A stretch of downtown Rochester is seeing the fruits of millions in state funding, with several projects stemming from its 2021 Downtown Revitalization Initiative award complete.
The $10 million in state funding, first announced in December 2021, was earmarked a year later. In the ensuing years, some projects have come to fruition, while others remain in progress. A total of five projects in the East Main Street area received funding — so where do they stand now?
Alta Vista – Complete
The new 76-unit affordable apartment building opened in February. It was a $35 million project that received more than $30 million in state funding, including the DRI award. The six-story building was built near St. Joseph’s Park and includes space that will be used by The Landmark Society of Western New York.
Harper’s Corner – Complete
The 11 residential units on the formerly blighted corner of Main Street and Clinton Avenue are now fully occupied, with three of four storefronts leased. The three storefronts which have been leased are on the East Main Street side; another resides on North Clinton Avenue. The $12.7 million revitalization project was funded by DRI funds, historic tax credits and the City of Rochester.
Main Street Commons – In progress
The city acquired the property at 170-172 East Main St. to demolish the steel frame building and create a public space that splits the block for pedestrian access. The city went to bid in November and will award it soon. The demolition will be complicated by the shared walls in the foundation.
Kresge Building – In progress
The plans for this building, originally envisioned as a boutique hotel with ground floor restaurant space and a rooftop event space, are still in flux due to change in demand. Instead, it could be residential with ground floor commercial. The project is under the auspices of Dutton Properties and is the temporary home of GreenSpark Solar.
Edwards Building – In progress
The redevelopment of the St. Paul Street building would create 114 apartment units, also handled by Dutton Properties. Some storage space in the building is currently being leased, said Erik Frisch, commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Rochester. The project includes a district geothermal cooperative for heating and cooling, as well as ground-floor commercial space.
Rochester pitches Four Corners for more DRI funding
The DRI funding has been successful in the eyes of the city, prompting it to launch a bid for another round of funding for the Four Corners neighborhood. While that application was not successful, the city is likely to apply again. Why? Because it absolutely worked on East Main Street, Frisch said.
“It shines a light on areas that, with some targeted attention and investment, can really evolve and revitalize,” Frisch said.
While other pockets of downtown were seeing growth and redevelopment, the stretch of East Main Street and Harper’s Corner in particular, was holding back further investment taking shape, Frisch said.
“DRI really brought people together to have a conversation about what’s best for the future of the area and got people talking in a way that maybe wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have that,” Frisch said.
The Four Corners DRI application, located across the Genesee River from the East Main Street area, is bound by Fitzhugh Street to the west and Church and Broad streets to the north and south, respectively.
Among the possible projects in that target area were the creation of a Frederick Douglass museum, five office-to-residential conversions, rooftop activations and a parking garage.
An injection of public capital like DRI can make a big difference in the success of a project, Frisch said. It’s hard to make projects happen and it’s not getting any easier, with escalating costs.
“It creates conversations that … aren’t necessarily going to happen otherwise or may take a longer time to happen,” Frisch said.
Steve Howe reports on suburban growth, development and environment for the Democrat and Chronicle. An RIT graduate, he has covered myriad topics over the years, including public safety, local government, national politics and economic development in New York and Utah.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 5 Rochester Main Street projects used $10M from NY. Where they stand
Reporting by Steve Howe, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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