A long-vacant Montour Falls greenhouse property is slated for redevelopment as a year-round public market with a grocery and café, seasonal vendors, an ice cream shop, lodging and community event space.
Brian Eslinger and David Hertel bought the former Stillman's Greenhouse and Garden Center at 251 and 257 South Catherine Street in May through E & H Capital Properties LLC. Their plans call for the Montour Falls Public Market to open in phases as construction, permitting and municipal approvals are completed, with a grand opening targeted for March 2027.
The project would reuse the property's two main buildings, a surviving greenhouse and its south lawn. The owners said utilities and infrastructure require extensive work after years of vacancy, and the buildings must be rehabilitated before the planned businesses can fully open.
Eslinger and Hertel said they began looking for a larger property in 2025 as their food, bakery and hospitality operations grew. They initially searched in Watkins Glen but determined that the prices of available properties did not fit their business plans.
Their attention shifted to the former greenhouse after the property was subdivided and its asking pric...