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

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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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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 . 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 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 »

NY High Speed Rail… I’m With Slaughter!

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

With the latest wave of federal stimulus , 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 . 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 »

The Renaissance Square Dance

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Last week, Senator Chuck Schumer and County Exec. Maggie Brooks announced that the Renaissance Square project will be moving ahead, with or without the performing arts center. $45 million would still need to be raised to build the theater, and at this point it looks like that money would need to be raised entirely with private donations — HIGHLY unlikely. So what exactly are we building? A new bus station (essentially a covered parking lot for buses). New classrooms for Monroe Community College. Oh, and a big grassy area where the performing arts center would have been.