I have always had an affinity for the mansions on east avenue, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to tour, video tape and photograph the house at 935 East Ave. While it has been used as offices since the 1950’s, they maintained much of the original character of the house. Many of the mansions on East Avenue have been converted into apartments, condos or offices. While the outsides have mostly maintained their original appearances, the insides have been divided, and even in one building I have been in, they have covered or painted woodwork and used office ceiling tiles. Some have even had “additions” attached. There are still a few that remain single-family residences though.
Somewhat unexpectedly, a fifth proposal for Midtown Parcel 5 was submitted. Spoiler alert, it’s, how to be polite about this, different. Ok, fine, it’s terrible. It’s bad. It’s terribad. It might even be a false flag operation to make the submitted proposals look better. I don’t know, but inexplicably it’s being taken seriously by parts of the city which is creating unrest with other parts of the city. I’d be calling for the popcorn if this weren’t the future of the middle of our town on the line.
Today’s Filling in is just a little bit different than usual. Instead of looking at one building or one site, we’re going to take a look at a whole block. Namely, Main Street from Clinton to St. Paul. If you hadn’t already heard, there is a huge event called The re:Main Social taking place there on October 1st. I hope all of you are able to make it. In the lead up to it, let’s discuss some short to long term visions for the area.
The City announced the Inner Loop RFP winners. The three proposals that won aren’t bad. No Great Wolf Lodge, at least. One of the sites is being held for a future RFP. Best of luck to all the winning proposals.
Cuomo was in town to announce a sizable expansion of the Genesee Brewery. More details here. This is exciting for Genny and the region in general. One other small plug for a local firm – the design is being done by Pardi.
RG&E’s Beebee power plant was one of the most formidable structures in Rochester. For half a century, this cluster of buildings covered an 8 acre site along the floor of the High Falls gorge – climbing up the west rock wall and looming hundreds of feet in the air over Platt Street and the neighborhood below…
Welcome back, readers, to a new, semi-regular Filling In feature – Fantasy Buildings. Fantasy Building, really, since each feature will look at just one imaginary building I’ve been thinking about (imagining?). I’ll also share a few pictures of buildings that inspired the idea and maybe a few ideas of just where a building like this would work in Rochester.
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
Industrial & Rapid Transit Railway (the “subway”) was built in
its place as a link between the five different railroads and interurban trolley
lines that served the Rochester area. As the industrial landscape of Rochester
changed, and highways replaced the railroads, the Rochester subway gradually
became a relic of a bygone era. In 1956 the subway was abandoned and much of
its route was converted into Interstate 490 — built to connect Rochester
with the New York State Thruway (I-90). Read more about the history of the Rochester Subway.
RochesterSubway.com exists to help spark
public dialogue around how we can better connect the neighborhoods of Rochester
NY, surrounding communities, and their cultural offerings. Rochester’s
future is written in her past. Let's rediscover it.
![Rendering of Parcel 5 Proposal by Fraser Smillie [PHOTO: DeWolff Partnership Architects]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Midtown_Parcel_5_Dewolff_Rendering.jpg)
![Unbuilt SOM design for Riverside North of Main Street. [PHOTO: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 4/3/66]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/SOM_Riverside_Towers.jpg)
![Overhead view of Main Street from Clinton to St. Paul [PHOTO: RPL Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Street_Scene_1898.jpg)
![490 and Inner Loop Progress [PHOTO: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 5/26/57]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Inner_Loop_Construction.jpg)
![Get in on the Geneseecret [PHOTO: Genesee Ad from 1962]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/The_Geneseecret.jpg)
![Excerpt of full page ad showing the soon to be completed Lincoln Tower downtown [PHOTO: Rochester Democrat & Chronicle 1/25/1970]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Space_Odyssey_1970.jpg)
![RG&E Beebee power station prior to demolition. Rochester, NY. Summer 2016. [IMAGE: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-rge-beebee-station-00.jpg)
![Lincoln Rochester Trust Branch [PHOTO: Rochester Daily Record 6/9/1958]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Lincoln_Rochester_Trust_Inner_Loop_Branch.jpg)
![Midtown Plaza Under Construction [PHOTO: Buffalo Courier-Express 6/4/1961]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Midtown_Under_Construction.jpg)
![Midtown Plaza Rendering [PHOTO: Buffalo Courier-Express 6/5/1961]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Midtown_Rendering.jpg)
![Excavating for the War Memorial Arena in 1952 [PHOTO: RPL Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/War_Memorial_Excavation.jpg)
![MLK Park née Manhattan Square Park Playground in 1983 [PHOTO: City Hall Photo Lab contemporary collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Manhattan_Square_Park.jpg)
![Cobbs Hill Aerial [PHOTO: City Hall Photo Lab contemporary collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Cobbs_Hill_Aerial.jpg)
![A repairman works on the Sibley Building clock tower [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone Negative Collection, Rochester Museum & Science Center]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Repairman_Climbs_Sibley_Clock_Tower.jpg)
![Looking towards the Hungerford Building in EMMA [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Looking_Towards_Hungerford.jpg)
![St. Boniface Church in 1911 [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone Negative Collection, Rochester Museum & Science Center]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/St_Boniface_Church.jpg)
![What could it be? [PHOTO: Author]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/filling-in-nota.jpg)
![Looking West from Downtown [PHOTO: Author]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/Looking-West.jpg)
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