ROCHESTER — The former Michaels Restaurant was reaffirmed as a “structurally substandard structure” on Monday, extending eligibility for city financial support to replace the building.

Acting as the city’s economic development authority, the Rochester City Council unanimously approved the designation of the restaurant site and three connected plots, which were purchased for $5 million in February.

BGD5 Development LLC, a Titan Development & Investments company, purchased the site near the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Center Street, from Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors of Northbrook, Illinois.

Harbor Bay, run by the Bell family, partnered with Titan to build the 20-story luxury Hilton hotel in 2019 across Broadway from the Michaels site.

The Michaels site was initially deemed substandard in 2018, paving the way for a potential demolition deal with the city, but the landlord never moved forward and the related three-year suspension on potential financial assistance for building increases. has expired.

Since the building was never demolished, the new non-compliance decision allows BGD5 the same conditions established in 2018. The owner has three years to apply for possible TIF support.

“I know they’re in discussion about potential development there,” Rochester senior administrative analyst Brent Svenby told the board Monday.

Svenby said the agreement opens a potential avenue for TIF support, but does not commit the city to finalizing a deal.

Titan CEO Andy Chafoulias has yet to announce the company’s plans for the building, but he did refer to something “transformative once again in our downtown.”