Rochester Development News 3 [Archive]

blangjr21

March 29th, 2006, 05:34 PM

MusicFest comes back downtown

Event moves to Frontier Field — on weekend of Corn Hill fest

Brian Sharp and Jeff Spevak
Staff writers

(March 29, 2006) — Rochester's annual MusicFest will be a week earlier this year, on July 8 and 9, and move to Frontier Field — bringing the festival back downtown where it began.

Legislation that Mayor Robert Duffy has submitted to City Council also transfers the promotions and marketing contract from a New York City firm to local radio station WDKX-FM (103.9) and reduces expenses by about $100,000.

"It was pretty much a domino effect," said Charles Reaves, the city's commissioner of parks, recreation and human services. "The mayor wanted to go with someone local (as a promoter). ... WDKX was obviously our best choice to do that, and we decided to take it one step forward. If we were going to go local, we might as well bring it back to downtown."

City Council is not slated to vote on the changes until April 11. A later than normal start to booking — which is often done before the Grammy Awards in February — could pose problems in securing national acts.

The change in location and dates likely will make for some added congestion downtown.

The Corn Hill Arts Festival is slated for that same weekend. While MusicFest drew 8,000 people last year, the arts festival drew 200,000. Adding to the congestion: Riverside Convention Center is expecting about 2,000 people for Feis Rochester 2006, an Irish dance competition. And the Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial will welcome about 5,000 members of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

"Some people in Corn Hill and some of the festival committee think we ought to scream, yell and holler," said Joe Brown, president of the Corn Hill Neighbors Association. "I guess if I had my druthers, I'd prefer they do (MusicFest) another weekend, but I personally don't think it's going to be a problem.

"I think the audience for the MusicFest and the audience for the (arts) festival are kind of different."

Added Reaves: "That's one of the things we in Rochester have to get better at. We think we can only do one event at a time. ... You go to most cities and they have multiple events going on."

MusicFest is being moved up because that was the only available weekend at Frontier Field, Reaves said. The music could kick off with a preview event that Friday night in the High Falls area. As for the confluence of events that weekend, Brown and others say the most pressing issues will likely be parking and booking hotel rooms.

MusicFest began in 1995 at Brown's Race but outgrew the location and moved to wide-open Genesee Valley Park. During last year's July 16-17 weekend, torrential thunderstorms forced officials to shut down early both days before such national acts as Faith Evans, Boyz II Men and Brian McKnight could perform. The rich lineup, which included John Legend, drew the event's largest pre-sale ever. The event also drew representatives from MTV, Black Entertainment Television and Vibe magazine, suggesting MusicFest was growing in stature.

Getting the acts lined up early is a key for any budget-minded festival, said booking agent Deb Jones of Empire Entertainment, which put the festival together with New York City-based Lead Dog Marketing. Three of the biggest names booked last year — Evans, Legend and rapper Common — were "steals" because they were booked before the Grammy Awards, Jones said. Afterward, their stock soared.

"It's simply too late to book this festival," Jones said. "I get contacted daily by talent agents who ask me, 'What's up, what's up with the festival?' And nobody's telling them anything."

The change in promoters rescinds an $830,000 contract with Lead Dog Marketing that former Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. sent through in the final days of his administration. The deal with Monroe County Broadcasting Co. (WDKX) is for $721,750. The proposed budget shows a boost in revenue from corporate support and ticket sales, while site expenses are cut from $273,394 to $101,500, mainly from fewer security needs. The city would continue to contribute $200,000 toward the event.

WDKX has booked acts in the past such as Bow Wow and B2K at Blue Cross Arena, and Alicia Keys two years ago at Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center. This year, it celebrates its 32nd year with an April 30 show at Eastman Theatre featuring Keyshia Cole, Ne-Yo and Tyra.

Andre Marcel of WDKX concedes it's a late start.

"I got started on this in January. They (the city) are the ones that haven't gotten the money together. People are getting booked as we speak. My tentative lineup that I had in January is probably already a third booked by other people now."

Nevertheless, Marcel remains optimistic. And Reaves said national acts aren't the sole focus.

"There is a lot of good local talent that the mayor wants to give exposure to as well," he said.

veryprotourism

March 29th, 2006, 07:24 PM

that will be an incredible weekend to be in downtown rochester. the cornhill arts festival and the corn hill area itself is one of rochester's best assets.
if any of you buffalo folks have never been to the corn hill neighborhood you should drop in. some very interesting houses and some of historical significance in a well kept neighborhood.

blangjr21

March 29th, 2006, 08:44 PM

Genesee Hospital campus set to be sold

Joy Davia
Staff writer

(March 29, 2006) — ViaHealth hopes to sell the Genesee Hospital campus to Buckingham Properties by September, officials announced today in a printed statement.

The statement did not say what Buckingham's intent was for the Alexander Street property — which includes 18 acres, two medical office buildings and a parking garage. The statement said that ViaHealth would continue to lease 100,000 square feet of office space for its Genesee Health Service and Behavioral Health Network.

ViaHealth officials said they would further discuss the deal this afternoon.

"We are pleased to be working with such an experienced and highly regarded local developer to revitalize the property to enhance its use in the community," said Sam Huston, president and chief executive of ViaHealth, in the statement.

Buckingham Chief Executive Larry Glazer told the Democrat and Chronicle in August that he has looked at the campus "on and off" since the hospital closed in 2001. He had said he was considering possible redevelopment of the campus, but at the time said he had neither dismissed or embraced the idea.

After the hospital closed in 2001, hope of a quick redevelopment of the property came and went, drawing criticism from the popular East End community that surrounds it.

ViaHealth has worked for years to market the property. In 2003, a deadline for the sale or lease of the hospital came and went without any viable bids.

But in the last two years, ViaHealth took control of the entire property, situated between Park and Monroe avenues. Previously, no single entity controlled the whole parcel. Separate Genesee creditors had mortgages on different segments, which caused a problem for potential buyers.

A ViaHealth subsidiary — GRHS Foundation Inc. — has acquired the bonds on the parking garage and office buildings. ViaHealth's Rochester General Hospital already controlled the hospital.

ViaHealth officials also have indicated that a big issue for developers has been how to revamp a near-empty hospital.

donbuy

March 29th, 2006, 09:35 PM

Buffalo-Niagara Falls: Since February 2005, the number of jobs has increased by 1,400, or 0.3 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 1,900, or 0.4 percent. The area's unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in February 2006, compared with 6.1 in February 2005. Factory employment during the year was down 3.6% and non factory employment was up .8%

In addition the Buffalo labor market has increased by 4,200 since February 2005. Revised State data for 2005 shows that the Buffalo CMSA had 1,800 more jobs in 2005 than in pre-recession 2000 (595,700 employed in 2005 vs 593,900 in 2000. Thus all of the jobs lost during the post 911 recession have been regained.

Rochester: Since February 2005, the number of jobs has decreased by 6,100, or 1.2 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 6,600, or 1.6 percent. The area's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in February 2006, compared with 5.4 in February 2005. Both factory and non factory employment were down during the year, by 7.1% and .3% respectively.

In addition the Rochester labor market has decreased by 4,400 since February 2005. Revised State data for 2005 shows that the Rochester CMSA still had 5,100 fewer jobs in 2005 than in pre-recession 2000 (557,200 employed in 2005 vs 562,300 in 2000.) Thus not all of the jobs lost during the post 911 recession have yet been regained.

Syracuse: Since February 2005, the number of jobs has increased by 5,000, or 1.6 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 4,400, or 1.7 percent. The area's unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in February 2006, compared with 5.8 in February 2005

blangjr21

March 30th, 2006, 08:58 PM

Demolition for Genesee Hospital

New owner wants to redevelop property

Joy Davia
Staff writer

(March 30, 2006) — The potential new owner of the old Genesee Hospital campus wants to tear down the hospital for new development that could include offices, retail and housing.

But Larry Glazer, chief executive of Buckingham Properties, noted that a lot of work — and a lot of research — still has to be done before any final decision is made regarding the 16-acre campus.

The ViaHealth board of directors Wednesday unanimously approved the deal, which also includes a parking garage and two medical office buildings in the East End entertainment district. Terms were not disclosed for the purchase, which should close by July.

Demolition of the hospital should be completed a year after the sale is completed, Glazer said. The office buildings and parking garage will remain.

Glazer said his company can now get to work. Because of a confidentiality agreement surrounding negotiations, he has been unable to discuss the redevelopment with architects or community groups.

Many said the long-awaited sale and planned hospital demolition were expected. They were intrigued by the redevelopment possibilities but were still a bit sad because the move will mark the official end of a facility that from 1889 to 2001 played a vital community role.

"It was inevitable. There's not much else you can say," said Dr. Lawrence Chessin of the building's planned demise.

Chessin joined Genesee in 1970, soon becoming its longtime chief of infectious diseases. His practice — the Medical Associates at the Genesee — continues to practice in the medical office building.

"But what you have to do is change with the times," he said. "And I'm willing to do that."

ViaHealth will lease 100,000 square feet of office space to keep behavioral health and primary care services. Behavioral health, for example, will be moved from the hospital and into the empty birthing center.

A laboratory in the basement of the hospital will be moved from Genesee to ViaHealth's Rochester General Hospital. The Pluta Dental Center also will move from the campus, although its destination is not yet known.

After the hospital closed in 2001, hope of a quick redevelopment of the property came and went, drawing criticism from the community that surrounds it.

Tom laDuca, co-owner of nearby Hogans Hideaway restaurant on Park Avenue, said he's hopeful that whatever goes into the campus will be prosperous — for the community and for his own sake. He did lose lunch business when the hospital closed.

"But I think it's wonderful, just wonderful," added laDuca, who is president of the Park-Meigs Neighborhood Association. "It's exciting and good for the community."

Richard Goode, 47, has lived on Alexander Street across from the hospital on and off for 10 years. He was glad to hear about the redevelopment possibilities but was sad to see the hospital will be torn down. He was born there; his mother was a Genesee nurse for about 25 years.

"I know it's for the better," said Goode, adding that he hoped the construction wouldn't be too much of a problem.

ViaHealth has worked for years to market the property. In 2003, a deadline for the sale or lease of the hospital came and went without any viable bids. One big issue for developers has been how to revamp a near-empty hospital, officials have said.

In the last two years, ViaHealth took control of the entire property, situated between Park and Monroe avenues. Previously, no single entity controlled the whole parcel. Separate Genesee creditors had mortgages on different segments, which caused a problem for potential buyers.

A ViaHealth subsidiary — GRHS Foundation Inc. — has acquired the bonds on the parking garage and office buildings. ViaHealth's Rochester General Hospital controlled the hospital.

ViaHealth will benefit financially from the deal, especially since the health system was spending at least $2 million yearly for upkeep, such as utilities, said Sam Huston, ViaHealth president and chief executive.

Glazer was one of several developers — from here to California — who expressed interest in the property.

"There was never anyone who could think of a way to convert it back to health (related) use," Huston added.

Developers and studies commissioned by ViaHealth kept coming to the same conclusion: "It would have been too hard to retrofit it," Huston said.

One reason: Parts of the hospital are more than 100 years old and would be too costly to turn into usable space.

Huston said Glazer was the best developer for the project, noting that, among other reasons, he seemed to be most sensitive to community needs.

Buckingham will spend the next 60 days doing "due diligence," which will include calculating the costs of tearing down the hospital. Glazer will begin meeting with community groups and individuals to gather redevelopment ideas, which could include mixed use.

"Nothing is off the table," Glazer added.

And he is excited about the potential to mold the hospital's seven acres in the city, especially given the recent development momentum here, which includes projects such as Sagamore on East and Corn Hill Landing.

"If I felt like Rochester wasn't getting a bit of a rebirth, there's no way I'd take on something like this," he said.

blangjr21

March 30th, 2006, 08:58 PM

MCC dorm funds approved again

James Goodman
Staff writer

(March 30, 2006) — For the second time this week, a committee of the Monroe County Legislature approved a proposal to issue up to $19 million in bonds for new student housing at Monroe Community College's Brighton campus.

By a 6-4 vote Wednesday, the Ways and Means Committee approved the bonding, with Republicans supporting the bonding and Democrats opposing it.

The measure was also approved along party lines on Monday by the legislature's Planning and Economic Development Committee.

The bonding proposal, expected to be considered by the full legislature on April 11, would authorize the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency to issue tax-free bonds for the on-campus housing.

The project has come under fire from Democratic legislators and union leaders because it is not being considered a public works project.

Public works projects must use competitive bidding to select a contractor and pay the prevailing wage for labor.

At Wednesday's hearing, MCC President R. Thomas Flynn said the COMIDA bonding made the dorms affordable.

"We could build the residence halls in a cost-effective manner," Flynn said.

The bonding by COMIDA would allow paying about 5 percent interest instead of about 7.7 percent interest, according to COMIDA lawyer Michael J. Townsend.

Flynn said that other community colleges have built dorms and that they are not considered public works projects.

But Democratic legislators questioned how the deal here has been arranged.

"My concern is that we have no validation without some kind of competitive bidding or cost review of the cost of the project," said Legislator Paul Haney, D-Rochester.

He questioned why the proposed housing, which is projected to cost $18.4 million, would be markedly more than the housing completed in 2003, which cost $16.1 million, especially since the new dorms would house about 40 fewer students. MCC officials have said that the cost of materials has gone up considerably since the first dorms.

The initial proposal for this project called for the leasing of land from the county for the dorms.

But the state Labor Department said that such an arrangement would put the project in the public works category.

Since the Monroe Community College Association now wants to buy the land for the dorms, the state won't classify the project in the public works category. The association, which has a board made up of MCC officials and student representatives, would own, operate and build the dorms.

The association wants The DiMarco Group, which built the first set of dorms at MCC, to build the new dorms, which would house 366 students.

COMIDA bonds for the proposed housing were approved by legislature almost a year ago but because of the lapse in time, another vote was needed.

shane453

March 30th, 2006, 11:28 PM

This was in the paper today, and I thought it was very interesting. I wish my school would take field trips like this and get to give reports to city council! I didn't know that Rochester was considering adding (or replacing, at least) a canal.

Genesse Community Charter School
Genesse Charter School is part of the “Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound” movement, which emphasizes high expectations, ongoing critique and revision, in-depth investigations, a culture of collaboration, fieldwork, character development and community service.

Once a year, the students raise funds and travel abroad as part of a year-end class project. Previous trips for the school’s sixth-grade class included a visit to New York to learn about immigration and a tour of Philadelphia as part of a study of the Revolutionary War.

Sixth-grade students consider MAPS as model for reviving their community
By Steve Lackmeyer
The Oklahoman

An improbable delegation from Rochester, N.Y., is in town through Thursday, quizzing city officials and business owners about Oklahoma City’s MAPS program and the Bricktown Canal as the East Coast community ponders developing its own urban waterway.

The five-member group flew more than 1,300 miles for this three-day fact-finding mission. They asked tough questions about the projects’ costs, the politics involved and about the true effect on business and property values. And they asked repeatedly, “Was there any downside to the canal?”

Similar delegations from Rochester are visiting revitalized downtowns with waterways in Providence, R.I.; Ottawa, Canada; and San Antonio.

Oklahoma City has hosted such delegations with increased frequency in the past few years. This one is different.

They’re all members of the sixth-grade class at Rochester’s Genesee Community Charter School.

“There is a man named Tom Grasso, and he’s a visionary,” student Khari Johnson said. “He’s proposing a plan for a downtown Erie Canal. And we looked at some articles, and found out Oklahoma City’s canal is one of the most successful.”

Johnson said the Bricktown Canal is a great comparison for Rochester, which once had the Erie Canal flow through its downtown until it was covered up and replaced with a street. Grasso, president of the Canal Society of New York State and Inland Waterways International, is pushing to replace the street and recreate the waterway in hopes of revitalizing the inner-city corridor.

While the students asked tough questions about MAPS and the Bricktown Canal, some indicated they are believers in Grasso’s proposal.

“It would improve our city greatly,” student Emma Doeblin said. “Now all the buildings there along our Broad Street are deserted. It would really improve Rochester’s downtown and tourism.

“Out of 275 cities, Rochester is 273 when it comes to tourism. So tourism for us is very, very bad.”

Avis Scaramucci, owner of Nonna’s Euro American Ristorante and Bar and Painted Door gift shop, told the students she decided to open for business in Bricktown last year because the district represents one of the best-surviving groupings of historic buildings. It’s also become a point of pride for the community, she said.

Johnson and other students said they were surprised by what they’ve seen in downtown Oklahoma City and Bricktown. Some, such as Doeblin, said they want to come back on visits with their families.

However, in interviews Tuesday, they also grilled Bricktown Association Chairman and Bricktown Brewery owner Jim Cowan about whether the entertainment district will remain viable in the long run.

Look at San Antonio, Cowan said. Hasn’t that area continued to thrive for more than 30 years after the city developed their Riverwalk, he asked.

When questioned about the canal’s economic effect, Cowan reported his business jumped 30 percent when it opened in 1999. However, when the students asked about the long-term effect, he admitted, “It’s been a roller-coaster ride.”

Part of that, Cowan said, is because of increased restaurant competition.

The Bricktown visit followed similar discussions with Mayor Mick Cornett, Councilwoman Willa Johnson, Oklahoma River development director Pat Downes, MAPS project manager Eric Wenger and Dave Lopez, president of Downtown Oklahoma City Inc.

“Sometimes, it is hard to remind ourselves that we are a role model for similar size cities trying to reinvent themselves,” Cornett said. “We are admired coast-to-coast for the things we’ve done to create a city where people want to live.”

Cornett said the involvement of grade school students “is unique.”

“They are really inquisitive, and they are asking a lot of impressive questions,” Cornett said. “They’re serious about making their city a better place and finding a way to do it.”

The students, accompanied by school Principal Lisa Wing and parent Fred Marshall, will continue their tour today with a visit to the Oklahoma National Memorial, the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and a discussion with Bob Blackburn, director of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The school group’s next task will be to compile a report - and make a recommendation to Rochester’s city council.

Marshall, whose son Bolan is among the delegation visiting Oklahoma City, said he was inspired by Oklahoma City and what it has accomplished under MAPS.

“It really gives us optimism that something can be done to turn your city around,” Marshall said.

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 01:24 AM

Are Rocguy and Susie the same person? I notice that they either both post like crazy or else neither one of them posts.

ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!?!?!

That's an insult if I've ever heard one. Its spring break, I've been in Florida, I said that a while ago. I just got back a couple hours ago. I have a life for cryin out loud!

blangjr21

March 31st, 2006, 02:12 AM

Pae Tec Park Gets More State Funds
by Anthony Pascale
photo by Helen Moore
Published Mar 30, 2006

The Rochester Rhinos new stadium will get another financial boost from the state.

Lawmakers in Albany agreed Thursday on a total of $9 million in additional funding for Pae Tec Park. The Rhinos had asked for $15 million. Additional funding from Governor Pataki could be on the way.

The money will be used to build luxury suites, a permanent locker room, press box and additional stadium seats.

The stadium will host its first game on June 3, 2006.

The additional funding announced Thursday makes $28-million in taxpayer funding used to build the stadium.

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 02:30 AM

And so does the "iffy" rensquare:

Top city project secures $36M

State boost gives RenSquare nearly all public money it needs

Joseph Spector
Staff writer

(March 30, 2006) — A shovel has yet to hit the ground, but the Renaissance Square project in downtown Rochester has secured nearly all the public money it needs to start construction next year.

Since first announced two years ago, the $230 million project has been embraced by Democratic and Republican leaders on all levels. That bipartisan support has brought a remarkable infusion of government aid.

On Wednesday, state lawmakers announced $36 million for the project as part of the 2006-07 state budget, which the state Legislature plans to approve this week.

If signed off by the Legislature and Gov. George Pataki, the money would bring the project's funding to $194 million in federal, state and local aid. The county is also seeking $10 million in additional federal money and is preparing for the final funding piece — a roughly $30 million private fundraising campaign.

Construction is slated to start in late 2007; the facility could open for business in late 2009.

"It's a tremendous boost for the project," Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, who is spearheading the project, said of the state aid. "The project partners believe, as I believe, that this project has great potential for economic and job growth in the community."

The project calls for building a Monroe Community College campus, a performing arts center and a bus terminal on one square block on East Main Street between North Clinton Avenue and St. Paul Street.

Each component had been talked about in Rochester for at least a decade, but none ever got off the ground.

Together, however, the pieces were able to tap a variety of federal and state funding sources, including federal transportation dollars and state money for community colleges.

Moreover, the project has become the largest and most expensive economic development initiative in the city's history, making it a top priority for politicians. Republican Pataki announced the project during his State of the State address in January 2004. Since then, Brooks, a Republican, joined former Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. and current Mayor Robert Duffy, both Democrats, to stump for public assistance.

"Rochester needs economic development endeavors like this to improve its quality of life," said Assemblywoman Susan John, D-Rochester.

Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, said the funding is another example of lawmakers working together. Last week, the state delegation announced a record 33 percent increase in city aid.

Now what?

Even with all the money, cranes won't be invading downtown for more than a year.

Most pressing is deciding on the scope and design of the performing arts center. The center will likely hold two theaters, a large, 2,800-seat theater for traveling Broadway shows and one of about 250 seats for community theater groups. But there has been no official determination; Brooks said she expects a final consultant's report by late spring or summer.

Earlier this year, Brooks floated the idea of three performing arts theaters in downtown Rochester and setting up an umbrella group to help fund local arts organizations. Two theaters would be at Renaissance Square and a medium-sized theater would be a few blocks east at East Main and Gibbs streets, diagonal from Eastman Theatre.

The total cost would be about $172 million, state officials said. About $92 million would come from the state and the rest would come through a massive private fund drive.

But Brooks and other leaders may have cooled to that plan, recognizing the difficulty in raising so much money.

Instead, Brooks had sought $54 million in state aid. The $36 million piece announced Wednesday is split between pots of money controlled by the Senate and Assembly; Pataki, who controls the third piece, pledged $18 million last year.

Brooks insisted Wednesday that her focus is on Renaissance Square, not a grander arts plan. "There is a lot of discussion in the community about a lot of things, but my focus is Renaissance Square."

And the community may soon play a significant role. Brooks said the county has been accepting proposals to hire a consultant to lead the private fundraising drive.

This fall, an environmental assessment and preliminary engineering plan should be completed, and some demolition may start late next winter. The county also hasn't detailed who will run the facility, how much it will cost to operate and who will pay for those costs.

But for now, leaders are just pleased — and maybe even a little surprised — over the project's early success.

"I don't know if I could have foreseen this much progress being made, but it's great and a testament to the commitment of community leaders," said Sarah Lentini, president of the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester.

Susie

March 31st, 2006, 05:40 AM

Are Rocguy and Susie the same person? I notice that they either both post like crazy or else neither one of them posts.

Are you nuts? I have been out of town and just got back a couple of hours ago. I assure you I am no kid. And notice that I posted three hours after the other post.

Susie

March 31st, 2006, 05:44 AM

veryprotourism

March 31st, 2006, 05:50 AM

well things are back to normal in the rochester thread i see.

sargeantcm

March 31st, 2006, 06:01 AM

...I have been out of town and just got back a couple of hours ago...
So how was it to see kelly green grass as opposed to Rochester's brown?

...ONLY one in the entire State of New York to be losing both people and jobs...

Well, to put it quite frankly, "golden children" excluded, they're all losing people. So you're already starting out on the short end, and naturally either you're gaining jobs or you're not. Somehow the surprise and/or irony escapes me. Just about every other city on that list could have very easy gone negative - those gains are pathetic.

I wouldn't piss all over Mom & Pops either. Firstly I think it gives a false impression of the type and size of the company in question. Secondly, the majority of the growth in any city, intuitively, is probably going to be in the 10-99 jobs category, or so it would seem. I'd actually like to see the numbers showing what size businesses are adding jobs. For example, the company I work for has about 50 in the office (800 +/- nationally), but the Buffalo branch (an acquisition) is among the most profitable in the company, and we've hired 5-6 people in the past year (my position included). That's 10-15% growth. Considering the hundreds of businesses that size in a metro the size of Rochester, the eventual upturn will multiply quickly. Maybe donbuy has access to these kinds of data?

Bottom line, multi-nationals don't just pop up overnight, not even in the sunbelt. And when they do, well, for recent examples look at the dot.com busts. Smaller and mid-sized companies also have advantages when it comes to being more economically and financially nimble; not to mention relevant (i.e. Kodak, et al). The bigger they are, the harder they fall. I think we in WNY should know that by now, or we really are screwed.

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 06:09 AM

Are you nuts? I have been out of town and just got back a couple of hours ago. I assure you I am no kid. And notice that I posted three hours after the other post.

Now THAT is creepy.

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 06:26 AM

Bottom line, multi-nationals don't just pop up overnight, not even in the sunbelt. And when they do, well, for recent examples look at the dot.com busts. Smaller and mid-sized companies also have advantages when it comes to being more economically and financially nimble. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. I think we in WNY should know that by now, or we really are screwed.

EXACTLY. That is has been my point for a LONG TIME. The big three aren't what will define the Rochester economy in the next decade or so, it is the small and growing companies such as the one you work for that are copious in both Rochester AND Buffalo. Buffalo's have already been able to counterbalance their losses in manufacturing and.. DING DING DING.... that's what will happen in Rochester too. I'm most certainly not saying it's all OK, or it's not that big of a deal, just that it is even MORE certainly not indicative of Rochester's "demise".

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 06:29 AM

well things are back to normal in the rochester thread i see.

Nope, as far as I'm concerned, Susie doesn't exist. lol And she IS NOT my scitzo twin. Good god is it creepy that she said she was out of town too this week. I used to think that Susie and Donboy were the same person, but I don't think so any more. As "edgy" as donboy can be when it comes to Rochester, he is a far cry from Susie's downright bitterness.

blangjr21

March 31st, 2006, 02:11 PM

well things are back to normal in the rochester thread i see.

couldn't agree more, it was nice for about a week...

Susie

March 31st, 2006, 03:31 PM

Nope, as far as I'm concerned, Susie doesn't exist. lol And she IS NOT my scitzo twin. Good god is it creepy that she said she was out of town too this week. I used to think that Susie and Donboy were the same person, but I don't think so any more. As "edgy" as donboy can be when it comes to Rochester, he is a far cry from Susie's downright bitterness.
Same here as far as I am concerned Rocboy only exists in my mind. I am not him/her

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 06:26 PM

Holy crap.... it's 72 in Rochester right now. When did this start? I was in Florida this week and the high there was only 63 on Monday, and it's 67 here in Raleigh.

Oh yeah.... and there's THIS! Good news for all of WNY.

Delphi plant here appears safe from closure

The Associated Press

(March 31, 2006) — Auto parts supplier Delphi Corp. has identified its Rochester and Lockport plants as two of eight U.S. plants considered critical to U.S. operations, the company said in a statement outlining what it will say in bankruptcy court in New York City this morning.

That's good news for the upstate economy. Delphi is one of the area's top 10 private-sector employers, with 2,100 workers at the Rochester plant and a Henrietta research center. The Lockport plant is one of the Buffalo-Niagara region's largest employers.

Delphi asked the court to void its labor contracts as part of a controversial restructuring that calls for layoffs and the sale or closure of 21 of its 29 U.S. plants.

The company said it plans to cut 25 percent of its salaried work force, or around 8,500 workers, including up to 40 percent of its corporate officers. Delphi said that measure should save $450 million per year.

Other critical plants, according to the company: Brookhaven, Miss; Clinton, Miss.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Kokomo, Ind.; Warren, Ohio; and Vandalia, Ohio. Delphi said those plants will focus on product lines such as safety features, electronics, diesel and gas power trains and climate control products.

Twenty-one other plants that do not make core products — including those that make brakes and chassis, instrument panels, door modules and steering components — will be sold or closed. Delphi said it will provide further details on those plants in its filing, but they include plants in Dayton, Ohio, Saginaw and Flint.

The moves carry huge risks: It may lead to a strike by unionized workers at Delphi that could cripple the U.S. auto industry and push General Motors Corp., its former parent and largest customer, closer to Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

GM accounted for around half of Delphi's $29 billion in revenues in 2004. The world's largest automaker already is struggling with declining U.S. market share and spiraling costs and is in the midst of its own restructuring. But a strike would hurt other companies and smaller suppliers as well, since Delphi supplies every major automaker, including Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co.

Delphi, the largest U.S. auto supplier, is filing a separate motion asking the court to reject some unprofitable contracts with GM. Delphi also said it will freeze its hourly and salaried pension programs later this year and move employees into a defined-contribution plan.

"We are clearly focused on Delphi's future," Delphi Chairman and CEO Robert S. "Steve" Miller said in a statement. "Emergence from the Chapter 11 process in the U.S. requires that we make difficult, yet necessary, decisions.

The United Auto Workers responded by saying Delphi was misusing the bankruptcy procedure in a way that should be "a concern for every American" and had never been serious about negotiating with its unions.

Troy-based Delphi filed for bankruptcy in October. The company said it intends to emerge from bankruptcy during the first half of 2007. Delphi said it wants to exit certain product lines and sell or close noncore plants by 2008.

Delphi's motion to void its labor contracts was widely expected; the company had delayed similar motions three times before. The company says it was saddled with uncompetitive labor agreements when it was spun off from GM in 1999 and wants to cut the wages of its 34,000 U.S. hourly workers as part of its restructuring.

Delphi, GM and its unions spent months negotiating but were unable to reach a wage agreement. Under its most recent proposal, which was rejected by the UAW and other unions, Delphi proposed dropping pay for current hourly workers to $22 per hour from $27 per hour through September 2007, then to $16.50 an hour, but that would include a one-time payment of $50,000.

The UAW criticized Delphi's filing on Friday.

"Delphi's misuse of the bankruptcy procedure to circumvent the collective bargaining process and slash jobs and wages and drastically reduce health care, retirement and other hard-won benefits or eliminate them altogether is a travesty and a concern for every American," the union said in a statement.

GM said Delphi's motion to reject its GM contracts was a common practice for companies in Chapter 11.

"We disagree with Delphi's approach but we anticipated that this step might be taken," Rick Wagoner, GM's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "GM expects Delphi to honor its public commitments to avoid any disruption to GM operations."

Delphi said it plans to keep negotiating with GM and its unions even though the motion has been filed, and some analysts have said the added urgency could help the parties reach a deal.

Judge Robert Drain has scheduled a hearing on Delphi's request for May 9-10 and won't decide whether to void Delphi's contracts until after that hearing. If Drain does decide to allow Delphi to void its contracts and Delphi takes that step, the UAW and other unions have threatened to strike.

"We believe many of these product lines have the potential to compete successfully under new ownership that has the resources and capital to invest in them," Delphi President and Chief Operating Officer Rodney O'Neal said in a statement.

Delphi said it will ask the court to reject unprofitable contracts with GM. The initial motion covers around half of Delphi's annual volume with GM. Delphi said the judge is expected to consider the motion on May 12, which gives both companies time to continue negotiating prices.

"We simply cannot continue to sell products at a loss," Miller said.

In addition, Delphi sent a letter to GM Friday that will begin the process of resetting terms for more than 425 commercial agreements that have expired since Delphi filed for bankruptcy. Those terms will be negotiated outside of bankruptcy court.

Delphi also said it will freeze pension benefits for hourly workers on Oct. 1 and for salaried workers on Jan. 1 and will replace them with plans that require employee contributions with company matches. Workers will still have access to any accrued benefits.

The company may ask for relief from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the Internal Revenue Service and possibly Congress so that when it emerges from bankruptcy protection it won't immediately owe billions of dollars to its underfunded pension plan. The company expects it will take at least six years to fully fund its pension plan.

Despite unions' fury at Delphi's wage proposals, Delphi said it is encouraged by its progress in negotiations so far and hopes to reach an agreement outside of court. GM's cooperation in a settlement is key, since Delphi would depend on GM, its largest customer, to supplement its wage offer or provide benefits. For example, in Delphi's latest proposal, wages would fall to $12.50 an hour if they weren't supplemented by GM, the UAW said. GM has said a Delphi settlement could cost it between $5.5 billion and $12 billion.

Delphi, GM and the UAW did agree last week to a buyout offer for approximately 17,000 U.S. hourly workers. Under that agreement, workers will be eligible for a lump sum payment of $35,000 to retire. Also, up to 5,000 Delphi workers will be eligible to return to GM.

Susie

March 31st, 2006, 06:55 PM

sargeantcm

March 31st, 2006, 07:40 PM

As I just said in the Buffalo thread, I know it's not this simple, but what it boils down to - take the pay cut and look for another job, here or elsewhere. Go on strike and you'll jolly well lose your job altogether.

What's better, a pay cut or losing your job entirely?

And while it's not good to be losing any jobs, I'd just assume ween the region off automotive manufacturing. US automakers are dying out, let's be let down as softly as possible.

ECoastTransplant

March 31st, 2006, 07:54 PM

When are we going to see some renderings of some Rochester projects? Heck, even the the burbs must have something going on!

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 08:47 PM

Rensquare, thought hotly debated, will probably break ground in summer 2007, PAETEC park will hopefully be finished by the end of this summer. It takes Rochester 10 years to do anything. (it's taking them 2 years to build a bridge). Except for whatever reason, in Charlotte, because new stuff pops up there every year. Also all of the luxury buildings that Rochesteraddict has been keeping us updated on for a while now, are all actually under construction.

veryprotourism

March 31st, 2006, 08:52 PM

Only a moronic kid like Rocguy would find good news in have 1500 jobs that pay 27 per hour go down to 16 per hour. That's a $34 million dollar hit to the economy. Plus they are going to get rid of 25% of their salaried staff. That means about 200 layoffs in Henrietta and more in the city. And even then who's to say the company will survive?

im not even going to get into a debate about union contracts and the lack of forsight by both previous company executives and previous union leaders.
the promises made in the past to meet demands made in the past were often made in haste, either assuming that companies would continue to grow without competition forever, or not caring because by time it mattered the people resposible would no longer be there to deal with it.
furthermore who could predict the rapid globalization of the economy forty or even twenty five years ago?
why point is that its not really the fault of the current leadership of many of these companies nor the fault of the union employees.
the fact is is it really isnt fair that they have to do these things but to some extent they have to be done to keep american companies profitable. i know its not pretty.
pissing and complaining about globalization will not make us more competitive. if we want decent jobs our workers need to be continuously becoming more knowledgable, more innovative, and more productive. this doesnt just apply to the struggling rochester economy(though kodak and xerox are perfect examples of failure to adapt) or to companies like delphi, it applies to workers in a growing number of feilds nationwide.

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 08:56 PM

ROCguy

March 31st, 2006, 10:30 PM

double post

blangjr21

March 31st, 2006, 11:18 PM

Mega Mall: A Mega Publicity Stunt
by the Associated Press
File Photo
Published Mar 31, 2006

Syracuse, NY -The groundbreaking for the start of a proposed mega mall in Syracuse was nothing more than a publicity stunt. That is according to the project's former Chief Financial Officer.

David McDonough claims the event was a "photo op" that attracted more than 3,000 people, including Governor George Pataki.

A federal lawsuit claims there were never any construction plans at the time of the 2002 groundbreaking.

The plan to turn the carousel mall into Destiny USA has been mired in politics, bickering and lawsuits.

blangjr21

March 31st, 2006, 11:19 PM

So much for all of that Syracuse public investment eh?

sargeantcm

April 1st, 2006, 02:11 AM

Another proud moment in NYS history. In 30+ years, we're wasting no time in cancelling out all the great things that had been accomplished here in the first 150 years. But hey, Pataki can gain politcal capital by these photo-op stunts, kissing babies, and so forth. That's all that matters, American voters are easily swayed and bought off.

But you want scary - local republican bosses are trying to coax Joel Giambra into running for Congress. As if anybody would vote for him, proving these jackoffs are either completely out of touch or just in it for each other (likely both). Granted it's not really Rochester (Louise Slaughter's position), but wouldn't you want him working for you at the national level? Makes me gag almost as much as a Pataki presidency.

ROCguy

April 1st, 2006, 02:30 AM

In-deed. New York State(s) has fallen from grace probably more than any state. It really is sad, it used to be the most populous state along with the biggest economic powerhouse. It's now about to be the 4th biggest..... outranked by Texas and soon to be Florida, and is one of the last in economic momentum (stil second in output however)

gripja

April 1st, 2006, 08:42 PM

ROCguy

April 1st, 2006, 10:31 PM

No kidding. To take a realtiy check, only a bitter crone like Susie would think that a company that is one of Rochester's top 10 employers staying in town and not laying those people off, and subsequently causing many more jobs losses is a bad thing. Face it Susie, this is good news for Rochester and Lockport. And yes, as a matter of fact, it is quite likely that Delphi could actually increase the number of their Rochester employees in the near future:

Delphi plant, lab here staying open

But auto-parts maker seeks to void labor pacts

Ben Rand
Staff writer

(April 1, 2006) — Manufacturing and research workers for Delphi Corp. in Rochester have made the cut in the company's sweeping restructuring plan but soon could have another battle to fight.

The troubled auto-parts manufacturer on Friday named its Rochester plant on Lexington Avenue and Henrietta research lab as "core" sites as part of a wide-ranging strategy for lowering costs and returning the company to profitability. A sister plant in Lockport, Niagara County, also will remain open.

In doing so, the company removed one level of uncertainty from more than 2,100 of its workers in greater Rochester — but at the same time, added a new area for concern.

Delphi on Friday asked a bankruptcy court for permission to void labor contracts, a move that could lead to a head-on clash with organized labor. The United Auto Workers warned "it will be impossible to avoid a long strike" if the judge agrees to void the contracts and Delphi imposes its most recent wage proposal.

Even General Motors Corp., Delphi's former parent, said it disagreed with its approach.

For now, however, Delphi's Rochester work force can proceed knowing that it is considered one of the company's most important sites. The Lexington Avenue factory, which makes fuel systems and other components, is one of eight plants that the company is seeking to keep open under its restructuring plan. Delphi is asking for permission to close 21 other factories nationwide.

"We're happy that the company decided to keep the Rochester and Lockport plants open, but disappointed so many other plants are going to be closing, and sad that all of those folks are going to be out of jobs," said John Huber, president of UAW Local 1097, which represents 1,435 hourly workers at Delphi's Rochester facilities.

Union workers say they worry about facing significant cuts.

"What are you going to do about my wages and pension?" said Mike Sills, a diecast operator with eight years at Delphi who is not eligible for an early retirement buyout under the current proposal.

"I haven't worked for $12 for 16 years. Now you want me to go back two decades," said Sills, of Albion, Orleans County. "I'm not working for less than $20 an hour."

Incentives package

The decision to continue operating Delphi's factory here, as well as its research center in Henrietta, was aided by an $8.5 package of state and local grants, loans and tax incentives that will go toward retraining, capital investment and property tax relief. Monroe County, Rochester and Henrietta are providing $5 million; the balance is coming from the state. The $5 million local package was the result of a collaboration among not only local governments but also business groups such as Greater Rochester Enterprise and the Rochester Business Alliance, said County Executive Maggie Brooks, appearing with Gov. George Pataki in Rochester late Friday.

Brooks said she and Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy toured the Delphi plant, "and we were able to see firsthand just how significant Delphi is to the local economy." She said the company does business with 270 local suppliers.

In return for the aid package, Delphi is pledging to make certain additional capital investments and keep employment at certain specific levels here. The number is "close to current levels," said Terry Slaybaugh, Monroe County's director of planning and development.

It is also possible, both Slaybaugh and Pataki said, that Delphi's work force could increase here over time as the company's restructuring unfolds.

Pataki said the ultimate fate of the size of Delphi's facilities here relies on further state reforms of the business climate. He specifically cited New York's workers' compensation system, which earlier was criticized by Delphi's chief executive as a major driver of high business costs.

"We still have to fight for every job," Pataki said, "but I'm optimistic we won't see jobs reduced and we're going to see more investment and growth."

In addition to the $8.5 million for greater Rochester, Delphi will also receive a package of $20 million in incentives and an additional 10 megawatts of low-cost power targeting its factory in Lockport. The Buffalo and Rochester-area sites combined employ about 5,000 people.

That Delphi's Lockport and Rochester sites are among the eight plants targeted to remain open is a sign of the company's commitment, said Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County, who worked to spearhead negotiations between the company and government officials. "Clearly, Delphi is looking to have a long future in both Rochester and Lockport," said Reynolds, appearing with Pataki and Brooks.

Union perspective

Union officials might have a different perspective, given other aspects of Delphi's restructuring plan. Delphi said it plans to cut 25 percent of its salaried workers — about 8,500 — including up to 40 percent of its corporate officers. That measure, it said, should save $450 million annually.

In addition, the company also said it will freeze hourly and salaried pension programs later this year and move employees into a "defined contribution" plan such as a 401(k).

Based on the proposals, the United Auto Workers said in a statement that "it appears there is no basis for continuing discussions" with the company.

"Delphi's misuse of the bankruptcy procedure to circumvent the collective bargaining process and slash jobs and wages and drastically reduce health care, retirement and other hard-won benefits or eliminate them altogether is a travesty and a concern for every American," the UAW said.

The International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America, which represents 8,000 Delphi hourly workers, has already voted to strike if the contracts are thrown out.

The moves carry huge risks for the auto industry at large. A strike could force GM, its former parent and largest customer, closer to Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

GM accounted for around half of Delphi's $29 billion in 2004 revenue. The world's largest automaker already is struggling and is in the midst of its own restructuring.

But a strike would hurt other companies and smaller suppliers as well, since Delphi supplies every major automaker, including Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co.

Delphi, based in Troy, Mich., filed for bankruptcy in October. The company said it intends to emerge from bankruptcy during the first half of 2007.

blangjr21

April 3rd, 2006, 07:54 AM

GRE in hunt to attract pair of new companies
Representatives of Greater Rochester Enterprise Inc. are trying to recruit two unidentified companies that could bring millions of dollars in capital investment to the area, President and CEO Dennis Mullen said.

Good write-up in the RBJ about GRE and it's hunt for new business's to move to the area.

ROCguy

April 3rd, 2006, 07:58 AM

If there's any substance to it at all, it would be great when they release more details. Sounds like it could be good news.

blangjr21

April 3rd, 2006, 09:45 AM

Well it may just be blowing smoke, but I've heard through wispers that two companies, one major and one small are looking into the Rochester area, I believe both are involved in Medical/Biotech, and would be located in a former Kodak facility. Just wispers, no real substance yet. We will see.

ROCguy

April 3rd, 2006, 05:25 PM

lol... who would have though. A company that specializes in health and medicine setting up shop in Kodak park! It's like a syringe in a smoke stack

veryprotourism

April 3rd, 2006, 05:41 PM

why not?^^ some of the best medical imaging technology has been developed at kodak park. aside from just image technology, kodak has also done loads of research pertaining to chemicals and plastics that had nothing to do with photographs.

i know it seems a little weird but it wouldn't be the first time.

blangjr21

April 3rd, 2006, 09:12 PM

Duffy shares plan to demolish 342 vacant houses

Brian Sharp
Staff writer

(April 3, 2006) — Mayor Robert Duffy today unveiled a $5.8 million plan to demolish 342 vacant houses and buildings during the next 18 months.

The stepped-up demolition schedule — 198 structures were knocked down last year — targets a backlog of properties on the city demolition list. About 450 properties have been identified for demolition, officials said.

Reducing the number of vacant city homes is one of Duffy’s goals for his first 100 days in office. The money will be set aside in separate requests to City Council. The first, submitted today, seeks $2.4 million in unallocated and reallocated revenue. Later this month, Duffy said, he will include another $3.4 million in his capital improvement plan.

The houses blight streets, drive down property values and hurt the tax base while serving as magnets for crime. The city moves in if unpaid tax bills accumulate, forecloses on the vacant structure and takes possession if nobody else bids on the property. Houses in good condition are sold. The rest go on the city’s demolition list.

City Council budgeted $3.5 million for demolitions during the current budget year, which ends June 30. Of that money, $1 million is set aside for emergencies, such as houses destroyed by fire. Past demolitions have been prioritized on a rotating schedule between Neighborhood Empowerment Teams’ offices.

The long-term goal is not only to step up the pace of demolitions but also to move recent college graduates and the working poor into houses that can be fixed up. Duffy has met with at least two businesses wanting to partner with the city, one of which has committed to helping 40 of its employees buy homes in a targeted five- to seven-block area.

Very good news for the city, money well spent in my opinion. Also the news in that last paragraph is interesting. Wonder what company it is ?

veryprotourism

April 3rd, 2006, 10:04 PM

that was something duffy talked about during campaign as well as when he announced the end of ferry service.
i wonder if there is any interest in deconstruction as opposed to demolition like there is in buffalo. time to send an email.

blangjr21

April 3rd, 2006, 10:06 PM

I think that these properties are well beyond deconstruction, at this point I think they are just trying to start fresh, and get rid of the 300+ black eyes throughout the area, a great idea in my book.

ROCguy

April 3rd, 2006, 11:04 PM

I don't know, I think it would be better to at least maintain the outsides of the existing homes. I've seen "fill ins" in other cities, and they just make a street look bad. True, not nearly as bad as abandoned crack houses, but still. If they could gut the houses, rebuild and revamp the insides, but maintain the facades, it would keep the streets and neighborhoods looking "balanced" while providing new and and sturdy homes with all of the modern conveniences for the targeted families.

Susie

April 3rd, 2006, 11:04 PM

ROCguy

April 3rd, 2006, 11:13 PM

Occupancy Rate in Rochester:

Houses: 99,820 (89,003 occupied: 35,777 owner occupied, 53,226 renter occupied)

99,820-89,003=30,000? Wow.

blangjr21

April 3rd, 2006, 11:27 PM

300 down about 30,000 to go. Don't need the houses with the population draining away.

That may be the most assinine thing you have ever said on this forum...do you know how many houses 30,000 is? If just two people lived in each house, that would be 60,000. Or how about a family of three, 90,000 are you insane, or just stupid?

sargeantcm

April 4th, 2006, 01:29 AM

That may be the most assinine thing you have ever said on this forum...do you know how many houses 30,000 is? If just two people lived in each house, that would be 60,000. Or how about a family of three, 90,000 are you insane, or just stupid?
If I may be allowed to butt in, let's use some rational thought (some of you may want to fasten your seatbelts) and see where it goes - unadulterated numbers, they'll prove someone's point.

Take a "representative" Rochester inner city block. I Google Earthed, and thought the block bounded by Keller and High between 6th and N Goodman looked "typical". Typical in quotes, you guys got some pretty variable block sizes going on thanks to that kooky "skewed diagonal" grid going on.

I count 62 houses, and a few vacant lots and some houses that look like they may have been infill. So let's say the "old tyme capacity" was 67 houses. That's 92.5% full. Let's say the average block is 90%, for convenience and to allow a little more room for error. (BTW, I notice these Rochester lots have alot more yardspace than comparable Buffalo lots, although the houses are smaller too.)

This block, from C/L street to C/L street covers about 400k sq ft, = 9.25 acres, say 9.25/67 = 0.14 ac/lot. Round that to 0.15 ac/lot for simplicity.

30,000 houses would be 4,500 acres. Since the blocks are 90% occupied, removing 30,000 houses would result in 30,000/0.90=33,333 empty lots, which equals 5,000 acres, or 7.8 sq miles. 540 city blocks. The city covers 35.8 sq miles of land.

ROCguy says you have 99,820 houses. Saying you're 10% vacant lots, that's 99820/0.90 = 110,911 lots, at 0.15 ac = 26 sq mi. That's 72% of the city, which seems high. Are apartments and condos also "houses"? I don't like that number, so let's say 60% residential (40% commercial, industrial, civic, roadways, etc.). That leaves us with 21.5 acres.

So you're saying a full 1/3 (36%) of the city needs to be vacant.

Rochester has lost 50% of it's residents, you say. I'll counter that first, it's only 36% loss (212/331 = 64%). Also, some of these lots may be seasonal. But mostly, don't forget that people don't live in sardine cans like they used to. Even if you "filled up" all those empty houses and rebuilt the razed ones, today's definition of "full" will not be that of 1920, and you'd never regain all that lost population in the city limits through the same housing stock no matter which way you cut it anyways. Think about it, these houses are probably 1000+/- sq ft, and some are criticizing WZ1 about his 500 sq ft apartment being too small, for one person! I lived in a house with 150 sq ft to myself for the first 5 months I lived in NH, and I could've lived there longer had I to. So it's reasonable, I think, to say some of these houses probably had 5-6 people living in them back in "the day"!

Bottom line, I bet saying 36% of a city's all-time housing stock needs to be removed is assinine. That probably doesn't even apply to Detroit or even Beirut, much less Rochester.

But those are my numbers, take them as you see fit.

ROCguy

April 4th, 2006, 01:53 AM

That may be the most assinine thing you have ever said on this forum...do you know how many houses 30,000 is? If just two people lived in each house, that would be 60,000. Or how about a family of three, 90,000 are you insane, or just stupid?

lol.... She's both.

By the way, here is the page I got those numbers from. http://www.city-data.com/housing/houses-Rochester-New-York.html

blangjr21

April 4th, 2006, 03:15 AM

Very interesting statistical analysis that you did sarge...though I think that was for the benifit of another, I feel fulfilled after reading that (lol). Either way, I'm still excited to see the dilapitated, drug house's taken off the streets, and even if this means an empty lot, those are much easier to police than an empty house. Much safer as well.

blangjr21

April 4th, 2006, 05:48 AM

Carlson Commons Breaks Ground
by Leah George
Photo by Chris Coffey
Published Apr 03, 2006

Crews officially broke ground on phase two of Rochester’s largest revitalization housing project.

Carlson Commons will add 77 new affordable homes to the city's southwest quadrant. A few years ago the area was filled with vacant and rundown homes.

Phase one of the project was completed 3 months ago. It added 67 townhouse style homes to the area. A longtime resident and head of the Plymouth-Exchange Neighborhood Association says the $28 million dollar project is already having a positive impact.

“I see this project as one that's giving hope. It's encouraging and the people who live around the area just feel as though it's a dream. They can't have anything better. So the neighborhood is changing and I see a great difference being made,” said Dorothy Hall, director of the PLEX Neighborhood Association.

The projects developer said he received 650 applications from low income families looking to fill the new homes. He says the 77 that were chosen by lottery should be able move in by the end of the year.

sargeantcm

April 4th, 2006, 06:24 AM

...Either way, I'm still excited to see the dilapitated, drug house's taken off the streets, and even if this means an empty lot, those are much easier to police than an empty house. Much safer as well.
I agree. I know Buffalo's Mayor Brown is taking that on as one of his priorities as well. Vacant lots don't look good by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a heck of alot better than a vacant and dilapidated house.

Do you guys have alot of modern, suburban-style infill homes in Rochester? I'm thinking not as much, you don't seem to have as many bombed-out, "missing teeth" neighborhoods and emerging urban prairie on which to build them, except maybe the area to the immediate southwest of downtown (at least that's how it appears in Google Earth). I've been noticing them more and more in Buffalo, especially towards in and around the downtown end of the 33 expressway. Don't know what to think of them, they look like nice houses, but they just don't look like they belong. IMO, a city is supposed to be dense and maybe even a bit claustrophobic, and these houses just don't cut it. I prefer the close-in appearance you see on the 33 in the Humboldt Pkwy stretch, sort of like the neighborhoods they show in the intro to "All in the Family". But it's better than the alternatives, by any means. I just wonder who's living in these places.

blangjr21

April 4th, 2006, 07:20 AM

I actually don't see a lot of that going on in Rochester, yet, nor do I see it happening in the future really. The only infill recently has been that of Cornhill Landing, and the Brooks landing project. Most of the infill has been pretty dense, and most of it has been on either brownfield or infill lots. I see that continuing as the city becomes younger year after year, and the suburbs continue to get older. Thats the way I see demographics shifting in the near future, and I believe thats for the better of the whole region.

blangjr21

April 4th, 2006, 07:41 AM

Well I figured that I would take care of this because nobody else has. I'll list the recent new projects in Rochester, that I know of so far. So here goes nothing:

Corn Hill Landing
Cost: $23 Million
Units: 200+
Location: South of Downtown along Genesee River
Completion: Early 2006

Carlson Commons
Cost: $26 million
Units: 77 affordable homes
Location: Southwest of Donwtown in the Plymoth/Exchange neighborhood
Completion: End of 2006
Explanation: Phase two of revitalization of neighborhood aimed at affordable housing. 650 people applied to live in the new houses, and the 77 were chosen through lottery.

Barilla Plant
Cost: >$10 Million
Location: Avon
Completion: 2007
Jobs: 100+

PaeTec Park
Cost: $40 Million
Location: Lyell Avenue and Oak Street
Completion: Opening Day 2006
Explanation: New state of the art soccer stadium that will seat 17,500 fans. In the Lyell Avenue neighborhood just two blocks north of Frontier Field. Will be one of a few SSS (Soccer Specific Stadiums) in the country.

Buckingham Commons
Location: Former Art Craft Optical Building (Cascade District)
Cost: $4.6 Million
Units: 100 residential, 20,000 sq. feet of office/retail
Fun facts: Will include bleacher seats on the roof so residents and visitors can watch ballgames at Frontier Field

Frontier Field improvements:
Cost: $1.5 Million
Includes: New scoreboard (largest in the minor leagues)

Henrietta Indoor Waterpark (proposed)
Cost: $60 million
Units: 300 room hotel
Includes: 85,000 sq. foot indoor waterpark
Timeframe: Could be open by mid-2007

Strong Museum Expansion
Cost: $35 Million
Includes: New butterfly garden, and new interactive childrens play areas.
Timeframe: Open late 2006

Renassaince Square (proposed)
Cost: $223 Million
Includes: New performing arts center, Damon Center City Campus (MCC) and RTS/RGRTA regional transit center.
Timeframe: Late 2009.

Sagamore on East
Cost: $15 Million
Includes: >$100,000 condominiums located on East Avenue in the east end district.
Units: 37
Opens: 2006

Troup-Howell Bridge
Cost: $43 Million
Includes: Second largest arch-suspension (?) bridge in the country.
Opens: Late 2006

Thats all I have right now, but let me know of other projects that I forgot and I'll add to that list.

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 03:26 PM

Well I figured that I would take care of this because nobody else has. Another 80 people were let go yesterday at Kodak, it's become so common it did not even make this mornings paper.

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 03:28 PM

That may be the most assinine thing you have ever said on this forum...do you know how many houses 30,000 is? If just two people lived in each house, that would be 60,000. Or how about a family of three, 90,000 are you insane, or just stupid?
Population 1960 circa 320,000 population 2005 circa 210,000. 1/3 less therefore one third fewer houses are needed. One third of 90,000 = 30,000

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 03:30 PM

lol.... She's both.

If I am then so must you be.

sargeantcm

April 4th, 2006, 03:32 PM

Population 1960 circa 320,000 population 2005 circa 210,000. 1/3 less therefore one third fewer houses are needed. One third of 90,000 = 30,000
Wow, you totally missed the point, either accidentally or intentionally. Talk about dense.

Why not try amalgamating your posts? No sense putting up 3-4 one sentence posts, there is an edit button.

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 03:34 PM

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 03:37 PM

Fewer help-wanted ads seen here

Rochester’s help-wanted advertising index continued its descent in February, the Conference Board Inc. reported.
The index fell to 12 last month from a revised 13 in January, and was down from 18 a year ago. The Syracuse area fared better with an increase to 84 in February from 79 in January, but was down from 92 a year ago.
The Conference Board surveys 51 major newspapers nationwide for their help-wanted advertising volume. A large volume of ads suggests the job market is strong, while fewer ads indicate the market is weak, with workers willing to accept lower pay.
Nationally, the help-wanted index increased to 39 last month from a revised 38 in January and was down from 41 a year ago.

Syracuse 84 Rochester 12

veryprotourism

April 4th, 2006, 04:37 PM

Population 1960 circa 320,000 population 2005 circa 210,000. 1/3 less therefore one third fewer houses are needed. One third of 90,000 = 30,000

what the f%&*!!!

lets dumb this down to you and see if you get it.
mom and dad live with three kids.
5 people per house. kids one and two buy(or rent) houses.
there are now three people in first house. one in second house, one in third house. same number of people, three times the housing.
having a third less than the peak population does NOT mean that you have a third less than the peak occupancy.
you should also note that only fifty years ago we lived in a society where children(especially women) lived with their parents until they married(unless they joined the military). it also wasn't long ago that at retirement mom and pop moved back into a house with their children and their family. this is not so common anymore thus meaning same(or in our case less) people for more housing.
there is not 30,000 vacant homes in the city of rochester. susie, i dont know how much more simple we can make this for your dumb ass.

sarge and blang,
rochester has some suburban style infill.
over by frontier feild accross from the mounted police headquarters(i cant remember the official name) is a row of terribly out of place cookie cutters with oversized yards. the east side also has some townhouse type infill that is suburban in aesthetics but meets good design principles in that they are built to the street and the garages are tucked behind the buildings. if you look north between the goodman exit and downtown on when driving the 490 you will see what im talking about. there are also suburban style apartment complexes on the outer edges of the entire city. both the south side(clinton and south going toward westfall/u of r) and the east side(atlantic/browncroft)have some noticable apartment communities that look more like they belong in atlanta than rochester. also dodge st(off of lyell/mt read) has a very 1970's suburban apartment complex, though the neighborhood around it is fairly urban.

StevenW

April 4th, 2006, 05:01 PM

Hey guys. Any tall projects in the works for Rochester, lately? :)

veryprotourism

April 4th, 2006, 05:30 PM

ummmm, no. ^^

Jerome

April 4th, 2006, 06:17 PM

Is the Ren Center project really on the rocks as far as it getting the funding. I heard there was some sort of politician that was thretening to kill it? A State legislator I think.

veryprotourism

April 4th, 2006, 06:42 PM

someone should kill that project.
sorry but thats 220+ million that i feel will NOT result in significant private investment.
that money should be used to leverage private development.

there is good pork and bad pork.
good pork results in private investment and/or results in a noticeable improvment in quality of life.
bad pork is so politicians can point at it when its time for reelection and say "look what i've accomplished."

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 07:30 PM

Hey guys. Any tall projects in the works for Rochester, lately? :)

Yes, there is a new two story house going up in Greece.

veryprotourism

April 4th, 2006, 07:45 PM

uh-oh, susie made a funny.

blangjr21

April 4th, 2006, 08:07 PM

wow this thread is pointless, i feel as if i have wasted my time....

veryprotourism

April 4th, 2006, 08:14 PM

im sorry blang, no matter what you post here the discussion/debate will turn into either a screaming match or a den of cross belittling.

you posted some great stuff.
the art-craft optical building renovation is one of my favorite projects(though i think the bright orange-yellow was a bad choice). actually the whole cascade district is really nice looking. nice new benches, new windows in alot of the buildings. i believe that former high school over there (john m. lofton?) has been renovated into mixed use studio/office type space.

sargeantcm

April 4th, 2006, 08:25 PM

Another thing I failed to mention that I have since thought of, with regards to vacant Rochester housing -

I'd bet that during the city's peak population, you didn't have residential development out to the entire city limits. I know this to be the case in Buffalo, we had all but peaked population-wise, yet vast swaths of North Buffalo which are today densely packed were still largely empty and rural (Erie County has some nice 1920s vintage aerial photographs on their website). Over the next 30 years, the population slowly rose, but the amount of housing increased faster, yet there weren't rampant vacancies during that time period.

So how would you explain that? I'd be willing to place money on a bet that this had happened in just about every other major city (in the northeast anyways) during the same time frame.

blangjr21

April 4th, 2006, 09:39 PM

I actually really liked Art-Craft the way it was, color-wise. They should have kept it as neutral as possible, instead of a shocking yellowish putrid color that it now is. Maybe putting it back to the former color will happen later down the road, but I doubt it.

Also, we will see just how shocking the color is from Frontier Field coming soon, as it will be opening day at the beautiful ballpark on South Plymoth, I'm excited about that! Go Wings!

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 09:48 PM

uh-oh, susie made a funny.
No, I'm not kidding, there really is one goin up. Big too at least three maybe four bedrooms. Probably for another Golisano kid.

ROCguy

April 4th, 2006, 10:17 PM

what the f%&*!!!

lets dumb this down to you and see if you get it.
mom and dad live with three kids.
5 people per house. kids one and two buy(or rent) houses.
there are now three people in first house. one in second house, one in third house. same number of people, three times the housing.
having a third less than the peak population does NOT mean that you have a third less than the peak occupancy.
you should also note that only fifty years ago we lived in a society where children(especially women) lived with their parents until they married(unless they joined the military). it also wasn't long ago that at retirement mom and pop moved back into a house with their children and their family. this is not so common anymore thus meaning same(or in our case less) people for more housing.
there is not 30,000 vacant homes in the city of rochester. susie, i dont know how much more simple we can make this for your dumb ass.

sarge and blang,
rochester has some suburban style infill.
over by frontier feild accross from the mounted police headquarters(i cant remember the official name) is a row of terribly out of place cookie cutters with oversized yards. the east side also has some townhouse type infill that is suburban in aesthetics but meets good design principles in that they are built to the street and the garages are tucked behind the buildings. if you look north between the goodman exit and downtown on when driving the 490 you will see what im talking about. there are also suburban style apartment complexes on the outer edges of the entire city. both the south side(clinton and south going toward westfall/u of r) and the east side(atlantic/browncroft)have some noticable apartment communities that look more like they belong in atlanta than rochester. also dodge st(off of lyell/mt read) has a very 1970's suburban apartment complex, though the neighborhood around it is fairly urban.

LOL SEE WHAT I TOLD YOU!!! Her complete stupidity gets to you after a while doesn't it? You guys were all warning me not to vent at her as much as I did but her completely out of left field shit just makes anyone with an IQ higher than that of a plankton fill with rage doesn't it? You have to remember, she is mentaly retarded when it comes to math and numbers.... She thinks Raleigh is 1000 miles away from Rochester, when it's actually less than 700; she thinks that 27,000 is half of 42,000, and now she believes that 99,000-89,000 (the number of total houses in Rochester minus the number of those occupied, giving you the number of vacant houses) = 30,000! If she wasn't such a bitter, mean, hag who can't even be a mother to her own kids; I might just have sympathy for her. That being said, BJfan had a great idea for all of us to put in a complaint about Susie and get her banned. She contributes ZERO to his thread, forum, or website and does nothing but cause bad drama. Everyone just send a message to Jman.

StevenW

April 4th, 2006, 10:24 PM

Yes, there is a new two story house going up in Greece.
LOL :hilarious: :laugh: :lol: Funny, indeed. ;)

Susie

April 4th, 2006, 11:28 PM

Thank you I am glad to see you appreciate sophisticated humor.

sargeantcm

April 5th, 2006, 05:16 AM

Well then that either speaks volumes for an imploding city (that someone would want to invest in it in some way, shape, or form), or that the housing market nationally still hasn't cooled.

Ahhh, what's denser than a neutron star (besides a black hole)? Imagine, the weight of the Earth, in the volume of a teaspoon.

ROCguy

April 5th, 2006, 10:12 PM

I suppose this is good news in bringing people and investment to the high falls area (although it's not a pop-eye's chicken)... but when the hell did Rochester become a "country western" kinda city? lol.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060405/BUSINESS/604050345/1001

Ohio-based chain signs 10-year lease at High Falls

Entertainment complex moving into Jillian's

Mary Chao
Staff writer

(April 5, 2006) — A country western complex opens Thursday at the former Jillian's restaurant in the struggling High Falls District.

Saddle Ridge, a Dublin, Ohio-based chain of 11 music-themed bars in midsized cities, signed a 10-year lease with local developer Norry Management Corp. for the 40,000-square-foot complex, said principal Lewis Norry.

Saddle Ridge, which has expanded by taking over defunct club space like the Commercial Street property, will anchor the High Falls Entertainment Resort complex. SR Rochester, the local affiliate of Saddle Ridge, will then operate four other clubs in the complex: Coco Loco's Mexican-themed cantina; King Pinz bowling alley; Cheyenne Supper Club, a moderately priced restaurant; and Palm Bar, a tropical-themed cocktail lounge.

The complex will have a grand opening for Cheyenne, Palm Bar and King Pinz Thursday night, followed with another grand opening for Saddle Ridge and Coco Loco's next Thursday.

David Dworkin, a principal in LLD Enterprises, which owns the Button Factory building in High Falls, thinks the entertainment complex will help the area.

"From my perspective, the Saddle Ridge opening has created a buzz in High Falls," he said.

"Anytime you bring something new down, it builds excitement."

Dworkin hopes a new tenant in his building will create excitement, too. His group is finalizing a deal with Tony Sapienza and Thomas Springer, the owners of Taylor's nightclub in Pittsford, to open a location in High Falls.

The new club will be called Taylor's II at High Falls and will feature dancing with a bent toward '70s and '80s music, Sapienza said. The opening of Saddle Ridge weighed in the decision, he said.

"I think this could be the start of the snowball effect where we see other entrepreneurs coming down here," he said.

High Falls has received great attention from city officials in the previous administration as efforts were made to turn it into a bustling entertainment complex. The city signed a five-year, $2.4 million deal with The Cordish Cos. of Baltimore to manage what became High Falls Live, a collection of restaurants and bars on Brown's Race near Jillian's. Last October, Cordish opened the upscale Lounge Eleven in the complex that houses Tiki Bob's Cantina, McFadden's Grill and Bar and an art gallery.

Cordish expressed interest in the former Jillian's site but a deal could not be reached, Norry said. Cordish officials could not be reached for comment.

The club is opening just as the weather is warming up in Rochester. And High Falls Entertainment Resort will work with sports teams such as the Rochester Red Wings baseball team on promotions to draw people as they leave Frontier Field and the new PAETEC Park, said Eric Schilder, director of marketing for SR Rochester.

However, the test for the complex, as it has been for others, will be when the baseball and soccer seasons are over, officials said. Other High Falls district businesses such as Empire Brewing Co., Bru and Jillian's could not sustain a steady clientele during the cold winter months.

High Falls Entertainment Resort has a better chance of succeeding than Jillian's, Norry said, noting Jillian's spent $7 million on renovations when it opened in 1999. It has been closed since October of 2004 and its owner Jillian Entertainment Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2004.

Norry paid $710,000 for the building at 61 Commercial St., according to broker Moore Corporate Real Estate Inc., which represented the seller, New Boston Fund Inc. Norry said he received a $400,000 low-interest loan from the city and a $30,000 grant.

Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy is encouraged by the new club but thinks the future of High Falls will depend on housing.

"I think we've put an incredible amount of money into High Falls already," Duffy said. "An awful lot of (public) seed money has gone into High Falls going back to the 1980s. It's time to pave the way for private investors, and let the private investment take the ball and run with it"

Duffy pointed to the East End as an example of where private investment has worked.

Carlene Wilenius, who moved her The Creator's Hand arts and crafts gift shop to the High Falls area last April, thinks the new complex will draw more people to the area.

"I'm excited," she said. "I think anything that big has got to help all of us."

Kevin Ptak, an account coordinator at public relations firm Text 100 in the High Falls district, plans to visit the entertainment resort after work.

"I think that this is a strong concept, as it caters to different crowds," said Ptak, 24. "I'm not a country music fan, but I plan to check out the Palm Bar and the Top 40 club – maybe I'll even go bowling. In a town that's starved for variety, putting five decidedly different venues together makes a lot of sense."

Other young professionals who do not work in the High Falls area are also eager to check out Rochester's latest night spot.

Hugh Scott, 28, a senior consultant at Cyber Inc., said he'd likely visit Saddle Ridge.

"I'm definitely curious to see what it's like," he said. "I'm curious to see if some of the energy and investment they've made over there will help turn that side of the city around."

The Saddle Ridge concept has proved to be popular in the southern market.

"Saddle Ridge has been well received by the Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas region," said Tony Smith, general manager of the Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City, La. "The business is doing well, which is evident by the long lines to get into it."

The Bossier City country western bar opened last summer. Because the Rochester site is so large, the company created other clublike concepts, said Schilder, who would not disclose how much money was spent for renovations.

veryprotourism

April 5th, 2006, 10:18 PM

im convinced that high falls needs some residential.
that would do wonders for the businesses over there during off times.

personally were there some housing over there i would certainly look into it. its really a great little area but there is just no base clientele anywhere near there. furthermore just about everything there(except maybe the art gallery) seems to be geared more towards the suburban clientele. perhaps the housing in the cascade district will help some.

ROCguy

April 5th, 2006, 10:25 PM

That would be great, but there isn't any more room. Half the freaking area is taken up by Frontier Field parking spaces. They probably could raise some of the empty businesses and maybe make a smaller version of Corn Hill Landing (although that may seem fairly suburban too). I don't think too many people would be interested in living around High Falls though. One area they DEFINITLY has more demand for housing needs more built and where there likely will be much larger projects in the near future is Charlotte. There are still some pretty big chunks of land open there that would be perfect for high end condos with great views of Lake Ontario.

blangjr21

April 5th, 2006, 11:01 PM

My business partner and I actually looked into converting a vacant building in the high falls district to apartments/loft housing, but were turned away by the terrible state the building is in...though it may be more cost effective now to tear it down and build all over again...

Susie

April 5th, 2006, 11:08 PM

My business partner and I ...
gimmee a break!!!

veryprotourism

April 5th, 2006, 11:32 PM

susie, when will you husband lose his job so we can get rid of your sorry ass?

that would be population loss i could deal with.

blangjr21

April 5th, 2006, 11:38 PM

I think everyone here could agree with that, which makes me wonder why you keep coming back, if I knew everyone didn't like me, I'd probably never come back...just a thought.

veryprotourism

April 5th, 2006, 11:39 PM

some people thrive on negative attention.

sargeantcm

April 6th, 2006, 12:26 AM

...but when the hell did Rochester become a "country western" kinda city?...
I just read there was a country-western themed bar opening on Franklin St in DT Buffalo as well - "Buckin' Buffalo Saloon", featuring a one-of-a-kind mechanical buffalo...

Wonder what this is all about. If this is a trend that leads to yet more country music on the radio, I think I'll wretch.

ROCguy

April 6th, 2006, 01:25 AM

susie, when will you husband lose his job so we can get rid of your sorry ass?

that would be population loss i could deal with.

LOL. Like I said, everyone just write Jman a complaint about her, let him observer her stuidiity and she will get banned. Blang said it right, she obviously LOVES the fact that we all find her a joke. It started with her wanting to get to me for whatever reason... then it turned into a total bashing of Rochester any time she got (when it was actually her main goal), then it came back to irritating me, and now she just wants to annoy the hell out of all of us. That's the kind of thing that if the mods see, they can ban her.

I just read there was a country-western themed bar opening on Franklin St in DT Buffalo as well - "Buckin' Buffalo Saloon", featuring a one-of-a-kind mechanical buffalo...

Wonder what this is all about. If this is a trend that leads to yet more country music on the radio, I think I'll wretch.

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN! Every time I'm in Rochester now I hear someone else listening to country music in their car.... usually older people. What gives? When did this start?

sargeantcm

April 6th, 2006, 01:52 AM

I'm getting sick of the so-called "variety" stations playing the same 3 country songs every 4th song in the lineup. "Variety", in my defintion, at least, does not include country, rap, or that dance music crap, rather a variety that most people will agree on.

But yeah, I don't know when it started. I didn't get a phone call, an email, or even a fax notifiying me of such. It just popped up. Same as how toilet paper became bathroom tissue lol.

BuffCity

April 6th, 2006, 09:16 AM

veryprotourism

April 6th, 2006, 05:31 PM

i see two big differences between buffalo and rochester right now.

1. rochesterians seem to have the same defeated attitude that plagued buffalonians for so many years. they seem to be saying "this city is shot" and they keep asking their politicians and the execs at kodak and xerox to fix it for them. buffalo was like this for many years. it wasn't until the last few years when residents and small business owners started taking problems into their own hands that buffalo has turned for the better.
perhaps rochester's attitude problem comes from years of looking down their noses at the rest of upstate cities because rochester was the 'upstate city that could', so to speak. now that the roc is in the same boat as everyone else they don't know how to deal with it.

2. the leaders in rochester seem to be looking for public works to kick start the economy. granted, buffalo is spending alot of public money at the waterfront, but that will open up acres of prime real estate and open the door for hundreds of millions in private investment. rochester on the other hand is intent on spending loads of public money for things it really doesn't need, without a clear focus on what kind of private investment that money will bring in. things like the troup-howell bridge and the ren-center are huge pride builders, but will do nothing to lure private investment.

so yes buffcity, you are correct, rochester needs a vision, a clear plan. one that will not only open the door to business, but also make the people believe in rochester again.

sargeantcm

April 6th, 2006, 05:34 PM

Just the same though, I'm not entirely sold on the idea that Buffalo does have a plan. We have pieces of a plan, but it could be better.

ROCguy

April 6th, 2006, 10:14 PM

Rochester IMO needs to stop...gather its thoughts and make a plan. From what I see the entire city has no plan, they are just trying to jump on this bandwagon of lofts and "club districts" like all other cities. Rochester is a beautiful city, but it has a new mayor, it has more hope now.

perhaps if the city promoted it's ideas as a master plan to the people of the city, county and metro...they would streamline alot of the steps and see some nice consistent work being done.

Now if any of you find a plan...fine, but show me how it's being promoted and how people are seeing it.

Buffalo is doing good Rochester, perhaps you can look to the west and take some notes...for once. :)

I agree. I think that while Johnson may have meant well, he had NO CLUE of how to run a city. Duffy is a welcomed change. I find it very symbolic that the first thing Duffy did was end Johnson's BIGGEST mistake. Duffy has the right ideas and the real home town pride drive (Johnson was from Ohio) to get Rochester back on it's feet. He just needs to organize things better and really research deep into a proposal before jumping on board (no pun intended). I think he seems to get that fact that private investment is what will get Rochester's gears turning again, and that's why he supports those projects (such as another huge retail and residential area in Charlotte) more vocally.

Wow, I feel very psychic right now. lol Not 5 minutes after I said that, this was posted on Democratandchronicle.com. Something that brings people and their money to Rochester is coming back...Duffy suported it, and Johnson didn't!

Mayor Duffy lends support to Jazz Festival

Jeff Spevak
Staff music critic

(April 6, 2006) — We already knew the names before this morning's Rochester International Jazz Festival press conference: McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, James Brown, Etta James and dozens of others playing from June 9-17 in the East End District.

But here's the latest, and perhaps biggest, name to join the event in its fifth year: Mayor Robert Duffy.

"I'm mayor, we can block off all the streets we want," Duffy joked about plans to close Gibbs Street to traffic for all nine days of the festival.

Duffy's presence was a notable departure from city representation at either the news conferences announcing the artists or the festival itself.

Though he was a jazz enthusiast, former mayor William A. Johnson Jr. never actively supported the event. He even sharply criticized Jazz Festival organizer John Nugent for going after sponsors of the series that he helped create, the Rochester MusicFest.
The tone of this morning's news conference was of one note: That the event will soon rival the best jazz festivals in the world.

"I grew up hearing about the Newport Jazz Festival," Duffy said. "And Montreal. Perhaps Rochester should be there in a few years.

"We got national attention last year. Hopefully, we'll get international attention this year."

Said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, "It's about economic vitality."

And, Nugent pointed out, the Rochester event is growing faster than Montreal's festival did over a similar time period.

"We're a minor Montreal," he said. "We're in our fifth year. They're in their 25th. The industry knows about this event. I get hundreds of e-mails each week from musicians who want to play here."

The lineup at the Eastman Theatre is impressive, if expensive. According to Nugent, the opening-night show of Woody Allen & His New Orleans Jazz Band, with tickets ranging from $50 to $95, has already sold 1,000 tickets in a benefit for the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund.

In addition to Brown and his 18-piece band (June 10), the Eastman Theatre schedule boasts the McCoy Tyner Trio (June 14), the Wayne Shorter Quartet (June 15), Etta James & the Roots Band (June 16), the free Eastman School of Music Scholarships Concert (June 12) and saxophonist Phil Woods with a Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra string section in a tribute to Charlie Parker (June 13).

The "club" lineup is a diverse one that includes the funk-jazz fusion of the Charlie Hunter Trio (June 9 at Kilbourn Hall); Brazilian vocalist Badi Assad (June 11 at the Big Tent in the lot diagonal across from the Eastman on E. Main Street); a showing of Wild Man Blues, a documentary on Woody Allen's music (June 14 at The Little); the dynamic violinist Billy Bang and his quintet (June 12 at The Montage); the irreverent Austin, Texas, jug band the Asylum Street Spankers (June 16, Milestones); and 18-year-old Kyrgyzstan pianist Eldar Djangirov (June 9 at Max of Eastman Place).

Also of note: pianist Cedar Walton (June 10), singer Karrin Allyson (June 11), the return of blues pianist Mose Allison (June 12) and the biggest-selling jazz band in Europe, e.s.t. (June 16), all at Kilbourn Hall.

Free shows include the southern jam band Little Feat, the soul-funk fusion of Soulive, and ex-Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts (June 10, 16 and 17, respectively, on the stage at Gibbs and East Avenue).

North_Coast

April 6th, 2006, 10:56 PM

Mayor Duffy has a 100-day plan, that started upon his inauguration.

Here's the link:
http://thefirst100days.cityofrochester.gov/index.cfm?id=737&CFID=1094152&CFTOKEN=1d170a199f1da197-7092B253-60CF-205B-577DA677B678E595

There is also a "Rochester 2010" plan that dates back to the Johnson administration, and is a work in progress. There are links to the "2010" plan on the page the above link will take you to.

Regarding Susie; Her remarks drive me crazy too.. but I won't engage her in a superfluous debate. I believe in the old saying "It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt".

Susie's attitude is typical among some people in Upstate NY - but thankfully, not the majority. Many Rochesterians in particular have a parochial and humble opinion about their city - especially in the west side suburbs that Susie lives in. We only care about the quality of life here - and we couldn't care less about competing with other cities.

Susie's angst seems to be rooted in her fears that the quality of life she currently enjoys is being threatened. Couple that with the satisfaction she seems to get from "trolling" and you get a lot of inane bullshit flying back and forth, as we have seen in this forum.

This is a public forum in a free country - so I won't send a note to the administrator to ban Susie regardless about how I feel about her comments.

The Rochester Metro has historically been able to hold its own - and even thrive - in an unfriendly business environment (NYS Taxes) for many decades, while the rust belt cities around us have declined. Watch what happens in the next few years ahead. We're not dead yet.

RocGuy - forget about the legal field. We need bright people in Science and Engineering. Go here next year when you move to Rochester -> www.rit.edu or consider www.rochester.edu for their optics and biomedical research programs.

ROCguy

April 7th, 2006, 01:03 AM

Now I have come to a corssroads that's pretty difficult. I do like engineering, and believe they are far more important, and far more needed around the world than lawyers. I also realize that it would be much easier to get an engineering degree, especially in Rochester. BUT, the only thing that makes it a "crossroads" is that there is SHIT in engineering jobs anywhere in this hemisphere. They are all outsourced to China and India. Besides my ability to argue a lot, and my true love of justice, I would like to pursue a career in law because I know there are actually jobs for lawyers in the United States. Everyone is pushing people my age, the ones who will aply to colleges in several months, to pursue careers in the math and science fields.... but those aren't what this nation is geered towards right now. And I AM NOT moving to China. lol. Again, I'm still undecided. I know I definitely want to go to school in Rochester, and that I will be moving there and becoming a resident to go to school (as apposed to being a North Carolinian in school in New York... like most people who go to school out-of-state do), but am still stuck between engineering and law. lol, it would be pretty funny if I end up choosing something totaly different for my major in 2 years when I have to pick it. Oh, and while I know RIT is better for engineering degree, and also cheaper; I would still go to UR for one because RIT's ratio works against me, if you know what I'm saying. That plus RIT is actually in south heniretta and therefore, technically is S.H.I.T lol.

sargeantcm

April 7th, 2006, 01:38 AM

Someone called into the radio this morning to win Goo Goo Dolls tix, and when the DJ asked who they were, they said political science student. To which my girlfriend responded "politcal science has become too mainstream now, there are too many". She has a degree in political science.

As for engineering jobs, it depends on what you look for. My field, civil/highway, is quite the opposite, it's probably one of the best engineering job markets, even in WNY. Granted it's about the lowest paying of all engineering fields, but hey, you can't have everything. Another advantage, at least on a transportation level (and the places I've worked), is that the average age of these guys is well into the 50s. In the next ten or so years, there is bound to be a glut of retirements. Add to this, in the highway field in particular, all our infrastructure (in the northeast in particular, but everywhere for that matter) is in general approaching the end of it's useful life cycle (which can be anywhere from 30-70 years). So theoretically there will be more vacancies, and more demand. You may want to look into that. On that note, UB has an excellent engineering program (and it's Satish's "home"!), and RIT is pretty good too for that (my 2nd choice).

Plus there's the whole crisis that even Bush has acknowledged, that the US is running towards a critical math/science graduate shortage. That and nursing.

ROCguy

April 7th, 2006, 01:45 AM

I do care about my education immensly and know how important that is and how that should be my top priority when selecting a college. RIT may be the best when it comes to engineering... but like I said... the ratio... good God the ratio. Civil or structual engineering would most likely be the path I took if I were to pursue it.

blangjr21

April 7th, 2006, 02:42 AM

I posted a link to the first 100 days things a few weeks ago, it is a very interesting read if you have the time. Some ambitious and some very obtainable goals which is always a good thing to do.

ROCguy

April 7th, 2006, 04:45 AM

How many more days are there to the 100 days? It can't be many.

North_Coast

April 7th, 2006, 04:52 AM

Now I have come to a corssroads that's pretty difficult. I do like engineering, .......therefore, technically is S.H.I.T lol.

You should talk to a guidance counciler at your high school. They probably have programs to introduce students to professionals in various fields.
Also consider touring some of your local colleges - to get a feel for the curriculum and job opportunities for various degrees.

My degree is a BSEE from RIT. Electrical Engineering is 98% applied mathmatics. The most important thing you can do to prepare for Electrical Engineering, Physics, Chemical Engineering.. etc is take precalculus and introductory calculus while you're still in high school - and get comfortable with it.

The most lucrative field in engineering is Chemical Engineering. Biomedical engineering is also very lucrative, and is one of the most rewarding and fastest growing fields. DNA research is huge - and recent discoveries in DNA structure have caused the field to explode.

The engineering field has been good to me. I "defected" into technical sales shortly after finishing my degree, and I work in an area that has a limited number of "experts" worldwide - "Digital" or more aptly "Electronic" Imaging. I get job offers often from local companies - but I like the autonomy and money of my current job. I also like the travel, and the variety, of the sales part of our business. Some of the most rewarding and interesting projects I have worked on have been with NASA.

An engineering degree is no cakewalk. The attrition rate is high. RIT is a tough, fast-paced school. The U of R is more expensive, and seems to be a little easier on the students - not in terms of the quality of education - but in terms of the pace and the quality of the professors. I had a a few "ESL" (English as a Second Language) professors at RIT. One of the worst was a Chinese professor who had a soft squeaky voice and a thick accent. Classroom time was a waste - it was like taking an independent study course. Smart guy - but he just couldn't speak English, and most of us in the class did not speak Chinese.

UB is a SUNY School. Lower cost (for state residents) than private schools like RIT or the U of R, and it has a good engineering department.

Engineering and innovation are what carried the US economy into strong growth after Reagan's "Supply Side Economics" took us out of a long recession in the 80's. We're still enjoying the wealth that American Intellectual Property brought into this country during the growth of the '90's. We exported a lot of our IP to countries with lower labor costs - to build things based on US technology, using cheap overseas labor.

We're losing the "IP" edge - and the results will be devasting to our economy in the future unless we step up to the plate to become more competitive again.

There is a lot of opportunity for you out there. Take the "road less travelled" (i.e. most challenging curriculum) and you won't need to relocate to Shanghai to find work.

To get back more on the topic of this thread: consider what's recently been happening to the Rochester economy as a bellweather of what's happening to the US High-Technology edge. The poor business climate of our state is making local economic recovery difficult. High Technology regions in more business-friendly states will soon follow - unless we do something about it at the national level.

sargeantcm

April 7th, 2006, 05:22 AM

The "ratio" at Clarkson was 6:1, you don't get much worse than that unless you're thinking about VMI or something lol. Although I'll give them credit, they have done a good job to work to reduce it.

Also, within a ten mile radius we had 3 other schools (St. Lawrence, and SUNYs Potsdam and Canton), all of which were like 2 to 3:1 the other way, so it sort of balanced out. You deal. I never went out with a Clarkson girl, rather a SUNY Geneseo and then a St. Lawrence (which was like being behind enemy lines lol).

"Clarkson: Where the men are men, and the women are men."
"Clarkson: Where the women are like parking spaces - the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped."

A few more, but I can't remember them now...

Oh yeah, "'Round the bowl, down the hole, Go Brown Go!"

Oh wait, that's a hockey chant. My bad.

blangjr21

April 7th, 2006, 08:21 PM

Gleason to spend $18M in upgrades, grow jobs

Nishad Majmudar
Staff writer

(April 7, 2006) — Gleason Corp. plans to spend $18.7 million, including $3 million in state funds, to upgrade its University Avenue plant, the company and economic development officials said at a news conference this morning at the factory.

The plan will save 625 jobs at the 141-year-old gear maker, and company officials said the intent is to grow employment to about 700 workers.

The company is spending $13 million on the project. Here’s the funding breakdown: $2.5 million capital grant from Empire State Development Corp.; $1 million in general state funding from Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece; a $1 million grant from Rochester Gas and Electric; $530,000 in loans, grants and tax abatements from Monroe County; and a $500,000 loan from the City of Rochester.

“Gleason is a global company,” said John Perrotti, the company’s president. “When we were looking at our future and looking where our markets were, it was not an obvious decision, but with the right assistance, the right plan was to funnel investment right here to Rochester.”

Gleason, one of Rochester’s oldest companies, had considered relocating some of the Rochester work to other countries, but the package of incentives helped the local company keep jobs here, officials said.

The project is one of the largest single investments the 141-year-old gear maker has ever made, officials said. It will include investing in new machinery and reconfiguring the plant for suppliers.

blangjr21

April 7th, 2006, 08:22 PM

If they plan to grow to 700 workers, unless I'm adding this up wrong that would be 75 new jobs. I'm sure there will be more posted later in the day.

ROCguy

April 7th, 2006, 09:58 PM

lol, beat me to it. Yes, this is certainly more good news. It's carries a very sublte message... that investing in Rochester does pay off. And even better news that we on this forum have been hoping for. Rochester and Buffalo working together to better the economic conditions throughout upstate ny;

'Unshackle Upstate' progresses

17 business organizations sign on to agenda for state economic reform

Ben Rand
Staff writer

(April 7, 2006) — Business leaders from Rochester and Buffalo are making progress on an ambitious agenda for reforming state policies that shape the economy.

The agenda, known as "Unshackle Upstate," has drawn official endorsements from 17 business organizations across the state as well as the mayor of Utica.

Unshackle Upstate calls on the Legislature to decentralize and refocus economic development funding, reform the Medicaid and workers' compensation programs and make other changes in hopes of sparking a business resurgence across the region. The agenda was crafted by the Rochester Business Alliance and Buffalo-Niagara Partnership, in conjunction with the Center for Governmental Research, a non-partisan public policy research organization.

Since its release earlier this year, Unshackle Upstate has been getting a growing amount of attention, according to Sandy Parker, chief executive of the business alliance, who spoke about the campaign at a luncheon Thursday.

The gubernatorial campaigns of Democrat Eliot Spitzer and Republicans John Faso and William Weld have all inquired about the agenda, Parker said at the luncheon, co-sponsored by the Rochester Women's Network and local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

The newest partners were signed up Thursday, when the Fulton County and Clinton County chambers of commerce joined the coalition, Parker said.

She said the next step may be to try to narrow the agenda's focus for this year — for instance, to workers' compensation. The reason: A success "under the Unshackle Upstate banner" would give the coalition a significant boost.

Parker was joined at the podium by Kent Gardner, president and chief economist at the Center for Governmental Research. He stressed that the coalition wants to emphasize that upstate is going a different path from the rest of the state and nation.

"What bothers us is the rest of the country is doing well," he said, "but we are not doing well at all."

sargeantcm

April 8th, 2006, 05:50 AM

^^ I would urge all WNY forumers, residents and expats alike to sign onto this thing. I have; I think this is our best shot yet. Albany cannot and will not be able to stand up to a complete mutiny.

ROCguy

April 8th, 2006, 08:03 AM

Definitely. Buffalo and Rochester are both in it, but they still need Syracuse, and all especially rural WNY to get on board. It is the most f**ked up thing in the world that nearly half of the state of New Yorks population has absolutely NO say in how their economies grow, or what goes on in the state that they inhabit 10 times the land area of as their downstate counterparts.

ROCguy

April 9th, 2006, 04:50 PM

Another sign they really did pick a good one. I like this guy:

Duffy optimism faces key tests

He cites progress; budget, crime, ferry, school issues still remain

Brian Sharp
Staff writer

(April 9, 2006) — Midway through his first 100 days in office, Mayor Robert Duffy was his usual optimistic self, talking about the serious challenges that lie ahead but energized by an unwavering belief that tomorrow will be better.

He was introducing his pick for the city's economic development commissioner, completing a City Hall shake-up that sent many senior executives packing. Duffy already had canceled the city's high-speed ferry. And, in four days, he would be back in Albany, leading a lobbying effort that delivered $17.9 million in additional state aid.

Duffy described the pace — 12- to 14-hour weekdays for him and his staff, work on weekends — as "a warm-up" for what's to come.

The city's first new mayor in more than a decade marks 100 days in office Monday.

But the next 100 days, which begin with his State of the City address, present an entirely different set of challenges. He must close an $11 million budget gap, deal with the school district's call for $2.5 million extra in city aid, secure a solid price for the ferry and make inroads on street violence after 57 city homicides in 2005.

"Unless you win in the end," the mayor said, "nobody pays attention."

So far, say supporters and critics alike, Duffy has been winning — a lot.

Duffy says he has accomplished several of the 19 goals he set for the first 100 days, and his administration is well on its way to achieving the others.

Among the achievements:

Public safety: The city pressed for a quicker state turnaround on grading police recruit exams and condensed its own testing practice. Time between the exam and starting the academy went from 14 months for the current class to seven or eight for a class expected to start in late summer or early fall. The delay, as much as 24 months or more, has cost the city recruits and contributed to staffing shortages.

Education: A truancy program aims at intervention on the street and at home. The initiative needs work, but Duffy said he's eager to tackle two of the root causes of low graduation rates, poverty and crime.

Economic development: Duffy has initiated a $5.8 million effort to raze at least 342 structural eyesores in 18 months. He also is working to get college graduates into repairable vacant houses and to spur development where structures are removed.
Among the things that remain unfinished is Duffy's pledge to design and implement strategies for reducing violent crime, drugs and guns. Ideas are in the works, Duffy said, but he wants to wait until newly appointed Police Chief David Moore takes office Monday.

"I don't mean to criticize anything that he's done," said Paul Ferber, political science professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. "But I think the things he is trying to tackle (education, public safety, economic development) become very, very difficult to make progress on."

That is, Ferber said, unless Duffy can make a splash by landing a corporation that will bring lots of new jobs. Or by managing to hold down crime over the summer. Duffy said the city hopes to attract the headquarters of an unspecified business.

Duffy is quick to credit his senior staff, loaded with former presidents and CEOs from the private and nonprofit sector. Former RG&E Chief Executive Tom Richards, the city's corporation counsel negotiating the ferry sale, is widely regarded as the all-star of Duffy's "dream team."

Supporters and critics

Brenda Tait, 33, of Charlotte, knew Duffy before he became mayor through her job at the Olive Garden in Henrietta, where Duffy has dined with family. She came out to Duffy's first City Hall on the Road event, in which Duffy and his senior staff meet one-on-one with all comers after hours. "I'm not expecting a lot," she said of Duffy's first 100 days. "He has to get to know what the people are more concerned about. He's got to learn from them. ... It'll take time."

Ronnie Davis, 35, has opened several clubs in the past seven years in the Upper East End, including Alexander Street Pub, Coyote Joe's and Daisy Dukes. Last month he added the Pig-N-Whistle, 7 Lawrence St.

He opened his latest project in five weeks. In the past, it took three months just to get a building permit, he said.

"Now, they (city staff) are really pumped up. They're really excited to help you," he said. "I ... want to do business with the city now."

Duffy's harshest critic during the campaign, opponent and lawyer John Parrinello, gives the new mayor a B-minus. While he describes Duffy's vision as "the hope-and-pray agenda," Parrinello congratulates him for some achievements and his ability to get the ear of the congressional and state legislative delegations.

"Obviously people trust him," Parrinello said, "and there's no reason not to."

But Parrinello does take issue with Duffy's choice of Moore, the former Laurel, Md., police chief, to lead the Rochester Police Department, preferring former interim Police Chief Cedric Alexander. And he thinks Duffy has dragged his feet on Neighborhood Empowerment Teams (NET) issues.

"We haven't really gone full circle through some of the months that will make or break us, concerning the crime rates and other things," Parrinello said. "And I'm curious to see what the city is going to do with the school district."

Ron Evangelista, president of the police union, has been an outspoken critic of Duffy for years.

Among other things, he questions a decision to pull lieutenants from NET offices, asking why it's a good idea now after Duffy supported the deployment as police chief.

Evangelista also said Duffy hasn't reached out to the union.

"I haven't heard one word of dialogue since he took office," Evangelista said. "Either talk or don't talk, but don't say there is a spirit of cooperation and there's no dialogue."

Duffy said his contact has been with the Police Department, working to make police a key player in efforts to improve Rochester. As for NET, he said, legal complexities have slowed that work beyond what was anticipated.

Duffy said he appreciated Parrinello's comments, knowing his former adversary is not easily swayed.

Looking ahead

So how do you judge the success of a mayor?

"We will be looking at business growth and growth in jobs," said Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel. "We'll be looking at increasing population. We'll be looking at educational outcomes and ... public safety issues in particular."

Rochester schools Superintendent Manuel Rivera, who took office in 2002, praised Duffy for taking action on many fronts. He is working closely with Duffy on a Stewardship Council that will assist the district on key issues such as truancy.

Rivera said it's important to "make sure the mayor and his top staff share the same spirit of collaboration that he has expressed."

Asked whether that has been an issue, Rivera reserved comment: "We are going forward, and I think time will tell ... as these initiatives develop."

County Executive Maggie Brooks faced a similar transition in 2004, replacing Jack Doyle, who had been in office for nine years. Brooks said Duffy's challenge might be greater, as he must deliver a budget in May whereas she had until October.

Brooks views the ferry decision as "probably the toughest of his administration." The additional state aid, and Duffy's efforts to build relationships and change perceptions of Rochester in Albany, are equally significant and likely will have a more long-term effect, she said.

"He has quickly shown that he's not a man of just words but certainly action," Brooks said. Going forward, Duffy must keep his focus, continue to build community partnerships, rely on his senior staff and "realize that he doesn't have to do it all alone."

Rochester Business Alliance Sandy Parker, executive director of the Rochester Business Alliance, praised Duffy for reaching out to businesses and seizing on the "awareness in the community that, unless we do something as a community and get energized, we are going to be in trouble."

Duffy says he's aware of the complexities of the problems facing the city but is steadfast in his expectations.

"The sense of hope and optimism I have is not a put-on," Duffy said. "It's not false confidence. ... We have the opportunity of a lifetime right now in this community to get involved, get behind issues that really do matter — and push.

"One thing I want people to have is a sense of pride in saying, 'I'm from Rochester.'"

blangjr21

April 10th, 2006, 08:11 AM

I'm looking forward to the State of the City address tommorow evening, will be an interesting speech, hopefully outlining what is to come for the City of Rochester.

blangjr21

April 10th, 2006, 05:52 PM

Canfield & Tack growing

Printer adds 60-ton press to accommodate greater demand

David Tyler
Staff writer

(April 10, 2006) — Some businesses measure growth in terms of revenue and profits, others by square footage of their plants.

Rochester printer Canfield & Tack is growing in those regards. But the 80-year-old company is also measuring its growth in tons.

Canfield is adding a 60-ton, $2.8 million printing press that is a both a response to growing customer demand and an expression of hope about the future, company President Dan Mahany said.

Over the last several weeks, technicians have been installing the huge machine. It took seven tractor-trailers to deliver the press. "Having that press delivered has really energized everyone in the company, I think," Mahany said.

It's also the latest move for a company that's been growing over the last two years.

Canfield has added 15 employees in that time to bring the total to 94. Last fall, the company opened a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and mailing center on Lyell Avenue to go along with its 45,000-square-foot Exchange Street headquarters. Revenue grew 10 percent in 2005 to $14.5 million, and Mahany expects similar growth in 2006.

The company has also added a Kodak NexPress digital press to its arsenal of machines, giving customers yet another option. Digital printing now accounts for about 6 percent of Canfield's business, said Ray Brown, vice president of digital services.

Mahany said Canfield has become more focused on offering customers mailing capabilities, storage and other services.

"As corporate staffs have shrunk, people want one-stop shopping," he said. "The more we can provide them, the better."

Customers say they're impressed by Canfield's quality and commitment to service. For example, after Canfield won the business of a subsidiary of Constellation Wines, which had a substantial presence on the West Coast, Canfield put a worker in Rochester on a West Coast schedule to deal with requests.

"They really accommodate us," said Melissa Larkin, a manager for Centerra Wine Co. Constellation has been doing business with Canfield for at least 15 years, she said.

The new press will have the ability to print color on one side and black and white on the other. That ability comes in handy for items such as the rebate tags that hang around the necks of many wine bottles.

"That's really going to cut our costs," said Larkin.

Paychex Inc. has been using Canfield since 1989, said Sasha Trouslot, a senior graphic designer. She said the payroll giant counts on the printer's expertise.

"They might come up with a better idea on how (a job) could be done more economically or look better," she said.

Even with the new Lyell Avenue facility, the employee-owned Canfield is "bursting at the seams," Brown said. With business coming from California, Washington, D.C., and New York City now, Canfield is becoming more than just a local printer.

But the company has no thoughts of moving, Brown said.

"We're excited about being in the city," he said.

ROCguy

April 10th, 2006, 10:12 PM

I'm looking forward to the State of the City address tommorow evening, will be an interesting speech, hopefully outlining what is to come for the City of Rochester.

For sure. It will be good to see what Duffy has to say on progress and what he sees in the future. Also, and this is off topic; WHY THE HELL should anyone care what the CEO of Xerox makes every year? It's the biggest story on the d&c website right now. OH NO She only made $1.6 million this year as opposed to the $2.3 million she was supposed to make!!! WHO CARES!?!?!

blangjr21

April 10th, 2006, 11:55 PM

I gotta agree, It really doesn't bother me either way how much she is compensated for whatever work that she does. Though it is newsworth, it's especially so for companies like Kodak who over-compensate their CEO and former CEO's by millions and millions of dollars while the company continues to spiral in a direction that none of us like to see....I believe that is why you will continue to see CEO compensation in the DandC. Which brings up another point, without looking it up does anyone here know the CEO of B&L he (or she) gets much less face time than the counterparts at the other "big three" just an observation...

sargeantcm

April 11th, 2006, 12:51 AM

^^ CEO pay is a big issue nationwide. So I see it as no surprise for it to be a bigger and bigger deal the farther down the jurisdictional ladder you go.

ROCguy

April 11th, 2006, 02:13 AM

A brief overview of Duffy's first 100 days speach:

Duffy: Jobs, curfew may be on horizon

Brian Sharp
Staff writer

(April 10, 2006) — Headlining Mayor Robert Duffy's inaugural State of the City speech tonight is an announcement that an imaging supply business plans to move its corporate headquarters here and add 100 to 150 jobs here in the next 12 months.

Duffy, marking his first 100 days in office today, delivered his address at Strong Auditorium on the University of Rochester River Campus. He also announced plans to seek state funding and reopen Durand Eastman Beach. And, in the next 100 days, the mayor said he will "strongly consider" implementing an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. summer curfew for youths younger than age 16.

"One city. One Rochester," the mayor said. "Making our city a great place to live, work and raise a family is all of our responsibility. This is a journey of a thousand steps and, in the past 100 days, we're started this journey together."

Nu-kote currently employs 275 in Rochester at 1227 Ridgeway Ave., 3,000 worldwide. Rochester lured the company's headquarters from Tennessee, beating out Dallas for the company headquarters. Nu-kote is the developer of imaging supply products for imaging machines, such as ink jet printers, laser printers, copiers and fax machines.

The majority of the company's new hires will be in manufacturing, Duffy said. Rochester will be Nu-kote's corporate headquarters, its worldwide engineering and research and development center of excellence and its primary manufacturing location within the United States, Duffy said. Details of the economic development project were not immediately available.

Looking ahead, the mayor said his priority is public safety to "keep our city, our businesses and our citizens safe." He did not commit to the curfew, saying instead he will wait until a city delegation returns from a fact-finding trip to Minneapolis later this month.

BuffCity

April 11th, 2006, 09:11 AM

perhaps Rochester should try and market itself after the imaging capital of the world...Yea, Kodak has changed, but there are always new companies and industries that spur from this, it's time Rochester step up.

I like Duffy, he seems to be shaking things around in the city, I don't mean a Salsa dance either.

blangjr21

April 11th, 2006, 06:02 PM

Nu-Kote's world headquarters will be located now in Rochester, the only question is where? This has yet to be disclosed, hopefully it is in the CBD. The newspaper today stated that they will be moving the 20-30 executive jobs from Tenesee but they would be hiring more, and up to 100 new manufacturing jobs.

So that is two 100+ employers in the past two months or so, maybe we are finally starting to roll, and if I'm permited i'd like to quote the lyrics of the once popular limp bizkit, keep rollin', rollin', rollin'!

Susie

April 11th, 2006, 06:25 PM

WOW a WORLD headquarters with 30 whole jobs. Move over NY City here comes Rochester. Sheeeesh.

blangjr21

April 11th, 2006, 07:56 PM

If I may borrow a quote from McHale's navy...

"you're a moron aren't you?"

that is all

sargeantcm

April 11th, 2006, 08:00 PM

30 people with potential expansion to 100 is nothing. Not when you could have tried to woo Microsoft out of Redmond or something.

But seriously, that's one of the dumbest comments I've heard yet. You must be a good future fprmer Rochesterian.

steel

April 11th, 2006, 08:05 PM

At one time Microsoft only had 30 employees. Suzie would have mocked that if they had moved to Rochester

Susie

April 11th, 2006, 09:24 PM

At one time Microsoft only had 30 employees. Suzie would have mocked that if they had moved to Rochester
And if they had moved here they would have gone out of business. There simply is not a business friendly environment in this town. Once the incentives they are given expire they will move on to the next town...if they survive at all.

ROCguy

April 11th, 2006, 10:00 PM

WOW a WORLD headquarters with 30 whole jobs. Move over NY City here comes Rochester. Sheeeesh.

What about a`world headquareters for a company that will add 100 to 150 jobs? I don't know where you got the 30 figure from, but, it''s actually more.

By the way Susie, since you are obviousoly totaly ignorant about the business world at all, I think you should be informed again that all companies start out small and grow. They can do that anywhere, including Rochester. Just move away already. You have no reason to stay in Rochester if you hate it so much and are so convinced it's going to fade into nothing. Anyways, here is another company moving its headquarters to Rochester and bringing at least 100 jobs initialy:

State of the City: Mayor says up to 150 jobs on way

Speech also spotlights curfew, Durand-Eastman beach plans

Brian Sharp and Patrick Flanigan
Staff writers

(April 11, 2006) — Wrapping up his first 100 days in office, Mayor Robert Duffy launched into the next 100 days Monday night, announcing that an imaging supply company would relocate its headquarters to Rochester, bringing 100 to 150 jobs.
Duffy also said he would work with the county to secure state money and open Durand-Eastman beach in the summer. And he pledged to "seriously consider" an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. summer curfew for youth younger than 16. The mayor said improved public safety is the priority of his next 100 days.

"Making our city a great place to live, work and raise a family is all of our responsibility," the mayor told an audience of about 350 who responded with applause and, sometimes, cheers at Strong Auditorium on the University of Rochester River Campus. "This is a journey of a thousand steps, and in the past 100 days we've started this journey together."

The mayor set a number of new goals, including increased student attendance, a revised business-friendly licensing program to be ready within two weeks, homeownership programs and a continued increase of foot and bike police patrols. He also promised to better use city resources and lessen disparities between the most prosperous neighborhoods and the poorest, crime-ridden streets.

"On these streets where many adults would fear to walk, children play every day," Duffy said. "It is for these families, these homeowners, these children ... we must have one city, one Rochester."

On the jobs front, the spotlight was on Nu-kote International Inc., which employs 3,000 people worldwide, 275 in Rochester at 1227 Ridgeway Ave. and an assembly facility on Lee Road. Rochester attracted the company's headquarters from Tennessee, beating out Dallas. Nu-kote is a developer of imaging supply products for ink jet printers, laser printers, copiers and fax machines.

Twenty to 30 executive positions are being transferred to Rochester, but the balance of new jobs to be added over the next year will be in manufacturing, said C. Ronald Baiocchi, Nu-kote's president and CEO.

Baiocchi, a Rochester resident since 1978, said recent downsizing at other Rochester companies had created an attractive talent pool and the company already had hired 20 executives, including scientists and marketing professionals.

City Councilman Bill Pritchard called the news a good start.

"(Nu-kote) was a good first step," said Pritchard, who leads the council's jobs, economic development and center city committee; he is expected to be appointed today to the Rochester Economic Development Co. board. "Equally important to the jobs that are going to be created and the headquarters being located in the city is the symbolism."

But Pritchard added that state lawmakers must reduce the tax burden on businesses and the financial constraints on cities for local growth efforts to truly excel.

Rochester will be Nu-kote's corporate headquarters, its worldwide engineering and research and development center and its primary manufacturing location within the United States, Duffy said. Work continues on a financial package — likely in the neighborhood of $500,000 or more — to assist Nu-kote as it expands existing facilities and possibly opens a new headquarters near Ridgeway Avenue, officials said.

Public safety ideas

On public safety, Duffy jumped behind the proposal to create a youth curfew, an idea that percolated through the city last year after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death. Duffy did not commit to the curfew, saying instead that he would wait until a city delegation returns from a fact-finding trip to Minneapolis later this month. Yvette Singletary was in the audience Monday night and jumped to her feet to cheer the proposal.

"You have to remove the children off the street so they don't die in the street," said Singletary, whose 19-year-old son, Douglas Thompson, was shot to death on Thurston Road in 2001. "They don't need to be out there on the corner."

City Councilman Adam McFadden, who strongly pushed for the curfew idea last summer, said he was glad to see Duffy responding to his proposals, including taking a closer look at the Minneapolis model.

"I think I was able to present some case studies of where it works well and that's why we're looking at it differently now," he said.

Susan Long, a member of a group called American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, which supported Duffy's campaign, said she likes the sound of a curfew but questioned how Duffy plans to pay for it.

"It's great in theory, but it basically amounts to a free ride home," she said. "Where are the funds going to come from?"

Duffy also stressed the importance of walking beats for patrol officers. McFadden, who has often requested more walking beats in southwest Rochester, questioned how Duffy is going to make the beats permanent. As police chief, McFadden said, Duffy often said he didn't have the manpower to limit officers to a walking beat.

Durand-Eastman beach

Duffy also said he would push the idea of opening the beach at Durand-Eastman Park to public swimming. The city-owned park is managed by the county, and the beach is closed to swimming because there are no lifeguards. But many people swim there anyway, and several people have drowned over the years, including a young child last year.

Duffy said the county government and the town of Irondequoit should lobby the state government to help pay for improvements that would open the beach to swimming from the "Shared Services Fund," a fund that's used to encourage municipalities to work together toward a single goal. County Executive Maggie Brooks said she supports the idea of opening the beach to swimming, but only if it's affordable.

John Norris, chairman of the city's Sector 9 committee, an area of northeast Rochester that extends to Lake Ontario, said many people from his part of the city use the beach.

"It's a beautiful beach in our city; we should be using it," Norris said. "It should be a highlight of the city, and it should be safe."

Spring cleaning

On other fronts, Duffy said the city this week would detail its spring cleanup program, a multi-week effort moving throughout the community to collect bulk items, haul away old tires and debris, and fix sidewalks and potholes. Among other sponsors, Paychex owner and former CEO Tom Golisano has pledged $100,000 to offset expenses, officials said.

"It is not about charts, graphs and reports," Duffy said. "It's about results — plain and simple results you can see and feel. Maybe it's cleaner streets, fewer boarded-up homes, fewer children on street corners, fewer empty storefronts, faster service, new families moving into your neighborhoods, more jobs. ... There are tangible results, and this is how this administration will be judged.

"We are attacking our problems as aggressively as possible and with a sense of urgency."

Susie

April 11th, 2006, 10:28 PM

You have no reason to stay in Rochester if you hate it so much and are so convinced it's going to fade into nothing. "
You are implying that it was once something, we never were a major city in the United States.

ROCguy

April 11th, 2006, 10:34 PM

oh my god. You are right.... Rochester, America's first ever boomtown, the city that still get's more patents per capita than any city on earth, the city that was home to American icons such as Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, and the city where Photography was essentially born... was never anything. Again, though, none that matters because it isn't the point. The point is you hate Rochester so much then fucking leave you dumbass. I swear, how retarded do you have to be to stay in a place you hate, bitch about it all day, BUT STILL STAY!?!!?

blangjr21

April 12th, 2006, 01:18 AM

Gotta agree with the kid here, just do us all (including you) a favor and get the hell out of here, nobody wants you here, and its amazing to me that you're still here...

BuffCity

April 12th, 2006, 06:38 AM

You are implying that it was once something, we never were a major city in the United States.

I think that was one of the most dumb and most regreted things you will ever say here...Rochester was once one of the largest in the country.

Perhaps you need to read some history, do some research and then join us talking Rochester on a level you can hardly handle at this point.

ROCguy

April 12th, 2006, 06:43 AM

Oh yeah, and I forgot, it onced produced more flour from mills on the Genesee than any city on earth, giving it the nickname the flour city in the mid 1800's, and then became home to the largest nursery in the world (the Ellwanger-Barry) and one of the few cities in America to get an Olmstead park system.... filled with flowers (duh, the Lilac Festival, largest display of them in the world); both of these factors giving it the nickname that it still holds; The Flower City.

bjfan82

April 12th, 2006, 06:44 AM

For the first half of the twentieth century Rochester was a top 20 city in population.

centreoftheuniverse

April 12th, 2006, 02:13 PM

Susie

April 12th, 2006, 04:06 PM

For the first half of the twentieth century Rochester was a top 20 city in population.
It still never had a large population it topped out at just a bit over 300,000 not a big city in absolute terms by any stretch of the imagination. It was never, ever in the top 20. Small in both population and land area. I have never read anywhere in a national publication where Rochester was considered a big city in the past. Medium city yes, major city...not.

rankings;

1950 - 32
1960 - 38
1970 - 49
1980 - 57
1990 - 66
2000 - 76

Susie

April 12th, 2006, 07:10 PM

I guess if it's big news when a small firm moves it's headquarters to Rochester it must be equally big news when a similarly sized one leaves, from the RBJ website.

After merger, medical firm moves its HQ
Headed by a new CEO and merged with a Florida disease-management firm, Patient Infosystems Inc. has moved its headquarters to the Sunshine State

sargeantcm

April 12th, 2006, 07:40 PM

^^ That's wrong, Florida is the Raindrop State.

Maybe we should start a new thread, "Rochester Dismantlement News I" or something like that (undevelopment, dispersal, whatever). The above doesn't belong in this thread, for the only reason that this is a "Development" thread.

Susie

April 12th, 2006, 07:45 PM

bjfan82

April 12th, 2006, 07:47 PM

It still never had a large population it topped out at just a bit over 300,000 not a big city in absolute terms by any stretch of the imagination. It was never, ever in the top 20. Small in both population and land area. I have never read anywhere in a national publication where Rochester was considered a big city in the past. Medium city yes, major city...not.

rankings;

1950 - 32
1960 - 38
1970 - 49
1980 - 57
1990 - 66
2000 - 76

Rochester:

1830: 25th (Buffalo 27th)
1840: 19th (Buffalo 22nd)
1850: 21st
1860: 19th
1870: 22nd
1880: 22nd
1890: 22nd
1900: 24th
1910: 25th
1920: 23rd
1930: 22nd
1940: 23rd

ok so not since 1860...22nd is still close enough.

http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027.html#tabB

Susie

April 12th, 2006, 08:20 PM

bjfan82

April 12th, 2006, 08:57 PM

Face it we were never a big city, we just were not. In the 1860's this was an agrarian country. Even in 1860 when we were Big City # 22 our population was just 48,204. If you think that qualifies as a big city then you are just cuckoo!

Just because we were number 19 146 years ago does not mean we were big. It only means that at that time there were only a handfull of big cities in the country.

Besides if you have to go back a century and a half to find a time when Rochester mattered you are a pretty sad individual.

oh Susie relax...you said Rochester was never in the top 20...when in fact your city was #19 disproves your claim. You're a pretty sad individual that you are still sitting on this forum wasting time bashing your own hometown.

Susie

April 12th, 2006, 09:32 PM

For the first half of the twentieth century Rochester was a top 20 city in population.
It is your quote that is wrong, by my calculation 1860 was not in the 20th century.

To grasp at straws and say we are a big deal because for a brief time at the dawn of the country we were in the top 20 is silly. When we were in the top 20 there was no electricity, no automobiles, no running water or sewers, no transcontinental railroad. For you to latch on to that is lol funny.

bjfan82

April 12th, 2006, 09:40 PM

It is your quote that is wrong, by my calculation 1860 was not in the 20th century.

To grasp at straws and say we are a big deal because for a brief time at the dawn of the country we were in the top 20 is silly. When we were in the top 20 there was no electricity, no automobiles, no running water or sewers, no transcontinental railroad. For you to latch on to that is lol funny.

I'm not latching onto anything, I really don't care...just gets annoying seeing you bash your hometown repeatedly for God knows what reason.

Susie

April 12th, 2006, 10:05 PM

If you don't care then why don't you stick to the Buffalo forum? BTW exactly what part of the 20th century does 1860 fall in to.

ROCguy

April 12th, 2006, 10:18 PM

That's not true, economic development is not a straight line projectory. It has ebbs and flows. Only a Pollyanna would think only 'good' economic activity should be posted. You must have both sides to see what the real economic development trends are. In Rochester the trend is overwhelmingly and undeniably downward in 2006.

Undeniably downward from 2000-2005; yes. But undeniably downward in 2006? Not really. So far this year has been mostly good news. The money draining ferry got cancelled; one of the top 10 employers actually ended up staying open after long speculation of it closing and losing over 2000 jobs; qute a few new companies have come to the area, each bringing at least a hundred jobs, there is a new mayor who actually knows how to run the city and takes pride in it with an optimistic view. 2006 looks like a better year than Rochester has seen in a while. I think the reality is your personal life is miserable and has been for the past few years, so you blame it on Rochester. I'm sure there are plenty of people who have actually been personaly effected by the slide in the economy over the past few years (which you to the best of anyone's knowledge, have not) who still live good lives because they don't sit on their fat lazy ass and bitch like you do, they go out and find a way to improve their life. Most of them do so while staying in Rochester; the overwhelming majority in fact. Either social darwinism has gotten the better of your, or you are infact a bitter old spinster who hates the world (which as far as she knows is Rochester because she has hardly been anywhere else to see that she has it damn good compaired to about 95% of the worlds population)

If you don't care then why don't you stick to the Buffalo forum? BTW exactly what part of the 20th century does 1860 fall in to.

LOL. You have NO ROOM, to talk about somebody elses mistake in numbers