new facility will allow the college to expand its curriculum with more specialized courses while giving students access to new equipment, instructors and hands-on learning opportunities.
Cornell Cooperative Extension plans to use the shared center to expand work addressing food insecurity, agritourism, support for local farmers and nutrition education, Executive Director Moira Tidball said.
The project team includes DJC Architecture for architecture and interior design, Passero Associates for site, civil and landscape engineering, DJCA Cornerstone for preconstruction services and LeChase Construction as construction manager.
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