![Former site of historic Brighton Village. March, 2010. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/brighton-village-east-avenue-wegmans-01.jpg)
This weekend, Wegmans closed their current East Avenue store so they could transition into their new, larger building 
. The new store replaces a historic area that was once the center of Brighton in the 19th century. The old Village of Brighton was served by the Erie Canal (now I-490). The canal was rerouted in the early 20th century and the entire area was annexed to the City of Rochester in 1905…
Posts Tagged ‘demolition’...
Historic Brighton Village
Monday, February 25th, 2013Tags: Andy Olenick, architecture, Brighton Branch of the Rochester Public Library, Brighton School No. 2, Brighton Village, Cyrus Oriental Rugs, demolition, East Avenue, East Avenue Wegmans, Fountain Bleu Coiffures, history of Rochester, Kate Lays, Kate Lotz, Martin Brewer Anderson School No. 1, Old Brighton Antiques, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Safelink Supply, Upstate New York Alarm, Wegman's, William Billinghurst, Winton Road
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 18 Comments »
New Aerial Photo of Hojack Swing Bridge
Friday, January 18th, 2013![Old site of the Hojack Swing Bridge near the Port of Rochester. [AERIAL PHOTO: Bob Biakowski]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/Swing-Bridge-Aerial-Photo-Bob-Biakowski.jpg)
Today’s Fun Foto Friday may not be very fun for rail fans and admirers of the old Hojack Swing Bridge near the Port of Rochester. This is an aerial photo of where the bridge used to be. The shot was taken just a few days ago, on January 14, by Bob Biakowski. Here’s what it looked like before it was dismantled…
Tags: aerial photography, Charlotte, demolition, Fun Foto Friday, Genesee River, Hojack Railroad Line, Hojack Swing Bridge, King Bridge Company, New York Central Railroad, photo, Port of Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (RW&O)
Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff | 4 Comments »
The Rail Bridge over Letchworth Park: Should it stay or go… or both?
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013![The Portageville Bridge over Letchworth State Park looking south from the Middle/Upper Falls Picnic Area. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/letchworth-portageville-bridge-overlook.jpg)
The Portageville Bridge which carries the Norfolk Southern railroad over the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park was built in 1875 after a fire destroyed the former wooden bridge. The steel frame bridge, which towers over the river gorge and its waterfalls, has become a beloved feature of the park and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. But a 2008 inspection by Modjeski and Masters revealed structural deficiencies, and it was determined that the current bridge should either be rehabilitated or replaced. The question is what to do with the old bridge once a new one is built. State officials are now soliciting comments from the public on three different options…
Tags: demolition, Genesee River, Letchworth State Park, National Register of Historic Places, New York State Historic Preservation Office, NYSDOT, Portageville Rail Bridge, Walkway Over the Hudson
Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | 22 Comments »
Boxed In
Wednesday, November 28th, 2012![A car stops beside a house in the middle of a newly built road in Wenling, Zhejiang province, November 22, 2012. [PHOTO: REUTERS/China Daily]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/china-highway-built-around-house-1.jpg)
I’m probably going to take a lot of heat from people for the comparison I’m about to draw, but hear me out first. Then you can tell me that I’m being overly dramatic. Here it goes…
The photo above was taken last week in Xiazhangyang, China. This is the home of Luo Baogen and his wife. When the Chinese government offered them 260,000 yuan ($41,573 U.S.) to vacate their home so a new highway could be built, the elderly couple refused the offer…
Tags: 644 W. Main Street, 660 W. Main Street, Ariane Drew, China, demolition, Dollar General, highway, highway built around house, Luo Baogen, nail house, Rochester, Rochester NY, Stacie Colaprete, Xiazhangyang, Zhejiang province
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Urban Development | 9 Comments »
The Life and (Explosive) Death of Rochester’s Driving Park Bridge
Monday, November 19th, 2012
Last week we explored some of the caves in Rochester’s Genesee River gorge. While digging around for information about Lower Falls, I came across some great stuff on the nearby Driving Park Bridge. The bridge that you know today was built in 1989. But the previous bridge (shown above) had been there for nearly 100 years. That’s pretty remarkable when you consider its length of 717 feet, the icy Rochester weather, and the relentless spray from the Lower Falls below. Be sure to click on the image above for a much larger view. And check out the link at the end of this article to watch the explosive demolition of the old steel bridge in the 1980’s…
Tags: Avenue E, bridge, demolition, Driving Park Bridge, Genesee River, Genesee River Gorge, infrastructure, Lefferts L. Buck, Lower Falls, Niagara Falls Bridge, old photos, old photos of Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, Williamsburg Bridge
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 13 Comments »
Left for Dead: Rochester’s Union Depot
Friday, November 9th, 2012![Rochester's NY Central (Bragdon) Station half demolished, c.1970? [PHOTO VIA: John R. Stewart]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-bragdon-station-demolition-1.jpg)
I know I keep coming back to this over and over and over again. But I just can’t believe we intentionally reduced this once world-class rail station to rubble only so we could pay tens of millions 50 years later in an attempt to build a much smaller and less impressive imitation of what we once had.
I’m not going to say much more about it. I just wanted to share these recently found photos of Rochester’s half-demolished NY Central (Bragdon) Station. Like a decapitated, rotting corpse left to rot in public as a reminder of a brutal ‘auto’cracy. Most of the building was torn down in the 1960’s but one section stood like this for over a decade before it was finally removed altogether and replaced with the current Amtrak building in the mid to late 70’s. Oy, how painful…
Tags: Amtrak Station, architecture, Bragdon Station, Central Avenue, Claude Bragdon, demolition, downtown Rochester, history of Rochester, Joseph Avenue, New York Central Railroad, North Clinton Avenue, NY Central Station, old photos, railroad, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Union Station
Posted in Rochester History, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 13 Comments »
Susan B. Anthony Asks for Your Help to Save Church
Thursday, November 1st, 2012
About a month ago, someone set up a petition in opposition to a plan to demolish 660 West Main Street (formerly Westminster Presbyterian Church) and to prevent the building of a Dollar General in its place. The owner of the petition is using “Susan B. Anthony” as an alias. And this week “Susan B. Anthony” sent me a plea for help via email…
Tags: 660 W. Main Street, church, City of Rochester, Dawn Noto, demolition, Designated Building of Historic Value, Dollar General, Main Street, Marvin Maye, petition, Rochester, Rochester NY, Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood, Westminster Presbyterian Church, zoning
Posted in Events, Rochester News, Urban Development | 15 Comments »
Never Before Seen Photos of RKO Palace Theater
Sunday, October 7th, 2012![Rochester's RKO Palace Theater during demolition. 1965. [PHOTO: D.O. Schultz / Rochester Theater Organ Society]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/RKO-Palace-013-AuditoriumNorthWall.jpg)
A few weeks after we discovered the RKO Palace Theater floor at the site of RGRTA’s future transit center, Russ Shaner, president of the Rochester Theater Organ Society contacted me. These were the guys who saved the old Wurlitzer pipe organ from the RKO Palace before the building was demolished. And as it turns out, one of their founding members, D.O. Schultz, captured a treasure trove of photographs and left them with the Organ Society before he moved to Florida years ago. Russ asked RochesterSubway.com for help, both archiving the photos, and sharing them with you, the public. Yesterday you saw part 1, and now, here is part 2 of this awesome collection…
Tags: Clinton Avenue, demolition, downtown Rochester, Mortimer Street, old photos, old photos of Rochester NY, RKO Palace Theater, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester Theater Organ Society, Russ Shaner, Saint Paul Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 16 Comments »
Never Before Seen Photos of RKO Palace Theater
Sunday, October 7th, 2012![Rochester's RKO Palace Theater during WWII. Main entrance on Clinton Ave. 1942. [PHOTO: D.O. Schultz / Rochester Theater Organ Society]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/RKO-Palace-001-ClintonAveEntrance1942.jpg)
A few weeks after we discovered the RKO Palace Theater floor at the site of RGRTA’s future transit center, Russ Shaner, president of the Rochester Theater Organ Society contacted me. These were the guys who saved the old Wurlitzer pipe organ from the RKO Palace before the building was demolished. And as it turns out, one of their founding members, D.O. Schultz, captured a treasure trove of photographs and left them with the Organ Society before he moved to Florida years ago. Russ asked RochesterSubway.com for help, both archiving the photos, and sharing them with you, the public. Below is part 1 of this awesome collection…
Tags: Clinton Ave, demolition, downtown Rochester, Loew's Theater, Mortimer Street, old photos, old photos of Rochester, RKO Palace Theater, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Theater Organ Society, Russ Shaner, Saint Paul Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 33 Comments »
Rochester’s Old Federal Building Should Go
Wednesday, September 19th, 2012![Old Federal Building (now City Hall). [PHOTO: Richard Margolis]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-city-hall-richard-margolis.jpg)
“Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a city landmark, the old Federal Building is considered a fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. No one’s particularly interested in using it, however, because inside it’s dark, gloomy, usually uncomfortable and just plain ramshackle. Blow it up. It’s an ugly thing…and not particularly interesting inside or out…It should be demolished. A modern, tax-producing building would be a better use for the site and would give more new life to that section of downtown…”
Tags: Church Street, demolition, Federal Building, Fitzhugh Street, Landmark Society of Western New York, National Register of Historic Places, preservation, preservation code, Richard Margolis, Richardsonian, Rick U., Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Romanesque, State Street, Times-Union, zoning code
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 10 Comments »
Battle Over Main Street Church Heating Up
Saturday, September 15th, 2012
RochesterSubway.com has learned that Marvin Maye, owner of 660 W. Main Street, is making a renewed push to demolish the historic church. And one local theatre group has expressed interest in saving the building…
Tags: 660 W. Main Street, Bread & Water Theatre, church, City of Rochester, Dawn Noto, demolition, Designated Building of Historic Value, Dollar General, J.R. Teeter, Main Street, Marvin Maye, New York State Historic Preservation Office, Rochester, Rochester NY, Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood, Westminster Presbyterian Church, zoning
Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
High Falls Smoke Stack Will Go Before Winter
Saturday, September 8th, 2012![The end is near for the iconic High Falls smoke stack. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/high-falls-smoke-stack.jpg)
In February we heard rumors that the iconic High Falls smoke stack might be coming down. Yesterday I noticed scaffolding going up around the structure. Today I learned the stack will be completely demolished, probably before winter…
Tags: Cataract Brewery, demolition, GardenAerial, Gorsline Building, green energy, Greentopia Festival, High Falls, High Falls Business Association, Michael Philipson, North American Breweries, RG&E Beebee Station, Rochester, Rochester NY, smokestacks, vertical windmill, wind power, windmill
Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 4 Comments »
RGRTA Digs Up Rochester’s Old RKO Palace Theater
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
There are few places Rochesterians talk about with such fondness as the old RKO Palace Theater that once stood on Clinton Avenue. Looking at old pictures, I can see why. The place was all dressed up and sparkled inside and out like a glitzy Vegas showgirl. But like many of Rochester’s brick and mortar beauties, she grew old, was chopped up into little pieces, and buried where she stood. All in the name of “urban renewal.” Fast forward fifty years. RGRTA breaks ground on a new bus terminal. And guess what shows up? That’s right – the skeleton of Rochester’s most beautiful movie theater…
Tags: bus terminal, Clinton Avenue, demolition, downtown Rochester, old movie theater, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old theater, Regional Transit Service (RTS), RKO Palace Theater, Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), rochester images, Rochester NY, Rochester Theater Organ Society, RTS Transit Terminal, Saint Paul Street, urban explorers, urban renewal
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 101 Comments »
Mayor Richards Launches a Full Scale Assault on Preservation
Monday, July 30th, 2012
It had been assumed among some preservationists that Mayor Thomas Richards was directly responsible for pressuring the Zoning Board and Planning Commission prior to their respective votes to allow the demolition of the historic Cataract Brewhouse. That was the unofficial word coming from people inside City Hall, and it’s no secret that big business executive types like to stick together. Now, after the dust from that battle over preservation has finally settled, and the rubble has been cleared away, the Mayor is affirming those assumptions and declaring all out war on preservation.
Tags: Cataract Brewery, city council, demolition, Marcia Barry, Mayor Thomas Richards, preservation, zoning
Posted in Rochester News | 10 Comments »
Blink. You missed it.
Saturday, July 28th, 2012
It’s no secret. We all love a good implosion. So like any good citizen I woke up early (9:45am) and made my way over (and around police barricades) to the wrecking site so’s I could shoot some video of this one. I should apologize for the quality, however. With all the local streets closed off to traffic and officials encouraging people not to come out, this was the best location I could find. But you’ll get the idea. It’s an implosion. Wooo hoooo. Roll the video…
Tags: building implosion, demolition, Heritage Tower, implosion, Irondequoit, Rochester, Rochester NY, St. Ann's Community
Posted in Events, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
Susan B. Anthony Neighbors Unite to Save Old Main Street Church
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
Dawn Noto, President of the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association says this section of the city is in the early stages of a renaissance. But the turn around of West Main and the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood isn’t happening by accident. Years of planning, community involvement, public and private investment, and careful preservation of valuable historic assets have been key factors. Noto knows this progress is fragile. That with one short sighted development decision, years of work could begin to unravel.
Tags: 660 W. Main Street, Bret Garwood, Caitlin Meives, City of Rochester, Dawn Noto, demolition, Dollar General, Landmark Society of Western New York, Main Street, Marvin Maye, Rochester, Rochester NY, Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood, Westminster Presbyterian Church, zoning
Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 6 Comments »
Genesee/North American Brewery Demolition. Photos by Rick U.
Thursday, July 12th, 2012![Genesee Brewery, demolition of historic Cataract Brewhouse. [PHOTO: Rick U.- RocPx.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/genesee-brewery-demolition-00.jpg)
I received a message yesterday from a RocSubway reader named Rick U. Rick wanted to share some of his images from Genesee Brewery’s (aka North American Brewery’s) demolition of the once historic Cataract Brewhouse. By now I’ve seen just about all I can stomach of this disaster. I mean, this is how we create jobs in Rochester? Building parking lots on historic buildings? BUT, putting all that aside, this series of images is quite exceptional. And these are just a sampling from a MUCH larger album which I’ve linked to at the bottom of this gallery. Take a look…
Tags: Cataract Brewery, Cataract Street, demolition, downtown Rochester, Genesee Brewery, North American Breweries, photography, Rick U., Rochester, rochester images, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Urban Development | 4 Comments »
Preservation v. Progress: Rematch on Main Street
Monday, June 25th, 2012
The church shown above sits vacant at 660 W. Main Street . It’s on the City’s list of historic buildings and potentially eligible for the National or State Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately the building’s owner is itching to demolish it… to clear the way for a new Dollar General store…
Tags: 660 W. Main Street, City of Rochester, demolition, Dollar General, Main Street, Rochester, Rochester NY, Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood, Westminster Presbyterian Church, zoning
Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News, Urban Development | 8 Comments »
Cataract Brewhouse Demolition To Begin Monday, June 18
Thursday, June 7th, 2012![Cataract Brewhouse as seen from behind. [FLICKr PHOTO: _Yoshi_]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/cataract_building_yoshi.jpg)
According to an anonymous source working closely on the Genesee Brewery project, demolition of the infamous Cataract Brewhouse is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 18…
Tags: Cataract Brewery, Cataract Street, Crystal Pix, demolition, downtown Rochester, Genesee Brewery, Rochester, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News | 17 Comments »
Countdown to Destruction
Sunday, April 29th, 2012![Doomed Brewery buildings as seen from Cataract Street from Saint Paul Street. The High Falls Historic District and Kodak Tower are in the background. [PHOTO: Crystal Pix, Inc.]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/genesee-brewery-cataract-demolition-01.jpg)
As North American Breweries / Genesee Brewery are preparing to demolish the Cataract Brewhouse, we are preparing to capture the tragic event as it unfolds. Crystal Pix, Inc. (Fairport, NY) has graciously volunteered to document the development of the GardenAerial project, and as part of that story, the demolition of 13 Cataract will be immortalized as well… sadly.
Tags: Cataract Brewery, Cataract Street, Crystal Pix, demolition, downtown Rochester, Genesee Brewery, Hotel Rochester, Kodak Park demolition, Mike Battle, Rochester, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News | 4 Comments »
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