A run-down building on Main Street in Almond, once home to the popular Coslo’s restaurant, will be getting some much-needed repairs, thanks in part to the efforts of Alfred University alumnus John Simmins.
The Coslo’s project will benefit from $1 million in grant funding from Restore New York, a state program which helps local governments encourage new commercial investments through community revitalization, growing local housing, and putting properties back on the tax rolls to increase the local tax base. The project is one of five in Allegany, Livingston and Steuben counties to receive a combined $3.61 million in Restore New York grant funding.
Simmins earned bachelor’s and PhD degrees in ceramic engineering from Alfred University in 1984 and 1990, respectively, and is director of the GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab in Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering. He said he has had an interest in the Coslo’s building for some time and helped steer the application process which led to New York State awarding the $1 million grant to the village of Almond to support a project to renovate the structure.
“I had been watching that building for six years every time I drove through Almond,” Simmins said of the three-story building, which in recent years had become increasingly dilapidated. “To see it like that broke my heart.”
Simmins said the building had been going through a cycle of being bought at Allegany County tax sales, taken back for tax delinquency, and put up for auction again.
“It got to the point where I decided to bid on it myself,” he said. Three years ago, Simmins offered $5,000 at the county tax sale but was outbid by what he said was a substantial amount. He looked into the purchaser, Jeff Piccolo of Long Island, and learned Piccolo was a real estate developer who had a record of purchasing and rehabilitating old buildings like Coslo’s.
Simmins has experience in grant-writing and, as a native of the Steuben County community of Arkport, has a genuine interest in efforts to revitalize the area. He reached out to Piccolo and informed him of the Restore New York grant program and encouraged him to apply for grant funding through the Village of Almond.
Simmins said he spoke to the village board on Piccolo’s behalf and the board agreed to apply for funding. Two years ago, the state denied the application but urged the village to re-apply. The village successfully applied again in 2024, receiving $1 million in Restore New York funding.
Piccolo, who has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, said he went into real estate development full time as a way to partner with his father and brother. “We acquire buildings at tax sales and turn them into something new,” he said.
“I travel all over to tax auctions. I look at the lists of properties and see which ones I want to bid on,” Piccolo said. He first saw the Coslo’s building on Halloween in 2022 and decided to put in a bid on it. Although the building needed a lot of work, he saw potential.
Piccolo’s plans for the project, which were part of the application for state grant funding, include five retail stores, 14 offices, and four apartments. There are issues with the building’s septic system that need to be resolved, and Piccolo said he will have a better idea of the start and completion dates for the project once they are addressed. He is hopeful that someday the village will install a municipal sewage system.
As building owner, Piccolo is obligated to match the $1 million in state grant funding on renovations and repairs. So far, he has torn off a section at the rear of the building which has been deemed unsafe and has boarded up doorways and windows.
Piccolo said he plans to name the building after his late wife, Dr. Amy Tangsuan-Piccolo, who passed away last year. “This has been a very difficult journey. A lot of these things get started but don’t get finished This is going to get done,” he said.
He credited Simmins for his role in bringing the project to fruition.
“John told me all about the grant program and introduced me to the village and planning boards, and to Craig Clark (executive director of the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency),” Piccolo said. “John and Craig gave me tons of support. John helped me write the grant. I couldn’t have done this without them.”
He added, “This all started with John. It was his priority to get this done. He mentored me. John, Craig, and (Almond Mayor) Dennis George were so integral to getting this project off the ground.”
For his part, Simmins said he’s grateful that the Coslo’s building is getting the much-needed repairs. He noted that fixing the building, which has become somewhat of an eyesore, will benefit the university as visitors to campus travel through Almond after exiting Interstate 86.
“I’m over the moon happy about this,” Simmins commented. Of his role in helping steer the project, he said, “Alfred University is a member of the community, and we want to help the community whenever we can.”
