![Tucked away in a remote corner of downtown Rochester, facing the back side of the Geva Theatre and surrounded on all sides by parking lots, stands this unassuming brick house. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/st-marys-place-01.jpg)
Quick update on this story I posted in January about the sole remaining house in the Capron neighborhood downtown. Patrick Dutton has been working extremely hard to save and repurpose the structure. I know because he told me directly and I also have had conversations with contractors I know personally who have said the same. Unfortunately the house at 35 St. Mary’s Place has partially collapsed during the work, and now may be unsalvageable. Here’s an update directly from Dutton…
Archive: ‘Architecture’...
UPDATE: Little House in the City
Wednesday, September 30th, 2015Tags: Patrick Dutton, St. Mary's Place
Posted in Architecture, Rochester News, Urban Development | 10 Comments »
Meet Rochester Artist and Craftsman, Scott Grove
Monday, September 28th, 2015![Meet Scott Grove, a Rochester artist, sculptor, furniture designer, architectural preservationist, among other things. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/scott-grove-powers-building-maintenance-01.jpg)
On my almost daily walk along State and Main streets I’ve often noticed this boom lift blocking the sidewalks around the Powers Building 
. I’ve never given it much thought. I just figured Daniel Powers liked his windows really clean.
Then, last week while at the Fringe, my RocSubway teammate Joanne Brokaw got introduced to Scott Grove. As it turns out, Scott is that guy hanging high up over Rochester’s sidewalks—and he’s not cleaning windows…
Tags: architecture, artist, Bausch & Lomb Headquarters, Daniel Powers, downtown Rochester, Eastman Theater, H.H. Warner Building, historic preservation, Jonathan Child House, Neighborhood of the Arts, Piano Works Mall, Powers Building, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Public Market, Scott Grove, sculpture, State Street, University of Rochester
Posted in Architecture, Art + Culture, Interviews, Rochester History, Rochester News, Urban Exploration | 4 Comments »
Filling In: Zoning Part 2, Residential
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015![34 Atkinson Street - An utterly illegal house to build today. [IMAGE: Google]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/zoning/34_Atkinson_St.jpg)
Hope your heart is still racing from our introduction to Zoning last week, because this week we’re talking about residential zoning in Rochester!
Contrary to common knowledge, residential zoning isn’t exclusively for residences (nor is commercial zoning exclusively for commercial – it’s a good place to build apartments, in fact). That said, Rochester has 3 specific residential zones that we’re discussing here. Grab your bow tie and let’s go…
Tags: City of Rochester, Filling In, Matt Denker, Matthew Denker, Rochester, Rochester NY, zoning, zoning code
Posted in Architecture, Urban Development | 34 Comments »
Filling In: Zoning Part 1, Introduction
Thursday, September 10th, 2015![Current Rochester Zoning Map [IMAGE: City of Rochester]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/zoning/Rochester_Zoning_Map.jpg)
Well readers, this is it. The series of articles you’ve been waiting for your entire life without even knowing it. That’s right, we’re going to talk about zoning, and more specifically, zoning in Rochester. I’ve been known to refer to zoning as the last bastion for the wicked, and over the next few weeks, I look forward to pleading my case.
Tags: City of Rochester, Edward Bassett, Filling In, form-based code, Matt Denker, Matthew Denker, New York City, Rochester, Rochester NY, Village of Euclid (Ohio) v. Ambler Realty Co., West Palm Beach FL, zoning, zoning code
Posted in Architecture, Urban Development | 18 Comments »
Filling In: Aldi Revisted
Tuesday, September 1st, 2015![Aldi Sign [Image: Matzo Electric Signs]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/aldi/Aldi_Sign.jpg)
Welcome back, readers – it’s been a while! But now that summer is drawing to a close, and we’re starting to stock up for the long winter ahead (wouldn’t want to be THIS guy ), it’s time to start Filling In again. For our first discussion, let’s revisit Aldi. When we last wrote about it, Mike was advocating for getting good design, and I was putting forward a couple ideas about how the store might improve its relationship with the neighborhood . “Fine,” you say, “where is this going?” Well I’m glad you asked.
Tags: Aldi, biking, Blossom Road, Bus Stops, Development News, Filling In, grocery store, Matthew Denker, North Winton Village, Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, urban planning, Winton Road, Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
Posted in Architecture, Urban Development | 11 Comments »
Remembering the Old Rochester Monroe County Airport and Murals
Sunday, August 23rd, 2015![Do you remember the mural at the old Rochester Monroe County Airport? A reader asked if we could share photos of it. [IMAGE: Rochester Public Library Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-monroe-county-airport-00.jpg)
I received an email last week from George Conboy, Chairman of Brighton Securities. He asks, “Have you seen anywhere a photo of the transportation mural that was behind the long ticket counter at the old airport? I remember it as a vaguely Art Deco theme of general transportation with an emphasis, of course, on air transport.”
Mr. Conboy explained that he used to fly a lot during the “glory days” of air travel back in the 1960s when he was a kid. “I just liked that old mural. I used to see it all the time and it has always been in my mind.”
This is a great question. I had been told of this mural before but have never seen it myself. Photos of it online are practically non-existent, so this one will require some digging…
Tags: airport, art, Art Deco, Brighton Securities, George Conboy, Greater Rochester International Airport, history of Rochester, infrastructure, Monroe County Airport, mural, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, rochester photos, transportation
Posted in Architecture, Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 18 Comments »
Inside Rochester’s Abandoned Walters Psychiatric Building
Wednesday, July 8th, 2015![Inside the abandoned Walters psychiatric building. [IMAGE: Snoop Junkie - Rochester Urban Exploration Squad]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-state-hospital-walters-building-04.jpg)
The complex of the Rochester Psychiatric Center (a.k.a. Rochester State Hospital or Monroe County Insane Asylum) is legendary among urban explorers and history fanatics alike. Originally built in the early 1800s as the Monroe County Almshouse (or poorhouse), new buildings and facilities were gradually added to care for the mentally ill.
Although the hospital still operates to this day, a few buildings were closed in the mid-1990s and now sit in various states of decay. One notable example we’ve explored previously is the towering 16-story Terrence Building which looms over Elmwood Avenue. Another is the sprawling Walters Building (originally known as the Orleans Building) which we’ll be exploring today…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, David Paul Ritton, Dr. Charles La Moore, Dr. Eugene H. Howard, Dr. John L. VanDeMark, Elmwood Avenue, Howard Buildings, insane asylum, Joseph Goder trash incinerator, mentally ill, Monroe County Almshouse, Monroe County Insane Asylum, Mrs. Gertrude Ehinger, Mrs. Mary McClelland, Orleans Building, photography, Robert Grahan, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Rochester Psychiatric Center, Rochester State Hospital, Snoop Junkie, Snoop Junkie Rochester Urban Exploration Squad, South Avenue, Terrence Building, Terrence Tower, urban decay, urban exploration, urban explorers, Walters Building
Posted in Architecture, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 45 Comments »
Inner Loop Redevelopment Recommendations
Wednesday, July 1st, 2015![A recent report from Stantec outlines recommendations and suggestions for the redevelopment of Union Street after the Inner Loop is filled. [IMAGE: Philip Michael Brown Studio / City of Rochester]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-inner-loop-development-00.jpg)
Yesterday we took a bike ride down inside the Inner Loop with Matthew Ehlers to see how Rochester’s “big fill” was progressing. Quite nicely I’d say. But once filled, the next question becomes, what will fill the void.
RocSubway reader Ben Voellinger pointed us to a recent document posted to the City’s website that outlines recommendations for future development(s) along the new Union Street. Thanks Ben! Let’s take a look…
Tags: Charlotte Street, City of Rochester, East Ave, Great Wolf Lodge, infill development, Inner Loop, Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project, Manhattan Square Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, parking, parking garage, parking lots, Philip Michael Brown Studio, Pitkin Street, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rotterdam, Stantec, Strong National Museum of Play, Union Street, urban development
Posted in Architecture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 33 Comments »
Take a Daytrip to Medina NY, with the Young Urban Preservationists
Monday, June 1st, 2015![Landmark Society's Young Urban Preservationists and Slow Road Travel are bringing you Backroads & Byways: Medina, the first in a series of daytrips to check out the roads less traveled and to explore historic places and exciting projects in small towns throughout the region. [PHOTO: Landmark Society of WNY]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/backroads-and-byways-medina-01.jpg)
We all love Rochester but sometimes you just need to get out of town for a day, right? That’s why Landmark Society’s Young Urban Preservationists and Slow Road Travel are bringing you Backroads & Byways: Medina , the first in a series of daytrips to check out the roads less traveled and to explore historic places and exciting projects in small towns throughout the region…
Tags: 810 Meadworks, Bent’s Opera House, Landmark Society of Western New York, Medina, R.H. Newell Shirt Factory, Slow Road, Young Urban Preservationists (YUP)
Posted in Architecture, Events, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Urban Exploration | No Comments »
The Glen House – Rochester’s First Water-side Retreat
Monday, April 27th, 2015![In 1870 Ellwanger & Barry (and other wealthy investors) owned a spot along the west bank of the Genesee River gorge known as Maple Grove. At the time, the Lake Avenue streetcar line stretched all the way to this point, and in an effort to stimulate traffic on the trolley line, they had built Rochester's first water-side resort; the Glen House. [PHOTO: 'Rochester's Lakeside Resorts and Amusement Parks' by Donovan Schilling]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/glen-house-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
In 1870 Ellwanger & Barry (and other wealthy investors) owned a spot along the west bank of the Genesee River gorge known as Maple Grove. At the time, the Lake Avenue streetcar line stretched all the way to this point, and in an effort to stimulate traffic on the trolley line, they had built Rochester’s first water-side resort; the Glen House…
Tags: Charlotte, City of Rochester Steamboat, Eastman Kodak, Ellwanger-Barry, Genesee River, Genesee River Gorge, Glen House, history of Rochester, Kodak Park, Lake Avenue, Lake Ontario, Lake Ontario Steamboat Company, Maple Grove, Maplewood Park, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Ontario Beach Park, riverboat, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Seabreeze, Sylvan Stream
Posted in Architecture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 11 Comments »
Orchard Street Brownfield Site Reimagined by RIT Architecture Students
Thursday, March 26th, 2015![RIT Architecture grad students have designed a plan for the former Sykes Datatronics brownfield site on Orchard and Whitney Streets. [PHOTO: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/abandoned-rochester-sykes-datatronics-exterior-03.jpg)
Last week we paid a final visit to the abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street . This week we take a look at recent work submitted by RIT Architecture students that reimagines this former industrial site as a new and robust community center…
Tags: architecture, brownfield development, Candace Jiang, Cibele Eller Rodrigues, City of Rochester, community center, community recreation center, Jim Fugate, Lis Cavalcante, Lu Engineers, Mary Scipioni, Orchard Street, Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY, Sykes Datatronics, urban parks, Whitney Street, yellowfields
Posted in Architecture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester News, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
Filling In: Wegmans Plaza
Sunday, March 22nd, 2015
It has come to my attention that there are some pretty stalwart fans of Tops Friendly Markets out there! That means this is the Filling In for you (as opposed to this one).
Tags: East Avenue, East Avenue Wegmans, Filling In, grocery store, Matthew Denker, Rochester, Rochester NY, Top's Friendly Market, Wegman's, World Trade Center
Posted in Architecture, Urban Development | 27 Comments »
Filling In: Aldi
Monday, March 16th, 2015
Welcome back, readers. As you know, we’ve previously discussed things to do with Tops should Aldi be built at Winton Road and Blossom Road. There’s also been a discussion about how the construction of Aldi went in Irondequoit. Today, I’d like to take a look at a few reasonably simple changes that would completely change the tenor of the proposed development…
Tags: Aldi, biking, Blossom Road, Bus Stops, Development News, Filling In, grocery store, Matthew Denker, North Winton Village, Tops, urban planning, Wegman's
Posted in Architecture, Rochester News, Urban Development | 23 Comments »
Return to Sykes
Thursday, March 12th, 2015![Abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street. Demolition work has been going on since the fall. [PHOTO: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/return-to-abandoned-sykes-datatronics-building-04.jpg)
About a year and a half ago we shared some photos from inside the abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street (south of Lyell Ave). That building was part of a complex that was home to many different companies from 1915 until Sykes Datatronics (a computer company) left in 1992. Demolition crews have been slowly deconstructing the property since the fall…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, building collapse, City of Rochester, Delco Appliance, demolition, Lyell Avenue, Northeast Electric Company, Orchard Street, Riley Park, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Sahlen’s Stadium, Sykes Datatronics, Whitney Street
Posted in Architecture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Urban Exploration | 8 Comments »
A Tower to Rival Eiffel’s Designed in Rochester NY?
Monday, March 9th, 2015
The Atlantic’s CityLab recently posted some late nineteenth-century designs for a Great Tower of London. The first one in the stack was a 1,355 foot sky scraping behemoth designed in Rochester USA…
Tags: architecture, Emily Morry, England, G.T. Otis, G.T. Otis and C.F. Crandall, General Elwell Stephen Otis, Great Tower in London, London, M.T. Otis, North Clinton Avenue, Otis Day, Otis Elevator Company, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Public Library, Scientific American, Spanish-American War, YWCA, YWCA building
Posted in Architecture, Rochester History | 8 Comments »
Aldi Store Hailed as Model of 21st-Century Urban Planning
Thursday, March 5th, 2015
You may remember an article I posted more than a year about new plans for an Aldi store in Irondequoit on Hudson Ave. At that time I suggested the building should front the street/sidewalk, instead of being set back behind the parking lot. I thought the result would have been a development that would be more accessible to people who might choose to walk in off the street.
My suggestion was met with all kinds of wisdom from the project architect who has since set me straight. I now understand why it is better community planning to put your buildings in the middle of parking lots…
Tags: Aldi, Aldi's, APD Architects, APD Architects and Engineers, Blossom Road, development plans, Hudson Avenue, Irondequoit, North Winton Village, pedestrian safety, planning, Steve Cleason, urban development, urban planning, Winton Road
Posted in Architecture, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 37 Comments »
Filling In: Banks
Monday, February 16th, 2015![Rochester Savings Bank [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library]](http://rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/banks/Rochester_Savings_Bank.jpg)
Today I’d like to take a slight departure from our normal Filling In fare. No, I don’t propose to fill in all the banks in Rochester, although that’s not such a bad idea, now that I think about it. What I’d like to talk about is banks and buying stuff. Well, not just any stuff, specifically real estate…
Tags: banks, Filling In, financing, Flour City National Bank, loans, National Bank of Rochester, real-estate, Rochester City Bank, Rochester Savings and Trust Company, Rochester Savings Bank
Posted in Architecture, Opinion, Rochester Homes for Sale, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 11 Comments »
What is this Birdhouse-looking thing in Genesee Valley Park?
Friday, February 6th, 2015
A recent email from a RocSubway reader asks: “There is a building on Moore Road in Genesee Valley Park that looks like some kind of bird house, maybe a pigeon coop. It’s so close to the edge of the [University of Rochester] property that I wondered if it was theirs, rather than part of the park. Someone is taking care of it as the paint doesn’t appear to be that old. Thought its origin might be interesting. Any ideas?”
I’ve noticed this building before too, and because of those tiny holes in the upper level, I’ve always assumed it was a birdhouse. But I admit, I really am not sure. So I asked JoAnn Beck, Senior Landscape Architect with the City of Rochester…
Tags: birdhouse, dovecote, Erie Canal, Frederick Law Olmsted, Genesee Valley Park, JoAnn Beck, Maplewood Park, military blockhouse, Olmsted Brothers, park, Rochester, Rochester NY, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Posted in Architecture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images | No Comments »
From the Ashes of Carnegie Place
Monday, February 2nd, 2015![Last week, Carnegie Place was largely destroyed by fire. [PHOTO: PuddleJumper Photography]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-carnegie-building-fire-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Puddlejumper Photography.
Submit your story today.
Last week, Carnegie Place was largely destroyed by fire. Its life spanned some of the most crucial and drastically changing times in Rochester’s history. I had a chance to stop by after the fire and take some photographs of a building I have always enjoyed; in a part of town that was vibrant and still is the heart of the arts movement in Rochester…
Tags: Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie building, Carnegie Place, Champion clothing, Champion Products Inc., demolition, fire, George Eastman, Goodman Street, history of Rochester, Memorial Art Gallery, Neighborhood of the Arts, NotA, Prince Street, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY, rochester photos, University Avenue, University of Rochester, University of Rochester women's college, UofR
Posted in Architecture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Urban Exploration | 16 Comments »
Three Heads Brewery & Tasting Room Planned for Neighborhood Of The Arts
Tuesday, January 20th, 2015
You may have heard FSI Development of Rochester has purchased the empty lot at 186 Atlantic Ave (a.k.a. The Gleason Lot). Here at RocSubway we’ve fantasized about filling in this empty lot for quite some time. And although it’s not our original vision, the actual plan may be even better than how we dreamed it – primarily because it involves a local brew.
FSI is planning to build a brewery and tasting room on the southeast corner of the site to lease to Three Heads Brewery of Honeoye Falls. Damn, why didn’t we think of this…
Tags: 186 Atlantic Avenue, Al Pardi, Anderson Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, City of Rochester, development, development plans, Evan Lowenstein, FSI Development, Gleason Lot, Honeoye Falls, Jenna Lettenberger, Mitch Rowe, Neighborhood of the Arts, Norwood Street, NotA, Pardi Partnership Architects, Pomodoro, Revelry, Saha, Three Heads Brewery, University Avenue, urban development
Posted in Architecture, Rochester News, Urban Development | 12 Comments »
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