SYRACUSE — Carm’s Doghouse is heading downtown. The dog daycare and grooming business will open its fourth location this fall in the Byrne Square Building, at 308 West Genesee St. in Syracuse. But the plans don’t stop there, business and building owner Carmen Cesta says. Cesta, who opened the first Carm’s Doghouse in 2010, purchased […]
SYRACUSE — Carm’s Doghouse is heading downtown.
The dog daycare and grooming business will open its fourth location this fall in the Byrne Square Building, at 308 West Genesee St. in Syracuse.
But the plans don’t stop there, business and building owner Carmen Cesta says. Cesta, who opened the first Carm’s Doghouse in 2010, purchased the Byrne Square Building for $650,000 in March. His plans include the newest daycare location along with a retail pet store, plus three luxury two-bedroom apartments on the upper floors.
The Cicero native has always had a passion for animals. After graduating from high school in 2008, he spent a few years working for the family towing business before opening his first Carm’s Doghouse location. Two more locations followed after that, and the business currently operates facilities in Cicero, Baldwinsville, and Liverpool.
“This will be number four downtown,” Cesta says. His plans call for 7,000 square feet of daycare, boarding, and grooming space in the building’s basement. That includes a 20-foot by 10-foot inground pool for his canine guests to enjoy.
His entry into the retail pet store business is a natural evolution since his daycare locations already sell pet supplies and his website includes an online store. Cesta says he was able to purchase the assets of a now defunct pet store and is excited to open a full retail location.
The idea for a downtown dog daycare first began percolating about four years ago when the City of Syracuse approached him with the idea as it sought out potential reuse for the Byrne Square Building. The only problem was that the building wasn’t zoned for that type of business, Cesta says. Then the pandemic struck, and the entire process slowed down. The city finally rezoned the building about two months ago, he adds.
“It was about a four-year battle,” Cesta says, adding that the city has been great to work with on the project. He also worked with Pathfinder Bank to finance the purchase.
Cesta’s research showed that the Franklin Square area, with about 450 registered dogs, was a prime market for a Carm’s Doghouse. The area is also home to many offices, which means workers who might not like leaving their dog home alone all day, he adds.
Since he started working on the building, Cesta has already noticed a growing interest, stating that about 200 to 300 people have inquired about the business.
“I think it’s going to do extremely well,” he says.
Plans are still fluid, but Cesta is targeting an Oct. 1 opening for the pet store, followed by the daycare about a month later.
He hopes to begin work on the upstairs apartments by next spring. “By this time next year, the building will be 100 percent complete,” he says.
Cesta, who is doing all the remodeling work himself with a small crew, says the apartments will lease for $2,500 a month and include doggy-daycare services. He says that’s a $600-a-month value, plus offers the convenience of having it located right downstairs.
He is currently hiring for both the daycare and retail operations.
Along with Carm’s Doghouse, Cesta owns several rental properties in the region and is also working with a solar company to open a 150-acre solar farm on 214 acres near Central Square. Cesta purchased the former North Country Plaza, located on the corner of State Route 11 and County Route 4 in the town of Hastings, in 2021 and plans to renovate the plaza.
