Who's expanding their event space to the Port of Rochester?

Arbor Loft is taking its urban chic look to the Port of Rochester.

The owner behind the downtown event space that opened above Hart’s Local Grocers (17 Pitkin St.) two years ago is partnering with her fiancé to bring Rochester a new space, called Arbor at the Port, that marries the aesthetic of the original Arbor Loft location with the waterfront access offered at Charlotte.

“You could never get a view like that that anyone could afford on any lake or oceanfront anywhere in the country,” said Agathi Georgiou, who owns Arbor Loft and who will build out and run the new space with fiancé Edward Zachary Graham.

“What could be more perfect than to have a space in the city that gives our guests an opportunity to have that urban feel, and then, if they want, have their ceremony on the beach?”

Here are the juicy details:

They plan to open in June and are taking bookings for weddings, corporate or charity events, or other large events.

The original Arbor Loft space and the new space are both approximately 5,400 square feet, and seat between 200 and 250 for a seated dinner.

The Charlotte space is in one of the areas used by the former fast ferry service, which transported people between Toronto and Rochester before its abrupt ending in 2006.

Georgiou, Graham and their team are currently in the beginning stages of renovations, which include repainting, new flooring and new plumbing and electrical work.

It’ll have a similar look to the original Arbor Loft location, but a bit more ballroom-esque, with huge windows, white walls and white chandeliers.

Georgiou and Graham will be one of the first to get married there when they tie the knot in July.

When The Arbor Loft came onto the scene in 2016, it brought a fresh approach to both event planning and setup. Its “blank slate”-style space allows brides, corporate planners and others to craft their dream event in partnership with the Arbor Loft team, which is willing to flex and innovate to bring clients’ ideas to life.

Bringing that model to the Port of Rochester will attract a similar audience, but with aesthetic advantages like the waterfront, said Georgiou. She’s not worried about asking people to leave the downtown bubble — Charlotte is in Rochester but is sandwiched between Greece and Irondequoit — because of increased transportation options and Arbor’s rock star team.

“Between our team and the service we provide, we do a really incredible job of making people feel it is a one-of-a-kind experience,” she said. “There are enough people in the community that see the potential in traveling to a space on the beach.”

Graham, who met Georgiou while ramping up business for Makers Gallery and Studio, an events space he owns on Elton Street, has been part of the effort behind Arbor Loft from the beginning. Seeing a second location come to fruition, especially on a site associated with "one of Rochester's blunders," is satisfying, he said.

"We're excited to bring some fresh new air into it … and get people excited about this, because it's a beautiful space and a beautiful area," he said.

A sidenote: Makers at the Market, another art gallery and events space on Railroad Street that Graham was building out, is on hold at the moment because the financials haven't quite worked out, he said.

Georgiou wouldn’t have considered a second Arbor location without the success of the original location, and if she didn’t find a space that felt right, she said.

She traveled all over the region while searching for a magical event space several years ago, and said she felt the potential within The Arbor Loft’s walls when she first set foot in the door.

“Nothing felt like when I walked into Arbor Loft for the first time,” she said. “With (the new space,) I felt the same way."

If you’re interested in booking the new space, contact the Arbor team at info@thearborloft.com. Special deals are available to those looking to book Arbor at the Port for 2018, she said.

STADDEO@Gannett.com