RochesterSubway.com : Maggie on Ren Square, “This is no fast ferry”

Posts Tagged ‘downtown Rochester’...

Maggie on Ren Square, “This is no fast ferry”

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

In a recent post I implored our readers to send Maggie Brooks an email and request that she listen to Mayor Duffy’s concerns about the Renaissance Square project. It took a while but I actually did receive a response from Ms. Brooks. There no big surprises in it. As expected she defends the project citing the federal dollars, potential new jobs, and the 11 years it’s taken the project to get off the ground (11 years and still counting). But there are a few points that seem rather curious to me—one of which is a “full return on investment [for taxpayers] within seven years. Sure sounds dreamy. Here’s Maggies full response…

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It May Be High Times for High Falls

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

For a little more than 4 years I’ve worked in the High Falls district external link of Rochester. Last Thursday afternoon I took my lunch (which I usually eat over my computer keyboard) and I walked down Mill Street to Granite Mills Park. Of course you’ve never heard of it. It’s nothing more than a 50 foot square patch of concrete, a few trees, and 3 or 4 benches—not quite a full fledged “park” in the traditional sense. But on this sunny afternoon Granite Mills Park had transformed into a real urban plaza abuzz with music, laughter, people clapping, and even dancing.

A series of midday concerts presented by Hochstein Music School and WXXI called Hochstein at High Falls external link had kicked off with music provided by the Po Boy’s Brass Band. I don’t know if it was the glorious weather, the site of the surprisingly huge lunch-time crowd, or the sound of those trombones, but think I caught a glimpse of what the future might be like for that neighborhood by the falls…

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Saturday, June 20th, 2009
Tags: Bru, business district, Center at High Falls, Creator's Hands, downtown Rochester, Empire Brewing Co., entertainment district, ESL, flour mill, Granite Mills Park, High Falls, Hochstein Music School, Jillians, Jimmy Mac's, Keys Martini & Piano Bar, Kodak, laser light show, McFadden's, mixed-use, New York, nightlife, Nothnagle, NY, Parazin Building, Parry Building, Partners Building, plaza, Redwings, Rochester, Rochester Railway, Rochester Subway Poster, Saddle Ridge, Spin Cafe, streetcar powerhouse, The Mills at High Falls, Tiki Bob's, Tribeca, trolley, Urban League of Rochester Economic Development Corp., urban renewal, urban revitalization, WXXI
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Urban Development | No Comments »

Mayor Duffy Awakening

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

The City Newspaper this week published an interview with Mayor Duffy, ‘It’s not too late to change’: Duffy on Ren Square external link . In it Duffy explains his recent coming out against the project as it is currently proposed. He cites recent changes in the business and development landscape downtown, new transportation stimulus funding, and sort of a personal awakening for his change of heart. Let’s show the Mayor we support him…

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Tags: city planning, downtown Rochester, Maggie Brooks, Main Street, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Monroe County, New York, NY, Renaissance Square, Rochester, Rochester City Newspaper, transportation, urban planning, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 1 Comment »

Gas Stations Pose Urban Design Challenge

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

On Monday evening, June 8, 2009, the Rochester Regional Community Design Center external link will go before Rochester’s City Planning Commission and appeal the decision to allow a Fastrac gas station to be built on Main Street next to the Main/University Inner Loop on-ramp. Roger Brown, Creative Consultant at RRCDC explains, “Though we don’t agree with the Zoning Board’s decision to allow a gas station at that site … much of our case will be about the urban design of the building and how it needs to be designed according to the Center City Design Standards for Main Street.”

I’ll talk more about those “urban design standards” and how you can help. But first, there’s a virus spreading across America…

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Saturday, May 16th, 2009
Tags: architecture, Center City, city, city planning, design, design standards, downtown Rochester, Exxon Mobil, eyesore, fast food restaurant, franchise, gas station, infrastructure, Main Street, McDonald's, mixed-use, Monroe Avenue, Monroe County, multi-use construction, ordinance, Pittsford, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Roger Brown, RRCDC, sidewalks, suburbs, sustainability, urban design, urban planning, urban renewal, Walmart, Webster, zoning
Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 2 Comments »

State and Main… Window on the Past

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

The intersection at State and Main Streets in downtown Rochester, known as the Four Corners, was once the epicenter of the city. I’m going to let these two photos do most of the talking for me in this article. The photo below is of the Four Corners, looking north toward State Street.

The postcard I’m holding in my hand is from the early 1900′s (maybe 1912-ish). Holding it up in front of the same location in 2009, it becomes a tiny window onto the past.

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Saturday, April 18th, 2009
Tags: architecture, city, downtown Rochester, Elwood Building, Four Corners, Gothic, Grand-Union, Main Street, Neoclassical, New York, NY, old photos, photo, photography, pictures, Powers Building, railroad, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester Trust & Safe Deposit Company, Romanesque, trolley, Victorian, views, vintage, vintage postcard, vintage views, Wilder Building
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 12 Comments »

Designing Rochester

Monday, April 13th, 2009

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being introduced to the Rochester Regional Community Design Center external link . The RRCDC is a group of design professionals, planners, and citizens who donate their time to the purpose of designing Rochester’s public spaces. They offer their design guidance and recommendations to the city through public lectures, design charrettes , and an open-to-the-public design gallery/resource library at their studio on East Main Street. For anyone remotely interested in how cities are planned or issues surrounding urban renewal as they apply to the city of Rochester, the RRCDC is a must-see.

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Monday, April 13th, 2009
Tags: architecture, Center City, city planning, design, design charrette, downtown Rochester, environment, neighborhoods, New York, NY, public spaces, Rochester, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, sustainability, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 3 Comments »

Rochester 2020 — Rail vs. Fast Buses?

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

If I said Rochester may one day have a rapid transportation system linking RIT to downtown Rochester and beyond, you might automatically think ‘light rail’. Think again. RochesterSubway.com recently discussed the future of Rochester’s transportation infrastructure with Richard Perrin, Executive Director of the Genesee Transportation Council external link and an AICP certified city planner.

NOTE: If you’ve got a question that we didn’t ask in our interview, please leave a comment at the end of this post and we’ll pass it along to Mr. Perrin who will do his best to answer it as time permits.

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Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
Tags: Brighton, Broad Street Corridor Master Plan, bus routes, City of Rochester, congestion, Curitiba, downtown Rochester, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), fixed guideway public transportation, future, Genesee Transportation Council, Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, GRI Airport, high-capacity corridors, highways, historical trends, hub-and-spoke system, infrastructure, Inner Loop, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), interview, light-rail, mass transit, mobility and accessibility, Monroe County, New York, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Renaissance Square, Richard Perrin, Rochester Central Business District (CBD), Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY, streetcars, suburbs, subway, Transmilenio, Transportation Plan, Travel Demand Management, trolleys, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), University of Rochester
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 17 Comments »

NY High Speed Rail… I’m With Slaughter!

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

With the latest wave of federal stimulus external link , suddenly a storm of ideas and proposals are pouring down on downtown. In one corner, Governor David Paterson and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter are reigniting a movement in support of a new high-speed rail line from Niagara Falls to New York City. Slaughter wants to see Renaissance Square funds reallocated toward building a new train/bus station built where the old Amtrak station is now on Central Avenue external link . In the opposite corner, County Exec Maggie Brooks and Senator Charles Schumer are pushing ahead with demolition plans in preparation for Ren Square. Poor Mayor Duffy doesn’t know whether to take sides or run for cover.*

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Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Tags: Amtrak, bus, Central Avenue, Clinton Avenue, County Executive Maggie Brooks, downtown Rochester, federal stimulus money, Governor Paterson, Greyhound, high speed rail, intermodal, Main Street, Mayor Patrick Duffy, New York, NY, Renaissance Square, Rep. Louise Slaughter, RTS, Sen. Charles Schumer, taxi, Trailways
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Urban Development | 6 Comments »

3 Different Visions for Midtown Tower

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

Okay, I haven’t put the time or effort into crafting my own “vision” for the old Midtown Tower, so I’m not going to be overly critical here. But I’m going to show you two concepts for Midtown that were sent to the city this week for review (and 1 wildcard concept). The first drawing (shown on the left) is from local developers Patrick Dutton and Shane Bartholf. It includes 158 for-sale condominiums with large window openings, common or public use of the former restaurant space on the 14th floor, and mixed-use office and retail on the first three floors. As you can see they’ve also added some shiny (albeit blurry) people to their drawing, as well as a lovely solar-flare effect to make the building look extra shiny…